I can’t count the number of times in the past 20 years when people asked the question, “How can I tell if it’s me, the Lord, or the enemy when I’m moving in prophecy?” This is, of course, a legitimate question. We are human beings, subject to pain, disillusionment, hurts, dreams, aspirations, longings and desires. All of these can conspire against us and color the prophetic word in a different way than God intended. It is possible for a frustrated person to speak their own thoughts and opinions, which mix with the words that God is really speaking to the situation.
We are capable of hearing words from other people, angels, demons, God, or self. – Kris Vallotton
1 Thess. 5: 19-20 – Do not quench the Spirit.Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good
1 John 4:1 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God
We know when a prophecy is from God, because the words He speaks will line up with scripture, and His character as outlined in scripture. God’s Holy Spirit will only reveal His good plans for you–plans that bring an abundant life.
This is one of the biggest differences between prophecy through the Holy Spirit and working with tarot cards, ouija boards, or other dark arts. All the dark arts are driven by demonic spirits which can only speak death over you, or direct you toward the enemies plan for your life. Some have received words from fortune-tellers that have come true, but this wasn’t God’s good, pleasing, and perfect plan for their lives; instead it was a settling for a less abundant life than God had for them. The Bible is clear that the dark arts have power, and advises us not to seek after them.
Deuteronomy 18:9-15 – When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, don’t learn to do the hateful things the other nations do. Don’t let anyone among you offer a son or daughter as a sacrifice in the fire. Don’t let anyone use magic or witchcraft, or try to explain the meaning of signs. Don’t let anyone try to control others with magic, and don’t let them be mediums or try to talk with the spirits of dead people… The nations you will force out listen to people who use magic and witchcraft, but the Lord your God will not let you do those things. The Lord your God will give you a prophet like me (Moses), who is one of your own people. Listen to him.
The Bible calls this divination. This is not what the Bible would consider a False Prophet, which will be another topic of discussion in an upcoming blog. Notice that although God tells us not to use diviners, He also tells us that He wants us to consult Him through prophets:
Isaiah 8:19 – When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
God is more powerful than anything else though. Christ drove out demons with merely the finger of God and He gave us the ability to do the same. If you’ve been to a fortune-teller and are afraid of what was spoken over you, you don’t have to be. You have the choice to cooperate with God’s plan for you instead, and watch His power overcome the enemy. Your first step should be to ask Jesus to come into your life and guide you.
1 John 4:4 – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because the Onein you is greater than the one in the world.
Below is one instance where the Bible talks about the power of the dark arts. Notice that the Spirit that rises from the dead only speaks death over Saul, and leaves him with no strength; whereas the Bible says prophecy through God’s Holy Spirit will strengthen, encourage, and comfort us (1Cor.14:3):
1 Sam. 28:7-20 – Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her… “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”… “Bring up Samuel,” he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”… (David said:) “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.” Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone…
This scripture is meaty. If you go read the full passage you’ll notice that Saul says, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’, meaning knew God was alive, but still chose to consult the dead instead of the living God. Saul also mentions, ‘God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams’. Since God hadn’t spoken through a live prophet, Saul now sought a dead prophet. Saul had become so disobedient to God that he could no longer hear His voice. God had nothing extra to say to him since Saul had ignored His previous messages.
Samuel was a true prophet while alive. However, demons watch us on earth. It’s not hard for demons to portray what they’ve seen and know about us. They are not all-knowing like God, but they can observe the present and remember the past. They knew what Samuel looked like, what he wore, and what he’d said while on earth, so they disguised themselves to look like Samuel. In this way, they were able to deceive Saul. The spirit, disguised as Samuel, told Saul that the Lord was his enemy and would kill him tomorrow. While this could be true of the Lord’s plans, it only spoke death over Saul. This word did not empower him, strengthen him, or comfort him that he was still able to change because of the Lord’s compassion. In this passage Saul wants to fast and pray for the Lord’s forgiveness, and if he had indeed done that and turned away from his sin, the Lord would’ve saved him from dieing in battle. Saul could’ve crowned David as king to cooperate with the Lord’s will, instead of continuing in his position as an enemy of the Lord, thwarting His plans. Saul was an enemy of the Lord, not because of the Lord, but because of his own choices to disobey God. Had he turned from his wickedness, instead of turning toward even more sin, God would have saved him from the Philistines and death, and spoken to Him again through prophets and dreams.
In short, yes, demons have power, but God’s power is greater. God is love and life and will speak love and life over you. The power God wants to give you is released through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Demonic powers bring death or will try to get you to settle for less than God’s best for you, so don’t go seeking them out through fortune telling, ouija boards, automatic writings, readings (tarot cards, palms, rocks), etc.
– Matt. 5:14-21 – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you,until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Thereforeanyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you thatunless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
– Matt. 23:29-32 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. Andyou say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
In the last days prophets will be ‘killed’ by religious leaders. Many religious leaders of today are against the gifts of the spirit which includes being against the gift of prophecy.
– Rev. 19:10 – the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Testimony: 1. evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something
Prophecy is the proof of Jesus; the evidence of Christ’s existence. Prophecy allows us to see Jesus. We prophecy in part, and see Him in part, but when He returns He will fulfill all prophecy so that we can see Him in full.
– Matt. 46-48 – He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Even though the disciples had been trained under Jesus, and witnessed everything, they were still not fit to spread the good news! ‘Testimony’ was never supposed to mean words spoken from man. ‘Testimony’ is supposed to be the display of the proof and power of God through the Holy Spirit. ‘Testimony’ is supposed to be the Spirit working in power, because the Spirit is Jesus and Jesus rose from the dead; He’s alive today! Every gift and power that Jesus had, the Spirit has. Jesus is still healing, setting people free, casting out demons, confronting false religious leaders, and moving with power on the earth.
You might say, ‘Well, I’ve never seen the gifts at work.’ Well, I have! Have you seen Jesus? Do you still believe God’s word is true? You believe in Jesus, right? We are called to believe the entirety of the word of God. Faith is the evidence of things not yet seen, and without faith it is impossible to please God. We can believe they exist by faith in God’s word, then we can ask Him to show us. God loves us and respects our decisions, so He will never force something on us that we do not want; that is He why He says to eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. Eagerly desire the gifts and you will see the face of God.
– 1 Cor. 2:4-5 – my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
Eph. 6:10-11 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Before Moses died, God gave him a song for the Israelites. God knew the Israelites would turn away from Him once Moses died. God said the song would be the witness against them (Deut.31:21)… Before Jesus left, He gave us a prayer, which would have been sung in those days and still is sung in some denominations today. In this prayer He set the example for us to pray, ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth’. Is this going to be a witness against our generation? Kingdoms are taken with force, and a spiritual kingdom is taken with spiritual force:
– 1 Cor. 4:20 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power
Prophecy, and all the spiritual gifts, will be around until the work of Jesus is complete:
– 1 Cor. 13:8-12 – But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears… For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
Prophecy is still active today, because the work of Jesus, in us, is not complete yet. Jesus did not come to abolish the prophets or prophecy (Matt.5:17). We need prophesy to see and understand God until we can see Him face to face.
– Phil. 3:12 – I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
– Acts 2:17 – In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
In the last days, there will be prophets. We are in the last days guys!
– Rev. 18:23-24 – The light of a lamp will never shine in you (Babylon) again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Revelations talks about the last days, and it says prophets will be ‘killed’ by unbelievers. That means there are supposed to be prophets today. Take heart, because Christ has overcome the world (John16:33), and those who are persecuted for Christ inherit the kingdom of God (Matt.5:10)!
– Rev. 1:1-3 – The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
A revelation is a revealing of truth. The revelation we received from Jesus is the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth as we’ll see in the next passage. Jesus himself said that He had more things to say, and that the Spirit was going to be the one to guide us into it. We saw earlier that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. We also understand that prophecy is the Word of God, because John calls this verse itself a prophecy and we know that all scripture is God-breathed. God was, is, and is to come. When God speaks His words are timeless too, that is why His words are called prophesies. Prophesy can thus be described as: proclaiming a timeless truth about God. And since His words are without time, they can play out many times in many ways, always holding truth. If this is the case, the life of Christ can be both physical and also play out again in the spiritual realm. I think we are in the middle of repeating Christ’s life. We need the Spirit to teach us how that works. Prophecy is not a new word from God, or adding to the bible, it’s simply a new revelation about who God is, and how the timeless truth pertains to our now.
Example: Christ was born of a virgin. He was wholly man, and wholly God. It was by the Spirit that Mary conceived.
Now, we are the body of Christ. We, the body, were born when the Spirit of God joined to those who had repented and become pure (like a virgin). When the Spirit fell on them, He made man His dwelling place, making us wholly man and wholly God. We are now born children of God as Christ was. We, the church, will grow for a time until we come into full knowledge of God, and like Christ, be launched into the final years of ministry leading us to the end times where we will be martrys, or in Jesus case, death on the cross. We repeat Christ’s life. There is no new word spoken, it’s only a new revelation of how the timeless word operates in our current time.
– John 16:12-13 – I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
– John 14:26 – But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I (Jesus) have said to you.
All scripture is God-breathed. That means, all scripture is the Spirit of God. How then can we understand it without the Spirit? Every person who wrote the Bible did so by the power of the Spirit. The Spirit is for every person, to give us the power to fulfill the destiny God has planned for us. The Spirit teaches us, reinforces and reminds us of God’s words. Every person who accepts Jesus receives the Spirit of Jesus, but if they deny the power of Him, they will never be able to walk in their divine purpose.
– 1 Cor. 12 – Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant… no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit… But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills… But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”… there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
Prophecy builds up the body of Christ. Destroy one part of the body and other parts will not function properly. We must have prophesy within the body of Christ to become the spotless bride that he returns for.
– 1 Cor. 14:1,3,31,39 – Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy… But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort… For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged… Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
– Matt. 21:21-22 – Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Matt. 7:7-11 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
It is God’s will for you to prophesy and work in the power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is God’s will for you to walk on the earth in the same power, authority, and Spirit that Christ did. Ask Him to show you and give you the gifts of the Spirit today.
– Eze. 6:1-2 – The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against the mountains; prophesy against them
Prayer: Spirit, where you are at work, increase and cause accelerated growth. Raise up the bones of the valley, and cause breath to enter into them. Raise up people, filled with the breath and Spirit of God. It is by your breath that all things came into being. Praise you for putting this power in earthen jars! Cause your people to speak the words they hear from you, for you surely do not release anything into the earth without first telling your people the prophets. Raise them up – exponential growth and reproduction of your children. Release your dunamis words to create, change, and destroy in the earth; to bring down every teaching in the church that sets itself against you and every authority in the earth that would destroy your people. Spirit, breath of God, enter into the people who you have created in your image. Those baptized in the name of the father, the son, AND the holy spirit; not by water but by your Spirit and with power! The baptism of God, not that of man. The cleansing with the washing of your word, not of water. Clean us up God! Help us see you in full with the spirit of prophesy – the proof of Christ! I prophecy to the mountain of religion, the leaven of the Pharisees, be removed in the name of Jesus Christ! Lord, bring people into relationship with you, and bring up the gift of prophecy to help us discern your voice and your will for our lives and the lives of those around us. Cause us to speak life into these broken ones that you love and care for so deeply.
– Eph. 5:9,14,18 – For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true… “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light”… be filled with the Holy Spirit
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