If prophecy, like a website, had a list of frequently asked questions, this one would be on top of it: when I am moving in prophecy, how can I tell if it’s me, the Lord, or the enemy?
It is a legitimate question. We are human beings, subject to pain, dissolution comment, hurts, dreams, aspirations, longings, and desires. We sort, delete, distort, and repackage the amount of information we receive every day. Our humanity can conspire against us, and color a prophetic word with a different view than God intended. We can give in to the power of me.
We can also come under the influence of the enemy, either directly through bitter, unresolved issues in our lives, or indirectly through bad attitudes and a lack of good relationships. It is possible for a frustrated person to speak prophetically their own thoughts and opinions, mixing them with the words that God is really saying. The enemy can inspire that to happen, and people could be moved by a spirit other than Lords, this usually happens only when people have buried their hurts and rejection in real anger. Their lives become fertile ground for enemy activity. Alternatively, the enemy can use our unyielded thoughts and impulses, as we speak out of our own soul, he can move in behind our words to cause mischief.
With these issues in mind, it is no wonder so many Christians’ fear polluting a prophetic word. How do we give a pure word of prophecy that glorifies the Lord, has no element from our unsanctified hearts, and there is no influence of the enemy attached? Further complicating this question is the issue of faith. Sometimes we may not be operating in complete certainty, and we have to prophesy as far as our faith allows.
One thing to guarantee the purity of our prophecy is a large dose of humility. The humble spirit ensures that we will not seek to do anything to dishonor the Lord Jesus, discredit the ministry, or disrupt the body of Christ.
In this life, we either humble ourselves or get humiliated. We either fall on the rock or it falls on us. Humility is not a natural characteristic in any of us. No one is born with it. Our relationship with God builds as we submit our lives, thoughts, and perspectives to Him. Our aim is to always live our lives in the best possible way, so that the Holy Spirit is made welcome in us.
Psalm 51: 10-Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me, do not cast me away from your presence, do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
If we prophesy in humility and make a mistake, the Lord will give us grace to face the issue and put things right. Mistakes are inevitable as we learn how to move in the supernatural. That is why Paul was so clear in 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast to what is good. We need to be able to sift and separate the good from the bad, the misguided, and the misinterpreted.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we must ensure that we live our lives in the best way possible. There must be no part of us that does not belong to Jesus. Our lifestyle must be full of rejoicing, meditation, prayer, healing, waiting on God, love, and expectation.