These guidelines apply to prophetic words, words of knowledge or words of wisdom that we believe receive personally from God, that are given to us as a personal word by somebody else, or that are spoken out in the congregation.

1. Does it line up with Scripture?

God is the author of both Scripture and a true prophetic word. (2 Tim 3:16., 2 Pet 1:20)  He does not change, and will not say something different in prophecy to what He has already said in His Word. If someone tells you that God told them to do something that is forbidden in the Word, you can be sure it was not God.

2. Does it line up with the character of God?

Sometimes something can line up with the letter of the Word, but is contrary to the character of God – e.g. it is harsh, unloving or unjust. The letter kills, but the Spirit (who embodies God’s character) gives life. (2 Cor 3:6) If a “prophetic word” kills rather than bringing life, it is easy to see who is behind it.

3. Does it line up with my own spirit?

As New Covenant believers we have the Spirit of God living within us. It is His job to communicate the things of God to us. (Jn 14:26). Prophecy simply confirms, or occasionally prepares us for, God’s word to our own spirit. If it does not strike a chord with our spirit, we should throw it out. Interestingly, I have found that even when someone is in rebellion and refusing God’s purposes for his life, if the word is truly fom God, the recipient will recognize it even if rejecting it.

4. Is it true?

God is a God of truth. He does not lie, exaggerate, or fiddle with truth. If it is not true, it is not God.

5. Is it relevant?

Unlike the devil, God is not interested in tickling our curiousity. Nor is He interested in showing off His knowledge or anything else. He does not need to prove a thing to anyone. If a word is true but irrelevant, chances are it came from a psychic source not God.

6. If a time frame is given, does it come to pass in the time frame?

Deut 18:22. God knows when He plans to do things. If a prophetic word says, “Today I will do such-and-such,” and by 1 minute past midnight tomorrow morning such-and-such has not happened, it was not God. If a time frame is implied (eg personal prophecies imply that what is spoken will happen in the person’s lifetime) it must happen within that implied time frame.

However, if no specific time frame (particularly in relation to what God is going to do in and through your life) don’t thing it’s going to happen tomorrow. Put it on the back burner and let God cook it properly!

7. Where is it leading me/us?

Deut 13:1-5. A word might meet all the above criteria, yet still be from the pit of hell to lead us away from God. Acts 16:16-18. We need to ask, “If I take this into my spirit, will it bring me closer to God or take me away from Him?”

8. What is the spirit behind it?

When God is active, the devil is also active in imitation and deception. Like Paul in the above Scripture, we need the gift of discerning of spirits to recognise what spirit is active behind any spiritual activity.

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This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)