How to Judge a Prophetic Word

There has never been a time the church has needed a genuine expression of prophetic ministry more than now. This has always been the case throughout church history. But there is a great hunger among people seeking God for a real move of the Spirit and legitimate demonstrations of the Spirit in this hour. This need must be met by genuine Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus who know the Word of God and have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

We must take the time to know and understand the Word of God or we can be subject to deception by counterfeit ministers and counterfeit demonstrations. I have observed and known of several “non-profit” prophets over the past four decades of ministry. Some of these gave out “words” for an offering. Others I have observed had a “word” every day for every person in every situation. A few others I observed were real false prophets who were wolves in sheep’s clothing.

I have also seen and known some true prophets and true prophetic ministries that brought great blessing to the church and individuals. It is essential we train people how to properly judge prophecy and prophetic words. The Word of God certainly bears this out: 

“Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). 

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge” (1 Corinthians 14:29). 

I want to share with you the key principles I use to judge and test prophetic words:

1. Does the word you received line up with the written Word? 

“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). 

The Lord is not going to give you a word that violates His written Word. The reason why many people have difficulty hearing the Lord accurately is they place prophecies, dreams, visions, and other supernatural ways God can speak to us above the written Word. You must determine that no prophetic word ever has higher authority in your heart and mind than God’s written Word. 

“For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the Excellent Glory: “This My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed, as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:17-19). 

This is an amazing passage of Scripture. Peter declares he heard the audible voice of God from Heaven speak over Jesus. Then he tells us we have the prophetic word confirmed—a more sure word of prophecy—than the audible voice of God. That is the written Word of God! You and I are never obligated to act on a prophetic word—no matter who gives it to you—until you check it out by the written Word. 

2. Does it witness to your spirit? 

Is the prophecy something your heart bears witness with? Does it confirm what God has already been dealing with you about? Is it peaceful or confusing? 

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Romans 8:16). 

If He will bear witness with our spirit we are His children, He will also bear witness of other things He is leading us to do as His children. The second thing I do when receiving a prophetic word to test and judge it is to check out how it witnesses with my spirit and the Holy Spirit in me. If it doesn’t immediately witness with me, I set that word on the shelf, and I will only visit that again if the Spirit leads me to consider it. 

3. Does it pass the test of counsel from spiritual leaders in your life? 

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge” (1 Corinthians 14:29). 

The Word instructs us to have prophetic words judged by other mature leaders and/or prophets in the church. Why is that necessary if the individual giving the word is certain the Lord has spoken to him or her? Our heart could be hurt and we do not realize it. Or our limited knowledge of the Word can affect how we translate what the Lord is speaking to us. Most of the time we are not missing the fact God is speaking to us. The problem lies in the translation of what we believe He is saying.

Several years ago in a time of prayer and seeking the Lord, I believe I heard Him speak to me saying that He had a new assignment for my wife and me. I didn’t say anything to Janice about this immediately and just spent a bit more time praying over it. 

Within an hour of the time God spoke to me, a good friend of mine and a prophet to our church, Ron Smith, called me. He said, “Pastor Greg, I have just come from a time of prayer and the Lord told me to call you and tell you to get ready, He has a new assignment for you and Janice!” 

Wow! What a powerful confirmation. After Ron’s call to me, I let Janice know what I believed I had heard from God and the prophetic word Ron spoke to me. She agreed. We then met with our pastor, Bob Nichols, to ask him to judge this word. I also shared it with a couple of other trusted ministry friends. Each of these men confirmed to us they felt we had heard from God. They also counseled us to walk it out with patience and not attempt to self-fulfill this word. That was great counsel. 

“Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established” (Proverbs 15:22). 

I rarely allow the counsel to sway me off what I am sensing God has spoken. However, many times the counsel helps me to discern more accurately the strategy and timing of the fulfillment of that word. 

4. A true prophetic word will lead you toward God and build you up. 

True prophecy will not lead you to compromise with evil or sin. With some prophetic words there is no absolute way to judge whether it is of God or not. The reason for this is the subjective nature of some prophecies. For example, if someone receives a word they should go into business, move to a different city, or change jobs. There is nothing in the Word either endorsing or forbidding those things. 

In these cases, you simply have to give things time to determine the fruit of that word. Did it work out for the individual? Did it cause them to draw closer to the Lord and His purpose for their lives?

“He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men” (1 Corinthians 14:3). 

Exhortation means to draw near to God. As spiritual leaders we need to watch for the fruit in the lives of those who receive a prophetic word. Does that word cause them to draw near to the Lord, live more Christlike, and have a positive, God-centered influence on their family, friends, and acquaintances or something else? Does it leave them with faith and hope or discouragement and despair?

5. Realize that divine timing is involved with divine promise. 

Some words are “now” words and some are “future” words. We all love those “now” words, but we have to pray over and discern the timing of each prophetic word we receive. 

“searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating…” (1 Peter 1:11). 

It is not only important for us to recognize what the Lord is saying but also the timing or season for its fulfillment. 

“…to every purpose there is time and judgment…” (Ecclesiastes 8:6 KJV). 

This is a very practical and revealing verse on discerning God’s timing. The purpose is the “what” you received as a download from the Lord to do whether through a prophetic word or inward witness. Time is the when. The judgment is the strategy or the how. My experience in discerning His timing has taught me the timing of the word is closely related to the revelation of the how or the strategy to fulfill it. 

There was a time a minister I knew came up to me during a prayer and worship service and told me he saw me pastoring two churches. I had to pray over that word because the church I was pastoring at the time was going through a very challenging season. Though this word did resonate in my heart, I felt it was a “future” word I was to simply pray over and God would show me the right time it would be fulfilled. It was fulfilled two years later when the Lord showed me the city twenty-five miles north of the town we lived is where we were to plant the new church. 

I love “now” words, but don’t make the mistake of trying to make a “future” word a “now” word. You have the ability to discern not only what God is telling you to do but also “what manner of time” it is to be fulfilled! 

6. Most prophecies are conditional. 

True prophecies are a divine invitation into your kingdom potential. But they are not automatic. They require human cooperation. God does His part when we do our part—repentance, obedience, trust, etc. God spoke to Elijah to go hide by the brook Cherith during a time of famine (1 Kings 17:2-4). He said He had commanded the ravens to feed him there. In order for Elijah to receive the provision this word promised him, he had to go to the specific brook the Lord spoke to him about. Had he either stayed where he was or gone to any other brook, this word would not have been fulfilled. 

The word the Lord gave me about pastoring two churches was both a strong and challenging word. I had to come into agreement with it and then take action once I knew the time was right. The action steps we took stretched us and cost a lot of money, but the outcome was worth the investment.

7. A prophetic word never stands alone. 

“For we know in part and prophesy in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9). 

No word is ever the entire message. Notice it says, “we prophesy in part.” It may be a very important part of what God is telling us, but it is never the whole. 

Most prophecies are focused on the destination or goal rather than the journey or process. It’s a lot like some of the ads we see for destination vacations. They tell you all about the glorious things you will experience when you get there—the ocean breeze and views, the wonderful food, rest and relaxation, etc.—but they say nothing about how much work it took to save the money to go and all the packing to get ready.

My point is, when the Lord gives you a word, it is more about the destination and less about the process to get there. We cannot depend on additional prophetic words to help us on our journey. We have to walk that out by faith. 

8. Hold fast to the prophetic words you have proven to be true. 

“Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). 

“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18). 

I encourage you to write down the prophecies that have been spoken over you so you can meditate on them and consider the kingdom potential God sees in you. Whenever someone gives me a prophecy, I ask them to write it down or email it to me.

I meditate on it until I see myself in it. That becomes my new reality rather than what I see in the natural realm. Then I begin to speak it out, especially when the enemy sends opposition against that word. That’s what Paul meant by waging the good warfare with these prophecies. The good warfare is one you win. Since Jesus has already won the war, you and I will experience the victory and success His Word and prophetic words promise if we embrace them, see ourselves in them, and speak them out. You are more than a conqueror through Christ and His Word to you! 

 

Adapted from Greg Mohr’s Book, Flowing in the Supernatural

Watch Pastor Greg’s television series on Living a Supernatural Life to learn more.