God loves to speak to us. Psalm 85:8 (NASB) says: “I will hear what God the Lord will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones.” At the right time, the Lord offers us a fresh word that can bring strength, guidance, confirmation or correction. I recall countless times when I was famished for a word from God, and when He spoke it came like a drink of cold water in the desert.
But there’s a right way and a wrong way to seek God’s direction. I’ve seen Christians line up in front of prophets, hoping for a quick fix for their problems. I’ve also seen those same Christians stand in line a second time in front of the same prophets because they didn’t like the word they received the first time.
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Prophecy is a legitimate spiritual gift, and 1 Corinthians 14:1 instructs us to desire it earnestly. But we should never abuse or misuse this precious gift. Here are some guidelines to help:
Read the Bible regularly. Many Christians crave a direct word from God yet refuse to spend time reading Scripture. They may even consider reading the Bible boring—yet they love the thrill of receiving a prophetic word in a public meeting. Carnal Christians aren’t willing to be disciplined students; they want prophetic words handed to them on a silver platter.
You will never become a mature Christian if you don’t learn to hear from God through His Word alone. And if you don’t read the Bible regularly you won’t know the difference between a true prophecy and a fake one—because prophecy never contradicts Scripture.
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