When “God Told Me” Goes Wrong: Dangers of Undiscerning Prophetic Words
The Dangers of Misused Prophecy in the Church
Many Christians long to hear God’s voice and experience the supernatural. In charismatic and some evangelical circles, it’s not uncommon to encounter individuals declaring “Thus saith the Lord” or “I have a word of prophecy for you.” These prophetic words – claimed messages from God delivered through human speakers – can be exciting and encouraging. Yet when such pronouncements are not properly discerned or held accountable, they carry significant dangers. Misguided or unchecked prophecy has, sadly, led to spiritual abuse, false hopes, elitist attitudes, and deep disillusionment among believers.
In this post, we will explore the dangers of people claiming to speak for God without proper discernment, examine why these practices persist, and look at what the Bible teaches about testing prophecy and discerning spirits. We’ll also discuss how churches can foster a healthier environment where genuine spiritual gifts can operate responsibly. The goal is a thoughtful, respectful, and Scripture-rooted reflection that balances necessary critique with hope for a better path forward.
The Dangers of Unchecked “Words of Prophecy”
When anyone can declare “God told me to tell you…” and be taken at their word, the potential for harm is real. Here are some of the common pitfalls when prophetic messages go untested:
Spiritual Manipulation: An unscrupulous or misguided person can wield prophecy as a tool of control. Followers may feel obligated to obey “words from the Lord” even when those words contradict wisdom or exploit their trust. For instance, one charismatic leader in the 1970s used “personal words from the Lord” to convince members to sell all their possessions and donate the proceeds to his communal group – a “heartless and manipulative scam” that he propped up with alleged prophecies tripkimball.com. When funds ran dry or people questioned him, he conveniently produced another “word of prophecy” telling them it was time to leave. The result was devastating: many believers were left “bitter, cynical, hurt, and financially and spiritually bankrupt” tripkimball.com. This tragic example shows how claiming divine authority can be used to coerce and deceive, with leaders effectively saying, “Don’t argue with me – argue with God.” Such spiritual manipulation abuses people’s trust in the name of God.
False Hope: Unfettered prophetic pronouncements often promise grand blessings, miracles, or personal breakthroughs – but what if God never actually said those things? When well-meaning (or overconfident) individuals declare prophecies that don’t come true, believers who trusted those words end up heartbroken and confused. One Christian who was once deeply involved in the charismatic prophetic movement admitted, “I have seen so many people’s lives poisoned with false hope, including mine… The gift of prophecy wrecked my life many times with false hopes and dreams… and we have to be able to use our heads and discern any and everything.” credohouse.org. In other words, unchecked prophecies can raise expectations that God will do X – heal a loved one, provide a job, bring revival by a certain date – only to leave people dejected when X never happens. “Sadly, there are many people who claim to speak for God” but are actually presenting error; this “leaves people with a false hope” and even inoculates them against true faith gotquestions.org. Repeated disappointments from failed “words” can cause believers to doubt God’s faithfulness, when in reality it was human presumption, not God’s promise, that let them down.
Spiritual Elitism: A subculture of super-prophets and constant “fresh revelation” can foster an unhealthy hierarchy in the church. Those who frequently claim prophetic visions or messages might (even unintentionally) be viewed as a spiritual elite, while “ordinary” Christians who don’t have such dramatic experiences feel second-class. The allure of being “in the know” can also puff up the speakers themselves. As theologian J. I. Packer observed, “In any movement in which significant-seeming things go on, the sense of being a spiritual aristocracy, the feeling that ‘we are the people who really count,’ always threatens” to surface outreachmagazine.com. In charismatic circles, this can translate into a proud notion that “we hear God’s voice directly, unlike those other Christians.” Such elitism contradicts the humility and unity that Scripture calls for. Genuine spiritual gifts were never meant to make one group feel superior (indeed, Paul had to correct the Corinthians on this in 1 Corinthians 12–14). If someone claims special status as “God’s mouthpiece” and is beyond question, that should raise red flags.
Disillusionment and Cynicism: Perhaps the saddest consequence of prophetic abuses is the long-term disillusionment it breeds. When people have been manipulated or let down by false prophecies, they often emerge wounded and wary. They may not only lose trust in those who misled them, but even question their faith or the reality of the Holy Spirit’s work. In the earlier example of the prophetic commune, the aftermath was a trail of wounded believers “abandoned… bitter, cynical, hurt” and spiritually broken tripkimball.com. Bible teacher Derek Prince recalled seeing “scores of ‘shipwrecks’ through the misuse of prophecy” – broken homes, churches divided, and individuals “ruined…through the wrong use of prophecy” derekprince.com. It’s a tragic irony: a practice meant to build up faith (when genuine) can utterly destroy faith when misused. Some Christians, burned by experience, swing to the opposite extreme of skepticism, deciding prophecy is just emotionalism or worse. Others simply withdraw from church life to avoid getting hurt again. Spiritual gifts are intended to draw us closer to God, but false or abusive prophecy does the exact opposite – it erects barriers of distrust and pain.
These dangers are very real, and they give us ample reason to be cautious. Importantly, however, we should not throw out the idea of God speaking today entirely just because it has been misused. As we’ll see, Scripture calls us to a balanced approach: neither naive acceptance of every claimed prophecy, nor cynical rejection of anything supernatural. First, though, we must understand why such problematic practices persist in the church.
Why Do Questionable Prophecies Persist?
If the drawbacks are so serious, why do “words of prophecy” with little accountability continue to flourish, especially in some evangelical and charismatic circles? Several factors contribute to the ongoing popularity of this practice:
Hunger for the Supernatural – A Thirst for God’s Voice: Many Christians earnestly desire a tangible experience of God. Hearing a specific, personal message from the Lord – whether about the future, guidance for a decision, or insight into one’s heart – is profoundly alluring. After all, the Bible itself describes an outpouring of prophecy in the last days (Acts 2:17-18) and is full of accounts of God speaking through prophets. This creates a hopeful expectation that “God is still speaking directly to us now.” In revivalist movements, people often want to be part of “great things God [is] doing” tripkimball.com, and prophetic claims tap into that excitement. There is nothing wrong with longing for God’s tangible presence and power – in fact, zeal for the supernatural can reflect a real faith. However, this zeal becomes dangerous if it overrides discernment. Our hunger for an encounter with God can make us vulnerable to emotional experiences or charismatic personalities that may imitate the Holy Spirit’s work without the substance. In short, the very appeal of the prophetic and miraculous can short-circuit our judgment if we’re not careful.
Lack of Teaching and Discernment Training: In many churches where prophecy and other gifts are embraced, there is often insufficient instruction on how to test and weigh supposed revelations. People may be taught “God still speaks today,” but not how to distinguish God’s voice from human imagination (or worse). This can lead to a climate of credulity, where sincere believers accept any prophetic word at face value. As one observer noted, “people generally want to believe and are too often quick to trust where they should be more cautious and discerning.” tripkimball.com In some cases, new converts or young Christians are exposed to intense prophetic meetings and simply assume that uncritical acceptance is the norm, never learning the biblical mandate to “test the spirits”. Even more mature, doctrinally solid believers can fall into this trap if their community models poor discernment desiringgod.org. Furthermore, there’s a recognized problem of “untested prophecy” and lack of discernment in segments of the charismatic movement charismactivism.com. When church leaders fail to set guidelines or correct false prophecies, the flock remains ill-equipped to “distinguish between the truth and error”. In short, an enthusiastic practice of prophecy that isn’t paired with robust teaching on discernment will inevitably produce error.
Fear of Quenching the Spirit – Reluctance to Judge Prophecies: A third factor is more psychological: believers worry that questioning a prophetic word might offend God. Paul’s warning “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) looms large, and rightly so – no sincere Christian wants to stifle the Holy Spirit’s work. In communities where the Spirit’s moving is emphasized, this can translate into an unwritten rule: “Don’t question a prophecy, or you might be quenching the Spirit.” People remain silent even if they have misgivings, lest they be seen as resisting God. While the intention – to honor the Spirit – is good, it rests on a misunderstanding. We must remember that the same passage that says “do not quench the Spirit” also says “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess 5:19-21). Exercising discernment is not quenching the Spirit; it’s obeying Him. As one pastor wisely put it, even out of “fear of quenching the Spirit,” we are never to “set our discernment aside”. We are told “No”, instead “we're to test our experiences... by the ultimate standard, the word of the living God” sermonaudio.com. In other words, Scripture itself directs us to evaluate prophetic messages. A genuine move of the Holy Spirit can withstand scrutiny because the Spirit is the Spirit of truth. We need not be afraid that God will be upset when we humbly test what claims to be from Him – He’s the one who told us to do so!
These factors – spiritual hunger, lack of discernment training, and a fear of hindering the Spirit – help explain why many well-meaning Christians continue to give and heed “prophetic words” with minimal accountability. Understanding the why is important. But even more important is to reclaim what the Bible actually instructs us to do in these situations. God has not left us without guidance; Scripture gives clear teaching on handling prophecy and spiritual claims.
Biblical Teaching: Test Everything and Hold Fast to the Good
Far from encouraging blind acceptance, the Word of God repeatedly calls believers to test any claim to divine authority. The Bible’s guidance on prophecy can be summarized in two balanced directives: do not despise true prophecy, but do not swallow every claim naively. We are to be open to God’s genuine voice while diligently filtering out counterfeits. Consider these key scriptural principles:
“Test the Spirits” – Not Every Voice Is From God: The apostle John gave an unambiguous command: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) gotquestions.org. Christians are not to be gullible, “discerning hearers” of all messages gotquestions.org. Why? Because not everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit actually does. Jesus likewise warned, “Beware of false prophets… in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15). Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see that deception often comes packaged in spiritual language. Therefore, every prophecy or teaching must be tested against the truth of God’s Word and character. We are never told to “switch off” our critical thinking in the name of faith – in fact, exercising discernment is an act of faithfulness to God. The early church in Berea was praised because they “examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11), even testing the teachings of the Apostle Paul against Scripture gotquestions.org. How much more should we test modern prophecies by the Bible!
“Do Not Despise Prophecies, But Test Everything” – Balance in 1 Thessalonians 5: The Thessalonian church also received wise instruction on this matter. Paul writes: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 ESV) bereanbiblechurch.org. Here we see both sides of the coin. On one hand, we must not reject prophecy outright or treat Spirit-led utterances with contempt; that would indeed “quench” or suppress something the Holy Spirit might be doing. On the other hand, we are commanded to “test everything” – to carefully evaluate any purported prophecy – and only cling to what passes the test. Whatever is “good” (truly from God) should be embraced, and anything evil or false must be rejected. This Scripture passage implies that in the early church, prophetic utterances were part of worship, but they were not accepted uncritically. Paul didn’t tell them to automatically believe prophecies, nor to automatically ban them, but to sift through them. We are called to neither gullibility nor cynicism. In practice, this means when someone speaks a “word,” the church community (especially its leaders) should prayerfully weigh it before acting on it or spreading it.
Accountability in Church – Let Others Weigh What Is Said: The New Testament church had practical measures for prophetic words. In 1 Corinthians 14, where Paul gives instructions on orderly worship, he explicitly says, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.” (1 Corinthians 14:29, ESV) derekprince.com. Prophecy was never intended to be a free-for-all with unquestionable pronouncements. Even those recognized as having a prophetic gift were to submit their message to the discernment of others. The word “weigh” or “judge” implies a critical evaluation – likely by church elders or prophetically gifted peers – to determine if the message was truly from the Lord. The community had a role in testing a prophecy’s content (Does it align with apostolic teaching and Scripture? Is it edifying?). Similarly, 1 Corinthians 14:32 reminds us that “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets,” meaning a prophetic person is not out of control or beyond accountability – they must humbly yield to checks and balances. This mutual accountability protects the church from lone-wolf figures who might lead others astray.
Standards for Prophecy – No Contradiction, No Novel Doctrine: Any authentic word from God will agree with God’s established truth. The Bible is our ultimate authority and benchmark. No prophecy today can override Scripture or create new doctrine (Galatians 1:8). Believers are instructed to compare what is spoken with the “clear teaching of Scripture” gotquestions.org. If a message contradicts the Bible or encourages something the Bible forbids, we can confidently say it is not from the Holy Spirit. For example, if someone prophesies that you should do something unethical, or proclaims a different gospel, we must reject it outright gotquestions.org. Even if a prophecy is not doctrinally heretical, it should still be consistent with God’s character as revealed in Scripture. “God is not a God of confusion” (1 Cor 14:33), and He does not lie (Titus 1:2), so a genuine prophetic message will not create chaos or be proven false by events. In the Old Testament, the standard for a prophet was 100% accuracy – “If what a prophet proclaims…does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken” (Deuteronomy 18:22) sacerdotus.com. While New Testament prophecy in the church may function somewhat differently than the office of an Old Testament prophet samstorms.org, the principle remains: God does not endorse errors. Thus, accuracy and faithfulness to truth are non-negotiable tests for any prophetic word.
The Gift of Discernment: Recognizing that not every spiritual-seeming message is from Him, God has equipped the church with the gift of discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10 speaks of “distinguishing between spirits”). Some believers, by the Holy Spirit, have an enhanced ability to sense whether something is of God, of the human spirit, or even demonic. This gift is invaluable in a prophetic environment. But all Christians are told to cultivate discernment (Hebrews 5:14) and wisdom. James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom, which surely applies as we navigate prophetic claims. A church that values prophecy should equally value discernment and even make it a part of their culture to pray for insight whenever a prophetic message is given.
Purpose of Prophecy – Edification, Not Domination: The New Testament also clarifies why the gift of prophecy is given. It is not to predict trivial matters or exalt the prophet’s status, but to build up the church in line with God’s will. “He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men,” Paul says (1 Cor 14:3) derekprince.com. Prophetic words should strengthen faith, encourage holiness, or comfort the hurting – essentially drawing people closer to God. This provides another test: if a so-called prophecy is destructive, condemning, or instills confusion and fear without remedy, it doesn’t fit the New Testament profile of prophecy derekprince.com. Derek Prince shared that whenever he heard a message purporting to be prophecy that was “condemnatory, destructive, or negative,” he would not accept it as genuine, precisely because prophecy should function to edify under the New Covenant derekprince.com. This doesn’t mean prophecy never contains correction – it can, at times – but even corrective words will ring true to Scripture and ultimately aim to restore or warn in love, not to tear down or control. If a message produces only fear or blind submission to the “prophet,” something is off. The bottom line is that prophetic ministry must reflect God’s heart as revealed in Scripture.
In summary, the Bible’s counsel is clear: be open to the Holy Spirit’s gifts, including prophecy, but be vigilant to test and discern every purported word from God. Love the work of the Spirit, and use the mind of Christ He gave you to evaluate everything. Truth and Spirit go hand in hand (John 4:24). The presence of counterfeits does not mean we should despise the genuine, but it absolutely means we must keep our guard up. As 1 Thessalonians 5 shows, we honor the Spirit by testing prophecies, not by ignoring that duty.
Towards a Healthy and Accountable Prophetic Ministry
Having acknowledged the pitfalls and affirmed the biblical mandate for discernment, how can churches and believers today encourage a healthy environment for spiritual gifts, particularly prophecy? Is it possible to welcome the Holy Spirit’s moving while also preventing the abuses we discussed? The answer is yes – if we are intentional. Here are some ways we can foster responsible prophetic ministry in our communities, drawn from both scriptural principles and the practices of wisely-led churches:
Teach and Model Discernment: Church leaders should regularly teach on the topic of testing prophecy and give congregants permission to ask questions about any “word” given. This teaching should include the scriptures we’ve reviewed (1 John 4:1, 1 Thess 5:19-21, etc.) so that everyone understands that discernment is a command from God, not a lack of faith. Leaders and mature members can model this by humbly weighing prophetic impressions themselves. For example, if someone shares a supposed prophecy publicly, pastors might respond with, “Thank you, let’s prayfully consider this and see if it aligns with God’s Word and what the Spirit is saying.” This signals to the church that it’s normal and expected to evaluate prophetic messages, not just instantly accept them. It’s also helpful to provide practical training or workshops on discernment and the proper use of spiritual gifts. When people are equipped to recognize common signs of false prophecy (e.g. date-setting predictions that fail, directives that encourage sin, flattery that appeals to pride), the entire community grows more discerning. Ultimately, discernment should be seen as a collective responsibility – “let the others weigh what is said” (1 Cor 14:29) – rather than falling on gullible ears.
Establish Accountability Structures: A church that allows prophetic utterances should have clear guidelines and authority structures to prevent chaos and abuse. One wise approach, practiced in some healthy charismatic churches, is to limit public prophecy to a regulated process. For instance, rather than allowing anyone to grab a microphone and speak unvetted, the church can designate a leader or a prophetic oversight team to filter words. At Pastor Sam Storms’ church, they “highly value prophetic ministry” but only within biblical boundaries samstorms.org. They require that during a service, if someone believes they have a word from God, they first share it privately with a designated leader (such as a pastor or elder on duty) who “has the responsibility and authority” to decide if and how it should be shared samstorms.org. Often they even encourage writing the word down before it’s spoken. This allows a level of immediate review – the leader can consider if the word seems sound, timely, and edifying for the congregation. If it passes basic tests, it might be shared with the church; if not, it is held back or gently corrected. Such policies do not stifle the Spirit – rather, they protect the flock while giving space for genuine messages to be shared in an orderly way (see 1 Cor 14:40). Likewise, prophecy should always be subject to the leadership of the church (Hebrews 13:17), and those who consistently give dubious words should be counseled or asked to refrain.
Encourage Humility and Peer Evaluation: Those who exercise prophetic gifts should be pastored to do so with humility and a teachable spirit. In a healthy environment, someone who shares a prophetic impression will not use the formula “God told me, so you must…” (which closes off discussion). Instead, they might say, “I sense the Lord may be saying…” – leaving room for the church community to weigh it. Genuine prophets won’t bristle at having their word tested; they will welcome confirmation or correction. We should create a culture where no one is above evaluation. It helps when multiple people with proven gifting operate as a team rather than a lone superstar prophet. Peer review among prophetic individuals can catch errors and keep everyone humble. The New Testament prophets in Antioch, for example, worked together (Acts 13:1), and even the prophets at Corinth were expected to take turns and let others critique (1 Cor 14:29). If a person claiming prophetic insight refuses any oversight or reacts angrily to being questioned, that is a bad sign. By contrast, when there is a trusting relationship and shared commitment to truth, those with prophetic gifts can submit their revelations for discernment without fear. This fosters safety: people know prophetic words are weighed by trusted leaders and not accepted unless affirmed as good.
Prioritize Scripture and the Gospel: To keep prophecy in its proper place, churches must continually exalt the written Word of God as the final authority. Sermons, Bible studies, and discipleship should reinforce that Scripture is our sufficient guide (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and no prophetic word will ever equal Scripture or circumvent its teachings. When the congregation is steeped in the Bible, they are far less likely to be led astray by a random prophecy – the counterfeit will be obvious against the backdrop of truth. Additionally, keeping the message of the gospel central (Christ crucified, risen, and the transformation that follows) will guard against getting lost in sensational personal prophecies. It’s notable that in Revelation 19:10 we’re told, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Truly Spirit-inspired prophecy will point to Jesus and magnify Him, not distract with endless self-centered predictions. A prophecy that draws us into deeper obedience to Christ or confidence in His promises is far more credible than one that feeds our ego or curiosity. By staying grounded in Scripture and the core doctrines, the church can enjoy prophetic blessings without drifting into doctrinal weirdness or neglect of the Bible. Leaders might even explicitly say, “Any prophetic word given here will be evaluated by Scripture – the plumb line is always God’s Word.”
Create a Safe Place for Gifts to Grow (with Mentorship): Completely forbidding all prophetic expression might seem safe, but it actually contradicts Paul’s command “do not despise prophecies”. Instead, a church can encourage the genuine gift to develop in safe, smaller settings. Many churches find it best to practice prophecy in small groups or prayer meetings first samstorms.org. In a living room with 10 people who know and love each other, if someone shares what they think God is saying, the group can test it together gently. If it’s off-base, mentors can guide the person to learn from it; if it’s accurate and encouraging, it can be affirmed. This low-pressure context prevents public spectacle while people learn to hear God’s voice. Any public (church-wide) prophecy can then be mostly brought by those who have proven faithful in smaller settings. When a mistake is made – as will happen, since we prophesy in part (1 Cor 13:9) – the leadership should address it in love. For example, if a predicted event doesn’t occur, it’s wise for the leaders to openly acknowledge it, correct it, and perhaps have the person apologize or step back for a time. Such transparency builds trust in the congregation that prophecy is taken seriously, not swept under the rug. A community that values both Spirit and truth will handle these moments with both grace and firmness – forgiving human error, but not giving free rein to chaos. Over time, this approach can actually increase the church’s confidence in prophetic ministry, because they see a track record of accountability and accuracy being upheld.
Keep the Focus on Edification: As noted, New Testament prophecy’s aim is to strengthen and encourage. Churches should therefore steer prophetic practice toward those ends. This can be done by emphasizing testimonies of how a prophetic word brought someone closer to Jesus or comforted them in a hard time. It’s healthy to de-emphasize the more sensational, predictive side of prophecy in favor of the pastoral, upbuilding side. In other words, prophecy is not mainly about forecasting world events or personal fortunes; it’s about speaking God’s heart to encourage faithfulness. When people understand this, there’s less temptation to treat prophets like fortune-tellers. Instead, prophetic words will more often sound like Spirit-filled encouragement, loving challenge, or timely confirmation of things God has already been stirring in someone’s life. These kinds of words, submitted under authority and measured by Scripture, can greatly bless the church. And when members see that prophecy in the church consistently leads to good fruit – like repentance, hope, unity, and awe of God – they will be less likely to be jaded by the failures of false prophets elsewhere. The church can be an example of prophetic gifting done right.
By implementing measures like these, the church can create an environment where the Holy Spirit’s gifts operate with both power and purity. We can have vibrant prophetic ministry without the chaos, pride, and hurt that so often accompany it in its distorted form. The key is continually returning to biblical principles: love must motivate the use of gifts (1 Cor 13), and truth must govern their use. When love and truth partner, spiritual gifts can thrive in a healthy way.
Conclusion: Spirit and Truth Together
The practice of proclaiming “words of prophecy” in God’s name is a weighty endeavor – one that should never be taken lightly. We have seen that when prophetic claims are not handled with proper discernment and accountability, real damage is done to Christ’s people. Spiritual manipulation, false hopes deferred, division and disillusionment – these are not the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but of human excess and, at times, demonic deception. Yet, it is also clear from Scripture that God does desire to speak to His children (Hebrews 1:1-2) and to build up the Church through spiritual gifts. The answer, then, is not to reject prophecy outright, but to embrace it on God’s terms.
Those terms, as we’ve discussed, involve a marriage of zeal and knowledge, of openness and testing. Paul captured this balance well when he told the Corinthians to “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” – and at the same time instructed the Thessalonians “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” samstorms.org We are called to eagerly desire God’s voice and guidance while diligently filtering every perceived message through the sieve of Scripture, godly counsel, and the Spirit’s discernment. There is no contradiction here. In fact, true faith welcomes the light of examination because true faith ultimately wants God’s truth, not comforting lies.
If you have been hurt by someone misusing prophecy, know that you are not alone, and that the failure of people to speak for God accurately does not mean God has failed you. Like the writer who shared how false prophecies “wrecked [his] life many times” yet still concluded “God is still awesome… I trust Him” credohouse.org, you too can separate who God is from what misguided people have said about Him. God’s written Word remains an unshakable foundation when human words have proven false. He invites you to test and see what is good. Over time, as healthy discernment is restored, you may even find healing and renewed openness to the genuine voice of the Lord – spoken through Scripture, and perhaps occasionally through a brother or sister in Christ who humbly brings a timely word that truly resonates with God’s truth and love.
In the end, every Christian can take comfort that God is not a trickster trying to deceive us. He is a loving Father who wants us to know His will. By staying anchored in Scripture and accountable in community, we can avoid the dangers of prophetic pretension and enjoy the real blessings of His guidance. Let us strive for churches where Spirit-led insight and biblical discernment walk hand in hand. In such an environment, the gifts of the Spirit – including prophecy – will build up, not tear down; and Jesus Christ, not any human “prophet,” will be the One glorified. “To Him be glory in the church” (Ephesians 3:21) – amen!
Final Thoughts: A Call to Spirit-Led Wisdom
If you’ve made it this far, I want to leave you with this:
The problem isn’t that people desire to hear from God — it’s that we sometimes forget He’s already spoken clearly in His Word. When we prioritize experience over Scripture, or charisma over character, we end up with confusion instead of clarity, hype instead of holiness, and wounds instead of wisdom.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Let’s be people who:
Hunger for God’s presence — but also honor His Word.
Welcome spiritual gifts — but walk in spiritual maturity.
Listen for God’s voice — but never forget He’s also given us discernment.
The Church doesn’t need more hype. It needs more humble, Spirit-filled, biblically anchored believers who speak the truth in love, weigh every word carefully, and glorify Jesus above all else.
If you’ve been hurt by a false word or spiritually manipulated by someone claiming to speak for God — I’m truly sorry. That wasn’t Jesus. And it wasn’t His heart for you. I pray you find healing, clarity, and the confidence to seek Him afresh — in Spirit and in truth.
Because when God truly speaks — it sets people free.
And that’s what the Church should sound like.
