
Therefore, part of our strategy is to discover who these people are in our churches, networks or communities. They are easy to spot if you know what to look for. Why I've even found them in denominations that don't even acknowledge the gift nor the office. Over the years I've found some legitimate prophets. Some are known and many are unknown.
So how are we supposed to interact with this gift? 1 Corinthians 14:29 is the scripture that inspired this article. It says, "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge."
So the question is, how are we to judge these words, dreams, visions or impressions?
What are we supposed to "decide" about or judge?
- The character of the prophet as compared to God’s word? Are they humble and correctable or proud? (Matt 7:15-20)
- The word itself ! How does it compare to the Bible; God’s written word. (2 Pet 1:19)
- The history of the gift in the man/woman. Do the words come to pass? Are they accurate? Samuel is a great example. The scripture says not one word fell to the ground. His words fulfilled (1 Sam 3:19)
- You decide, is this the Word of the Lord or not.
If it is the Word of the Lord then:
- What are you to pray?
- What are you to do?
- How does time factor into the word?
That's what we do with prophetic words. That's one of the reasons we encourage forming councils or ministers because there is wisdom in a multitude of counsel (Proverbs 24:3-6). 2 Chronicles 20:20 says:
....., “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.
Psalm 68:11 says, "The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:.."
This is an integral part of our strategy and one of the keys to our results. They are an important part of the body of Christ and the gift God gave them was not for themselves but rather for us and our edification. In fact, they are an expression of God's love for us. (Ephesians 4:16) and meant for the building up of the body.
For grins, here is a prophetic word which you can use to apply the word above.