Warn those with prophetic gifts; do not fall into witchcraft

God speaks. He spoke the universe into creation, He spoke through His prophets, He spoke to His people, and He still speaks today. God is a good, loving, and faithful Father. He loves to counsel, teach, correct, reassure, and strengthen His people through the still soft voice of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can also give us prophetic messages about His will, plans, and instructions for the times, nations, and individuals. The latter is the gift of prophecy, where God uses us as a vessel to deliver messages to His people. Prophetic messages will build, encourage, comfort, and instruct the church. Such messages will never be initiated by human beings, it is the Holy Spirit who will initiate and take the lead. The prophetic gift, however, is easily corrupted when our fleshly desires, human biases, inner bitterness and flawed understanding get in the way. When we do not actively crucify our own fleshly inclinations, we will displace the Holy Spirit and fall into prophetic witchcraft. 

(简体中文 > 警告那些拥有预言恩赐的人；切勿落入巫术中 | 繁體中文 > 警告那些擁有預言恩賜的人；切勿落入巫術中)

 

Also see Understanding the gift of prophecy

2 Peter 1:21 NKJV  for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:3-4 NKJV  But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 

1 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

Galatians 5:17,24-25 NKJV  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

What is witchcraft 

Witchcraft is not just about casting spells, using good luck charms and magic potions, or young wizards riding on brooms. The form of witchcraft we refer to here is the use of the prophetic gift to manipulate outcomes or people based on one’s own interpretation or desires. The Holy Spirit is not in the lead, we are.

Some examples include using our prophetic gift to:

• look into our own futures
• prophesy over ourselves
• draw attention to ourselves rather than to God 
• presumptuously say or declare something that God never said 
• exercise control over others because we tell them that “God told me…” 
• set ourselves up as superior to others and infallible (like God), rather than a servant for the Lord 
• accept payment in exchange for a prophecy
• make people rely us to ‘hear from God’
• build a personal following 
• project our own bitter judgments onto others through ‘prophetic words’
• speak condemning words (curses) over people in God’s name (when God’s heart is to redeem and not condemn)
• withhold a prophetic message because we fear rejection or retaliation

Acts 20:27-28 NKJV  For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

The prophetic gift is a gift that comes with great responsibility because we can mis-use it and mis-represent God. The Bible warns us that “the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” The prophetic gift is a gift that requires spiritual and emotional maturity as well as self-control. The Holy Spirit is to be front and centre at all times.

Exodus 20:7 NKJV  “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 

For those of us who are growing in our prophetic gift, we can be thankful that the Holy Spirit is our best Teacher. He will not only give us the message to convey but also the “how” and “when” to deliver them. 

Real life examples

Below are three examples of people who were initially growing well in their prophetic gift but then moved into prophetic witchcraft. All three groups of people rejected loving counsel from concerned elders and fellow brothers- and sisters-in-Christ. Rather than examining themselves and seeking the Holy Spirit for the truth, they automatically labelled and judged anyone who tried to warn them as being “religious” and “unbelievers”.

Example 1: Corrupted by insecurity

C joined a fellowship of brothers and sisters-in-Christ whom the Holy Spirit led to prophesy to one another regularly. C did not have similar gifts, her gifts were administration and mercy. C began to feel insecure that she wasn’t ‘fitting into’ or ‘in the same league’ as the others prophetically and became anxious. Growing up, C was frequently ostracised by her schoolmates and cousins, and had anxiously worked hard to gain social acceptance. A performance mindset was deeply embedded in her and her self image and maturity were still fragile.

C began to feel out of place in the fellowship because of her own internal insecurities. She began to be driven by a deep fear that she would not fulfill her prophetic destiny as she compared herself with others. She said all the right words about wanting God but in reality, she desperately needed validation.

Instead of patiently waiting on the Holy Spirit to give her such gifts and refine her character, C began to follow a self-proclaimed prophet online, who taught people how to be (self-)elevated in the spiritual realm. She even made long trips to meet this ‘prophet’ who told her that God had great plans to use her. 

Her friends were very concerned for her and warned her that this prophet was operating in manipulation and witchcraft but she would not listen because of the ‘great signs and wonders’ that this person walked in. Over time, it seemed that C had come under some sort of spell and would no longer listen to anyone, except to the prophet himself. That person had become her god. 

Matthew 24:24-25 NKJV   For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.

Whenever she said she received a ‘prophetic word’ for someone, it was inaccurate and the timing was odd. When given feedback that the word was ‘off’, she would respond by saying that others had not come into the same revelation yet. Her ‘revelations’ often came with a lot of severe pain in her body and she would only find relief after passing them on. This is not how the Holy Spirit operates! Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden light. C had fallen into some form of witchcraft and mistakenly called it all ‘from God’. Unfortunately, she rejected counsel and chased signs and wonders.

Matthew 11:29-30 NKJV  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Example 2: Steered by a wounded soul and hurting others 

G grew up in a very authoritarian and harsh household where he suffered verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. As a result, he grew to hate, judge, and despise authority figures. 

G began to attend church in his teens without his parents. The church leaders were old enough to be his grandparents. Due to the wide age gap as well as the strict religious culture at that particular church, G did not feel well connected or well received. Instead, he felt like he was not understood and that the leaders were ‘out of touch’. Carrying on from his bad experiences at home, he began to instinctively judge and find fault with his elders and pastors – people who tried to make an effort to reach out to the new ‘wild’ young church member but did not know how to since they were not trained counsellors. 

G’s reactions came from a place of deep woundedness. No church system is perfect but the young G did not have the maturity to see past that or see past his own wounds.

In his thirties, G began to move in his prophetic gifts. As he did so, he became the very things he judged others for; harsh, authoritarian, controlling, and out of touch. If he felt he had a word for someone, they had to ‘obey God’. G did not encourage people to test the prophecies he gave because he was confident that what he received was directly from God. 

It also seemed that the ‘God’ that G was (mis)representing was harsh, authoritarian, unforgiving, and extremely demanding.

G would claim to receive very exacting ‘instructions’ from the Lord e.g. fast and not eat anything for seven full days. When he struggled to fulfill any instruction, he would tell his friends that God changed His mind and changed the instruction, so he could be left off lightly. He claimed God had shown him his future wife, and when that person didn’t show any interest in him, he claimed that God had chosen someone else for him instead. Apparently, God was always ‘changing His mind’.

Numbers 23:19 NKJV  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Even though he had gone through numerous inner healing and deliverance sessions, he did not truly let go of his inner bitterness. He continued to simmer in his private resentments while putting on a front of being a ‘nice guy’ who wanted to help others. As a result of his two-faced self-deception, he could not discern when evil spirits began to use him to bring condemning and hurtful words to God’s people. He accused nearly everyone around him of having demons. He claimed that God had given him a full suit of armour with black boots and black coat. It was pointed out to him that God’s armour is glorious and full of light, not dark in colour. That vision was a warning to him, but he would not accept that. G seemed to always notice the demons around other people but ironically, did not discern the demons operating in himself. He even went around different Christian circles telling others he was a high-level prophet.

Gradually, G began to develop health problems.

Different people around G warned him that the Lord had shown them through visions and dreams that he had fallen into deceit, error, and witchcraft and to repent before God, but he would not receive the counsel because he was ‘higher in elevation’ than everyone else and knew better. 

Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Example 3: Misusing the gift to conjure lives of future husbands

A young lady invited two friends she had met at a class on the gift of prophecy at church to practise their spiritual gifts together. Because they were all single and approaching 40, finding a life partner was a matter very close to their hearts. They found and began following a YouTuber who taught how to pray for one’s future spouse by ‘seeing in the spirit’ for that person and praying for whatever they could discern their future spouse’s needs might be for any particular week. The YouTuber would give detailed prayer points to follow. This guidance sounded very good and noble, except that caused the ladies to fall into the act of ‘conjuring’ and used their gift to ‘see into the spirit realm’ as led by their flesh and personal desires, rather than the Holy Spirit and the will of God. 

Soon, two of the ladies felt that ‘God’ had given them visions of what their future spouses looked like and were drawn to men who had no interest in them at all, one of which was a non-believer. This led to a lot of confusion for them. They were not waiting on the Lord for revelation but had allowed their innermost fears to lead them. 

The Holy Spirit brought a word for these three ladies, ‘witches in a pot’, through a mutual friend but they would not pay attention to it because the prayers the YouTuber seemed so ‘powerful’. These ladies had not submitted their bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord nor waited on the Lord to use their gifts to build His church. Instead, they used the gift for their own self interests, this is a form of rebellion. These ladies are not prospering spiritually today nor are they married or dating.

Romans 12:1 NKJV  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 

Have you fallen under the influence of someone who is operating in prophetic witchcraft?

Here are examples of the bad fruit from a person who is operating under prophetic witchcraft, rather than the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 

• There is a lack of the fruit of the Holy Spirit
• You are led into fear and anxiety, rather than led to the hope and calling that Christ has for you (Ephesians 1:17-18)
• You feel a lack of peace, uneasy, or even tormented
• You feel compelled to return to them for hope because they seem to exert some sort of power or strong influence over your thoughts and desires
• You find yourself experiencing unexplainable illnesses or mental oppression as a result of associating with them
• Relationships become less and less Christ-focused but people-focused
• Godly relationships break down and there is an inability to unite in spirit with other people other than the person who is “prophetic”
• There is an emphasis on things or people other than Jesus Christ Himself
• They seem to glory in the gifting
• They seek some sort of benefit, whether financial or otherwise
• They claim to be able to prophesy at will, to anyone, at any time
• They try to convince you that they are the only ones who can give you the true prophetic word
• They are not open to correction
• They don’t encourage you to test their prophetic words with the Lord Himself
• They will tell you how you think and feel, which will make you question whether you even know or understand yourself
• They use certain rituals, outside of the Bible, that they have been given special ‘revelation’ about and practise
• There is an increase in spiritual striving, rather than receiving from the Lord directly Himself

False prophets fit the criteria above. The apostle Peter described false prophets as following the corrupted desires of their own flesh, despising authority, being bold, wilful and arrogant, and speaking evil of spiritual powers (or human authority figures). Also, see Wisdom in recognising false prophets

2 Peter 2:1,10 NKJV  But there were also false prophets among the people … who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries 

We also need to beware of anyone who prophesies at will at any time. They are probably being led by their soul (mind, emotions and will) or worse, by evil spirits, rather than the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit is truly Lord over their lives, they will be carried along by Him subjected to His timing and His will at all times.  They will not need to rely on objects and rituals like witches do.

Prophesying accurately is not a sign of God’s pleasure or favour

Walking in prophetic accuracy or supernatural signs and wonders is not a sign of God’s pleasure or favour, nor is it a sign that someone is accepted before the throne of God. Remember that the witches of Egypt were able to re-create some of the miracles that God enabled Moses and Aaron to do. God can choose to channel His messages through even an animal, such as Balaam’s donkey. Donkeys were considered unclean animals.

Exodus 7:20-22 NKJV  And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

Remember that Balaam accurately prophesied about the Messiah (Numbers 24:17) some 800 years before Jesus was born, but Balaam was a prophet who was condemned for the impure motives of his heart (2 Peter 2-3). Then there is the example of the slave girl who had an accurate word of knowledge about Paul and his companions, that they were “servants of the Most High God who proclaim the way of salvation”, but she was possessed with a spirit of divination!

Numbers 22:28-30 NKJV  Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”  And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”  And he said, “No.”

Acts 16:16-17 NKJV  Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

Once a gift is given, it belongs to the receiver. God does not take His gifts back, even if someone begins to stray away. Hence, a person may prophesy accurately in God’s name but find themselves rejected by Jesus on Judgement Day because they have not done the will of God (Matthew 7:21-23). It is crucial that we move in our gifts according to God’s will and not our own.

Romans 11:29 NKJV  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

God gives all those who mis-use their prophetic gifts time to repent. In the book of Revelation, we see the example of a prophetess who led people into sin rather than into holiness and a relationship with Him. The Lord gave her time to repent and it was only when she refused to, that He cast her into a sick bed along with her followers – with another reminder to repent. The Lord put this sobering example and loving warning into the Bible for a reason. His heart is always for us to learn from others’ errors and stay away from making the same mistakes. He is a redemptive God, not an accusing one.

Revelation 2:20-22 NKJV  Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 

Who will be in danger of falling into prophetic witchcraft

Discipleship is an important cornerstone of God’s kingdom and it is even more crucial for those with the prophetic gift, because such a gift can be used both for good and evil. Sound teaching, guidance, counselling and correction will help us develop the wisdom and discernment to avoid slipping into prophetic witchcraft, especially for those in the following categories. 

1. Spiritual immaturity and lack of knowledge of the Bible and of God

The devil knows that the gift of prophecy is meant to build God’s church. If Satan cannot take the lives of those who are meant to speak God’s will into this earth, he will recruit them for himself! Satan may even send false prophets, occult masters, and witches to recruit and corrupt those who are earnest about growing in the prophetic in order to derail them. Those most at risk are infant Christians and those who do not study the Bible and fill themselves with the Word of God. It is difficult to discern the truth when we do not have the Word Himself inside us. Anyone can twist the Word of God to mean whatever they like and we must have the counsel of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, to lead us on the right path.

John 1:1-3 NKJV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 14:6 NKJV  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

2. Un-renounced witchcraft covenants in the family

Another group that is in danger are those whose families have made covenants with darkness and sold themselves to the demonic through witchcraft rituals. Demonic spirits will then ‘claim’ every family member down the family bloodline and lure them into practicing witchcraft generation after generation, going from bad to worse. This cycle is broken when we repent of and renounce the demonic covenants made by our families, particularly covenants made with blood sacrifices.

2 Kings 17:16-17 NKJV  So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.

3. Chasing spiritual power, anointing, elevation, signs and wonders

Anytime we pursue anything other than God himself, that thing has the potential of becoming our idols. One example is the chasing of power, anointing, elevation, signs, and wonders. We can be hungry for the “deep things of God” but when we lack the spiritual maturity and depth of Bible knowledge to discern good from evil, the enemy can slip in and deceive us. We may be lured into what looks like the “deep things of God” but actually are the “deep things of Satan” instead.

James 3:14-16 NKJV  But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 

1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV   But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Revelation 2:24 NKJV  But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.

4. Unhealed bitterness and anxieties of the heart

God wants to move through cleansed, healed and healthy hearts. From our heart comes all the issues of life. The heart is where our motives and motivations originate from. God has warned us that people can prophesy out of the issues of “their own hearts and not from the mouth of the Lord” and from “the deceit of their own hearts“.

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV  Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Jeremiah 23:16,25-27 NKJV  Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord. “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.

God’s Word shows us that whatever is in our heart determines what we say and how we say it. Unhealed wounds, unforgiveness, bitterness and anxieties that are still lodged in our hearts will inadvertently corrupt our motives and prophetic messages. We see the example of Simon the sorcerer who was bound to sin and iniquity because of the bitterness in his heart. He wanted the power of the Holy Spirit and coveted it so much that he was willing to pay for the gift. Simon did not know how to first submit himself to God and allow the Lord to give him the gift. The apostle Peter rebuked Simon for such wickedness of his heart. Peter counselled him to repent before God and pray that the wicked thoughts of his heart may be forgiven. 

Matthew 12:33-34 NKJV  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Acts 8:18-24 NKJV  And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”  Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”

We may not think that we have wicked thoughts in our hearts but let us remember that unforgiveness will block our ability to love others freely, prejudice will keep us from speaking freely to certain people, hunger for affirmation may tempt us to glorify ourselves, while the fear of persecution or rejection will silence us. Unforgiveness, prejudice, hunger for affirmation and fear of persecution or rejection cannot be taken lightly.

Below are descriptions of some issues of our hearts that will corrupt how we go about using the prophetic gift. 

Heart issues	Description	Warning from scripture
Ambition	An ambitious person is driven by a spirit of religion. They ‘work’ to develop their gift so as to grow in ‘anointing’ or ‘rank’. They exercise their prophetic gift for self-seeking reasons, rather than love for others.	James 3:16 NKJV  For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
Bitterness	A bitter person is unable to see the goodness of God. They can use their prophetic gift to “discern” and judge others. Their prophetic word, no matter how accurate, will be unloving and defiling, rather than loving and liberating.	Hebrews 12:15 NKJV  looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
Jealousy	A jealous person succumbs to comparisons with other prophetic people, covets what they have, and has difficulty in lovingly embracing others in one spirit and accord.	2 Peter 2:1,14 NKJV  But there were also false prophets among the people … They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
Insecurity	An insecure person fears rejection. They can conjure prophetic words to gain acceptance or compulsively use their gift to draw attention, and not even know that they are doing it.	Matthew 6:1 NKJV  “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Pride	A proud prophetic person sees themselves as superior and expects others to listen to and honour them, even at the expense of other people listening to God for themselves.	Philippians 2:3 NKJV  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Stubbornness	A stubborn person is inflexible. When their prophetic words are tested and challenged, they will insist on being right. There’s a lack of humility or self-reflection.	1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…

Developing the wisdom and humility to walk in our prophetic gifts

Every gift from God is to be used for the Kingdom of God. Besides sitting under sound biblical teachings about the gift of prophecy, it is important to receive personal guidance, especially from the Holy Spirit. He will teach us what to say, when to say it and how to say it. Here are a few other important points to keep in mind.

Luke 12:12 NKJV  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

1. Develop intimacy with the Lord and His Word

Intimacy with the Lord cannot be overemphasised. It is the most crucial aspect of our walk with God.

A prophetic word should not only convey the word of God but also, the heart of God.  It is hard to represent the voice of someone that we don’t know well. Therefore, intimacy with the Lord is very crucial. We develop a deep understanding of the Lord when we spend time to meditate on scripture and on Jesus Himself. Our spirits are meant to connect so closely to God that we know and literally feel what’s in His heart. The more familiar we are with God, the quicker we can discern if a message is from Him or not and speak on His behalf with the right attitude.

2. Be filled with God’s love through inner healing and deliverance

God loves all of us with a passion. The foundation of everything we do as followers of Jesus Christ should be built on love. 

1 John 4:8 NKJV  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Human beings cannot manufacture love out of ourselves, it has to come from the Creator Himself. God’s love never fails. But we won’t be filled with the tangible presence of His love, unless we repent of our own sins and open every door to every chamber of our hearts to Him. This is why inner healing and deliverance from demonic spirits is a necessary part of our spiritual sanctification before God. The apostle James puts it very bluntly, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” When we don’t cleanse our hands of sin and purify our hearts of impure motives, the devil will have no reason to flee from us. In fact, we can be certain that the enemy will try to corrupt our hearts in every way that he can. 

1 Corinthians 13:2,4-9 NKJV   And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 

James 4:7-8 NKJV  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

3. Crucify the flesh daily

Whether we like it or not, we are all subconsciously influenced by:

• What we see and hear from others
• How we feel about someone or something
• Our upbringing and values
• Our personal views and opinions
• Our desires
• Our bitterness, hurts, and wounds

We are all influenced by what we hear. Our brains cannot help but be subconsciously influenced by what others say, especially if they are people whom we trust or feel connected with. If we are not careful, we can create an “echo chamber”. This can affect our ability to hear and discern clearly from the Lord. We need to check our spirits and unyoke from other influences. We listen to one voice, the Lord’s. 

Secondly, our subconscious sinful inclinations e.g. our bias, judgements, and self-protective mechanisms can mislead and even deceive us. If we don’t crucify our flesh and “rule our spirits”, such blindspots can corrupt whatever words we deliver. Self control is a large part of the Christian life. We are saved and redeemed by Jesus to live set apart from the world, rather than to be conformed to it. We will face immense pressures to conform but we will have to make a stand for the Lord.   

Galatians 5:24-26 NKJV  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Proverbs 16:32 NKJV  He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Our thought processes are to be renewed and our inner desires, impulses, actions, and words need to be in check and aligned with the Lord’s Spirit as much as possible. We do this because we know that the Lord will judge us according to our words and we want to be justified, rather than condemned, for the words we speak while we are on this earth. 

Matthew 12:36-37 NKJV  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Moreover, the Lord may use us to bring correction, rebuke, and admonishment to His people – in order to build up His church, not tear it down – and we need to be obedient in times like that as well. Someone who only speaks comforting words all the time is not likely to be operating in the true prophetic gifting and could even be manipulating God’s words to please people. It is important to walk in humility before the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to inspire and lead the words we deliver, whether we personally like the message or not.

Ezekiel 13:16 NKJV  … the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.

4. Die to all forms of pride

Pride is insidious, it is easy to spot it in other people but hard to spot in ourselves. Pride is always driven by some inner anxiety and our anxieties always make ‘logical’ sense to us. When people hurt us, we may think it is acceptable to retaliate pridefully because it is ‘justified’, for instance. 

Without the faith to obey God in all things, we will stray and sin. We need to lay our own selves down fully each day and invite the Holy Spirit to correct and transform us from the inside out. That is when we can walk as new creations, free from the patterns of this world. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Romans 12:1-2 NKJV  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Here are some practical steps we can take.

There is always the temptation to secretly see the prophetic as ‘special’, but we need to keep in mind that God’s prophets were persecuted and murdered. If we are to serve the Lord faithfully, we need to be prepared to be seen as foolish, weak, and despised so that the Lord’s power can be fully displayed through us. The focus is on God, not any human being. Having such an attitude will keep us walking in humility.

1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NKJV   For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

We should never fall for the trap of comparing our prophetic abilities with others. It only breeds jealousy, competition, pride and division in the body of Christ. These are weaknesses that the enemy is only too happy to take advantage of. Just like the servants with the different talents, we ought to be faithful to what we have been given, whether less or more. The Lord rewards faithfulness, not numbers or fame. And do not be seduced by power, signs and wonders, that will lead to the trap of idolatry. Put our focus on worshiping God first and allow Him to work supernaturally through us, not the other way around.

Matthew 25:19-23 NKJV  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Many prophetic messages will reveal the inner motives, thoughts, and intent of a people’s hearts that they hide from others, or even from themselves, and it can be very tempting to judge them. We need to guard our hearts and always walk in a spirit of humility and love. The more we judge and condemn people made in God’s image, the more we will quench the Holy Spirit inside us. 

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV   For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Holy Spirit is not condemning. His goal is to build the church, not tear it apart. That should be our aim too. Sometimes, however, the Lord may lead us to pass on a strong correction. Thankfully, we can ask the Holy Spirit to teach us what to say and how to say it. Our approach and words should always be respectful, kind, and gentle. 

Rather than cause someone to feel like we are condemning them, we can also pre-empt the message by saying something like:

• “I seem to get a sense that God may want you to know …”
• “What I’m about to say is not easy for me but I feel this is something important from the Holy Spirit for you. Can I share it with you? Please know I speak out of love and care for you, as it is easier for me not to say anything at all.”
• “Can I have your permission to tell you something that I believe the Holy Spirit may want you to hear?”
• “Do you ever feel like (the prophetic word turned into a question to allow the person to confirm)”?

We also ought to encourage others to test the prophetic messages we pass on to them with the Holy Spirit too. The conviction of God’s words needs to come from Him, not from us. The Bible tells us that we are to test everything.

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

It is also important to be in a community. No one exercises the prophetic on their own. When we are part of a community of people who love Jesus and walk in the Spirit, we will have opportunities to exercise our gifts to build one another up, observe others, receive guidance and correction, and sharpen our gifts. 

2 Timothy 1:5-6 NKJV  when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you… Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Here is a quick summary of points.

• Don’t compare our prophetic “skills” with others, the Kingdom of God is not a competition.
• Do not assume we are always right, ask others to test the prophetic words we bring them.
• Crucify all our presumptions and judgments of people, do not assume we know everything about someone.
• Take on the attitude of a servant and not some elevated person in God’s kingdom, a true servant of God is always humble.
• Check we do not see ourselves as better than others in any way, we are all sinners.
• Do not simply deliver a word of knowledge about an area of sin (which will come across as condemning), without first seeking the Lord for the way out (1 Corinthians 10:13) and be willing to pray with them.
• Have the courage to deal with our inner anxieties and struggles head on, especially when we have been wounded. This takes humility. Don’t brush aside what is going on inside us, as this will give the devil inroads to our hearts to manipulate us, when we don’t bring them to the Lord first. (1 Peter 5:6-11)
• Pour all our anxious emotions to God. We can express our emotions to the Lord, and ask Him for comfort and the way to see things from His point of view, rather than our own. (1 Peter 5:7-9)
• Be willing to wait on the Lord for His instructions, even in times He does not seem to be speaking.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts for our true motives before we say anything on the Lord’s behalf.
• Never become controlling or manipulative, that is witchcraft. Also, take heed of the warnings in 2 Peter 2-3.
• Receive inner healing and deliverance regularly, we all need it!

1 Peter 5:6-11 NKJV  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

When we become pure vessels for the Lord and serve Him with a pure heart, we will have nothing to be ashamed of on Judgement Day.

2 Timothy 2:21-22 NKJV  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

A testimony of maturing in the prophetic gift

“I have been pursuing the Lord for some 30 years. The Lord has opened my eyes to His ways, brought me through many valleys, and shown me His love, and many other wonderful things along my journey with Him. He has become the Source of all things to me. He is my Beloved, Saviour, Master, and Friend.

I discovered my prophetic gift about 20 years ago. It wasn’t because someone prophesied or laid hands on me, the Holy Spirit simply began to nudge me to speak to certain people with specific messages. It was very intimidating at first because I kept doubting what I was hearing in my spirit. Was it just my imagination? 

There were no prophetic training courses like there are now, so you could say, I had to learn by trial and (many) errors.

If I had to choose the three pieces of advice I would give anyone, it would be these three. One, have integrity. Two, don’t set yourself up for idolatry. Three, deliver all prophetic words with an open hand. I am sure others will choose to give different advice but these are based on my personal experiences.

One, have integrity. 

At the beginning, I only received a few words of knowledge. Being a logical person, I was always trying to make sense of them as I didn’t want to look stupid and embarrass myself. 

One time, I was speaking with a lady who had migrated overseas and was visiting us. She had gotten married while she was living abroad and I had never met her husband, but I received the words, “mother-in-law, sickness, death, reconciliation” for him. Not fully understanding what it meant, I speculated that it must have been that God wanted her husband to reconcile with his mother before she fell very ill and told her so. My friend was slightly offended and told me that her mother had suffered painfully with cancer before she passed away a few years ago and her husband had been very upset with God. I was very embarrassed and apologised to her, and gave her the words exactly as I received them without any of my own input. It seemed that perhaps God wanted her husband to reconcile with the Lord but I knew better than to try to make any more guesses. 

Sometimes, I receive words for others in a language that I don’t speak, such as Hebrew, Malay or a Chinese dialect, but means something significant to them. I have to try my best to pronounce what I hear in my spirit, even though I look stupid trying. I have been led to sing spontaneously for someone or hug them. One time, the Lord told me to ask a brother to research the meaning of his name. I felt it was rather trivial, but it turned out that the name was prophetically related to his destiny.

So I have learnt to not think too much about what the Lord tells me and just go as the Holy Spirit leads me, even if it does not make any sense to me (which is most times). I no longer embellish whatever I receive from the Lord, I just repeat whatever I receive from the Holy Spirit with integrity and stay true to His word.

Another way I protect my personal integrity is by not accepting money or gifts for speaking prophetically to someone. As I have matured in my gift, I am now able to give a word of knowledge and counsel people on what they are to do next, which leads to breakthroughs. Someone from church once asked me why I hadn’t ‘monetised’ my gift. That took me by surprise. I will admit that I did consider it for one second and immediately realised how evil that thought was. I know the power of money to corrupt one’s heart and I’m happy to live a simple humble life for the glory of God. Today, if someone insists on making a love offering, I will ask them to donate to a Christian organisation that does work for the kingdom of God. I know that there are people who will not agree with me, but this is my personal conviction.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24  NKJV)

I would also say it is very important to let the Holy Spirit correct our hearts. Today, I dedicate the first hour of every day to spend time with the Lord and take communion to honour Jesus. When I take communion, I ask the Holy Spirit to show me if there is anything in my heart that I need to come clean with God on. He has corrected me on many things, including judgmental thoughts, fear, hurts, and insecurity. He has shown me how issues from my family’s brokenness have affected me and so on. These are things you cannot see in yourself and we all need the Lord to guide us. So I would encourage you to do the same too. Reading the Bible and making time to listen to the Lord are the two things that have helped me grow and mature in my gift significantly. Attending church is good for being in community but not for personal growth in the Lord. If possible, see if there is anyone who can be a mentor to disciple you.

Two, don’t set yourself up for idolatry. 

When people began to find out that I can receive ‘downloads’ from the Holy Spirit, some wanted me to ask God for answers for them, while a few began to put me on a pedestal or became jealous. There were times I was made to feel guilty when I had not received anything from God for them or was not able to resolve their issues for them. Whenever the Lord gave me a prophetic word of correction for anyone, however, the few would take offence and hold grudges. I’m not perfect and when I stumbled in my words, those few attacked me. To be honest, I would have welcomed loving counsel and feedback but they chose to talk behind my back and tear me down instead. 

I started to feel that I needed to be cautious and to please people. This created unhealthy dynamics. The wounds from those who were supposed to love me as they love Jesus cut deep and I began to withdraw from community altogether, until the Lord brought me through a time of inner healing and deliverance. Now, I only speak to someone if God gives me a prophetic word for them and I turn down requests for ‘downloads’. I respectfully turn people away and encourage them to seek God for themselves. I am not a diviner or fortune teller and the prophetic gift is not a commodity to be used.

Most of all, I don’t want to fall into witchcraft and be manipulated by people. From experience, I have learnt that people can be very self-righteous and self-serving, and not even see it in themselves. They may call themselves Christians but their hearts are not for God’s Kingdom but rather for themselves. There are times the Lord will send me with a prophetic word to bless them with a loving reassurance or a correction and sometimes, He won’t. I am not the one who chooses.

While we are to love others, we must be careful to not be pressured by self-centred desires, whether our own or others. We serve God alone. We are all sinful people who make mistakes. Only God is perfect. 

As you grow in the prophetic, you too can expect some attacks from insecure, jealous or religious people. Sometimes they do this because they are unhappy that the Lord is not speaking through them on certain things. The thinking goes something like, “If I don’t prophesy, neither should you.” Never allow anyone to quench what the Holy Spirit is doing through you, even if they are your closest friends or family members with the best intentions.

Three, deliver all prophetic words with an open hand. 

God gives mankind free will. When you deliver a prophetic word, it would be unwise to try to enforce it because if you do that, people will end up following us over God. We should always allow people to test the word and decide if they want to follow it or not. 

The Lord once showed me an open vision while I was in a fellowship group. I saw one of the men there dressed in what looked like a levitical priest outfit (Exodus 39:30-31). Then I realised that instead of a white priest turban, there was a very large grey snake coiled on his head. That serpent didn’t want anyone to get close to his mind, so it would spit out lies to that man that he would repeat over himself, and hence to others. The Lord said, “he shouldn’t deceive himself to think he is anointed with the Holy Spirit when this demon is the lord that is controlling his mind and thoughts.” I found the image distressing but I knew I had to deliver the message despite how I felt. It took me a couple of days to process how to say it with the Lord’s help.

The man responded by saying that he believed the vision I had seen because he was aware of the enticement of human wisdom and his need for control and security. He had said to his wife a few weeks prior to my message that God had convicted him of being in bondage to the need of control and stability, a fear of lack, and ego, pride and coveting. Even though the response seemed to be positive, he did not take any action to make things right before God. This hurt my heart because I knew how much it grieved the Holy Spirit, but there was nothing I could do. I could only leave him in the hands of a good and perfect Father in heaven.

But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (James 3:14-17 NKJV)

Once you have delivered a prophetic message, leave the outcome to God. We don’t have to try to make things happen or manipulate others. If you believe you may have spoken unlovingly or out of turn, however, ask God for forgiveness and invite Him to make right your mistakes. God has the power to correct any mistake. We can be thankful that eventually, everything we do in the Lord’s name will not be in vain.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV)

Finally, I would like to close with some encouragement.

Prophecies do not reveal the entire picture for someone. We only prophesy in part. This allows others to discover God’s will for them as they seek Him for His full story. Sometimes, the prophecy is only fulfilled after some other events occur. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. (1 Corinthians 13:9-10 NKJV)

Two years ago, I saw a vision of an Indian idol that was hopping up-and-down and laughing at a friend. She did not receive that vision well because her family is Chinese, Christian and do not worship Hindu gods. She felt that I was ‘off’. 

Then last year, she discovered that before she was born, her mother had visited a Hindu fortune teller and was told to pay money to place a rock inside a Hindu temple for a ‘blessed marriage’ in the future. Her mother would normally not talk about such things but somehow, she suddenly confessed this to my friend who was visiting her. This gave my friend the opportunity to pray with her mother to repent of and revoke that covenant she had made with a demonic spirit worshipped in the Hindu temple, which would have affected her and her siblings (none of them are married). Her mother admitted that this probably put her children under a witchcraft curse. 

The prophetic requires us to walk in faith, even though we don’t know why a prophetic word is given or what the outcome will be like. Sometimes, it can turn out to be something we could not have anticipated at all! So, please don’t be discouraged. Keep walking with the Lord and trust Him over everyone, including yourself – or perhaps I should say, especially yourself.”

Also see
How our human spirit can corrupt our prophetic gifts
Practical tips on delivering prophecies wisely

May this sharing be a blessing to you as you seek to love the Lord with all your heart and submit your prophetic gift fully for His use.