Self-appointed prophets

In some churches today, many people seem to want to be prophets. I wish it was because of the godly exhortation to prophesy (1Co.14:1). But the prophecy referred to there is the kind that builds up others (v.3). That is not what many do, but to promise a great future for the hearers or to direct them in their life. One hardly ever hears warnings or corrections, as the OT prophets mostly used to do. God tells us not to believe anyone who predicts good things unless what they say actually happens (Je.28:8,9). Self-appointed prophets who want to please or impress the listeners are likely to say things that are pleasing to the hearers!

Prophets are those who convey to the people what the Lord has told them to say. Therefore it is a serious sin if we pass on our own ideas to the hearers while giving them an impression that God has told us to say so or that what we are saying is coming from a revelation from the Holy Spirit. "But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die" (De.18:20). But those who are only trying to impress people are generally unaware of this. If all wannabe prophets understood this, there would be very less 'prophets' or false prophets out there!

To want to encourage, exhort and build up others is a very good desire. But we can do this as we seek to listen to God and make ourselves available to Him, rather than by trying to get the reputation of being a prophet. This type of prophecy can take place as we talk to people, share from the Bible, testify of what God has done for us, and in many other ways. If our desire is to bless the others, there are plenty of ways to do it without trying to impress them in the guise of being a prophet.

God makes it very clear that not everyone can be prophets, or can have the ministry of prophecy (1Co.12:29). Then why is it that some people teach that everyone can prophesy, or start schools of prophets? Usually it is by misquoting 1Co.14:31 which seems to say that all can prophesy. But what it means in its context is about several prophets being there with God's words on their hearts, when they can all speak, one after another, in an orderly manner. This is not saying that anyone who wishes can learn to prophesy.

Perhaps we can all remember times when we were listening to someone preaching and then realising that God was saying something to us through what the preacher was saying, even though the preacher was totally unaware of how his word was affecting us. It was unintentional from the preacher's side, but it was prophecy all the same. Would it not be right to say that we can all do that without taking the name of a prophet?

But what should we do if a so-called prophet tells us to take a certain step? Our safety is to refer it to our Father for confirmation and also consult with experienced people (1Th.5:20,21). Let us not blindly trust people.