When someone prophesies over you

Do you know that prophecy is a very essential part of the body of Christ? Throughout the Bible, God spoke to his people through prophets, revealing his plans, warnings, instructions, and promises. Amos 3:7 says that the Lord does nothing without first revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 

Because of this, prophecy should never be dismissed or treated lightly. God still speaks today, and he can use prophetic words to encourage, strengthen, warn, direct, and confirm his will for us.

At the same time, believers must understand the proper place of prophecy in their lives. While prophecy is a gift from God, it was never intended to replace our personal relationship with him or our responsibility to hear his voice for ourselves. 

Many people have been led into wrong decisions because they didn't hear from God for themselves but instead followed the voice of someone they considered to be in a higher position of authority and therefore believed knew better. No matter who speaks a prophecy over you—a prophet, your spiritual father, or your pastor—God's word to you has the final say.

Because prophecy can directly impact the decisions we make, it's necessary to understand how it should be received and handled. Here are four things every believer must know when it comes to prophecy:

1. Receiving counsel and receiving prophecy aren't the same thing. God places wise and godly people in our lives to give advice, guidance, correction, and counsel. We should listen to wise counsel and accept it graciously, because it will help guide our decision-making. (Proverbs 15:22). Prophecy, however, is a declaration that God has spoken something specific concerning your life. For that reason, every prophetic word should be tested and taken back to God in prayer. 
   
   
2. Any word of prophecy spoken to you should be a confirmation of what the Lord has already been showing or telling you. If the prophecy is new and unfamiliar, take it to the Lord and seek his direction. Be careful in particular with prophecies that contain instructions or tell you to make a specific life-changing decision, such as moving to a different state/country, marrying someone, or leaving a spouse. Don't accept such prophecies at face value. They should confirm what God is already telling you. The Lord must have the final say before any action is taken.
   
   
3. Prophecies concerning God's promises for you should also be handled properly. When God reveals a promise, it's often something that must be prayed over and contended for. Pray and war over that promise, but be careful not to become obsessed with it. Pray and fast over it, but do not put your life on hold because of it. Trust God to bring it to pass in his perfect timing.
   
   
4. Negative prophecies must be cancelled. No prophet should tell you plainly that you will die, or something along those lines. If they saw it in the spirit or in a dream, they ought to have prayed about it. If a negative prophecy is spoken over your life, pray against it and reject it in the name of Jesus.

As believers, we have to remain anchored in God's voice above every other voice. While God uses prophets and prophetic words to speak into our lives, he's also inviting us to seek him wholeheartedly (Jer. 29:13) so we can hear from him for ourselves. 

Let's grow in intimacy with him and remain grounded in his Word so that we can navigate prophetic words with wisdom and discernment.

#becomingavessel