Responding to Prophecy

I have received a prophecy, now what?

  1. Write out your prophecy and meditate on it. Add your faith and agreement to what the Lord has spoken.
  2. Review it with your pastor or other spiritual oversight. Often our pastor will be able to provide caring input into our lives with regard to the prophecy we receive, particularly in regards to the timing of certain words being fulfilled.It should be noted that personal prophecy does not replace the need for pastoral counsel and oversight, nor does receiving a valid, genuine word from the Lord give one license to become independent or spiritually superior. Prophecy is one way we can know the will of God. Pastoral counsel is another, complementary way; the two should flow together.
  3. Don’t act without confirmation and counsel. If your prophecy contains direction or other revelation that calls for action on your part, seek confirmation and counsel from trusted spiritual advisors before moving forward.
  4. Confirm it with Biblical principles and the witness of the spirit. Prophecy should always agree with scripture. Any part of a prophecy that contradicts scripture is NOT an accurate word from God. Compare your prophecy according to the Word of God and other prophecies you have received for agreement, further insight and encouragement. You should bear witness to the word in your spirit as well.
  5. Remember, prophecies are always conditional. In other words, God says “I will ______ if you will _______.” You can delay or negate the fulfillment of your prophecy by unwillingness to follow after the Lord and His ways. The Lord’s promises still require our agreement and cooperation in order to come to pass. A person called to preach on another continent will never do so if they refuse to get a passport or step foot on an airplane!

Please understand that Christian prophecy is not fortune-telling, but releasing the word of the Lord for you at this time. It will likely fall in the category of “edification, exhortation, and comfort” (1 Cor 14:3). It may or may not contain words of knowledge (facts about your life revealed by supernatural revelation).

We also highly recommend reading Prophets and Personal Prophecy by Dr. Bill Hamon for more explanation and understanding of the subject of prophecy.