This encouragement originally comes from our intra-church slack channel on Prophetic ministry. If you are a regular at Epiphany, please reach out and we can get you on our church slack where we share prayer requests and encouragements, and talk about the ministry daily. We have a channel for those interested in the prophetic ministry that is a safe, judgement free zone for folks to share dreams, visions and words they recieved or think they have for others, and to grow in clarity and in confidence as they are taking baby steps, and discerning… “do I hear clearly from God for others?”

Here are some helpful ‘bumpers’ on the left and to the right to put down as we go for it, and throw that prophetic bowling ball down the lane.

VAGUE WORDS –

Vague words are words that could be words that are true all the time, when words sound a little like horoscopes something that is probably true of a lot of people, most of the time, this is dangerous.

But do not despise on-time words of encouragement, “GOD LOVES YOU” but don’t be so fast to slap “prophetic” on all of that. Just call it a word of encouragement.

For example someone delcaring “this is the year of a great transfer of wealth, or this is a season for repentance, or this is a time for refreshing, this is a year of great political change…” Think about it, could this not describe most years? Especially when spoke over a large group of people, these kinds of words will always be true for someone.

Another example.. An encouraging word like “God sees what you are going through and He loves you.” That is awesome. But that is always true, and it’s ok to say it if you felt led by God to speak it.

But here is an example of a more prophetic word if the Spirit led you to it “I saw you hiding in your room, and wondering where God is, and He sent me to tell you He is right next you.” Then you find out that the person was in a huge fight with their spouse, and needed this word. I have received and given a bunch of words like this specific in my life. It is deeply encouraging. Ask God to give you more details when He leads you to encourage, challenge, build up someone, learn to listen to Him, the Father is generous. (Luke 11:13)

If our words are revealing secrets of the heart… like a hidden trauma, the one who receives it will know that it’s prophetic immediately, if it is about a future that is hidden, a calling God shows you for someone to fight for, then ultimately time will tell (and in the meantime often God will speak to that same person through a couple other witnesses to give them hope.). Scripture commands us to “test prophecy.” (1 Thes. 5:20-21) This isn’t a lack of faith, this is being faithful and not reckless.

VAIN WORDS –

Over and over again the bible condemns false prophets who constantly (1) say “peace, peace” when there is no peace, (Jeremiah 6:13-14., 8:11, Ezekiel 13:10, 16) and who (2) copy each other’s words. (Jeremiah 23:30). There are a differences between a genuine confirmation of a word from wise, proven Spirit-filled people (1 Corinthians 14:29) and a copying of words in the flesh.

Copying is looking at the news, or looking at a persons life, and making a guess on the way things might go, or even hearing what other so-called prophets are saying, even folks that may have been proven right before, and just remixing and copying what they said. We should only speak what we really believe was shown to us from the Lord. It’s just showing that you are prognisticating based on what you’ve been reading in the news or what you can sense in your soul.

In confirming, Jesus is sharing what is hidden with you by the Spirit and the person hearing has heard the same exact thing from someone else, or if they are all together at the same time and place, they are testifying, hey what this person said, rings true with me and let me add to it in what I am seeing from the Lord. (John 15:15, Luke 12:12, 1 Corinthians 14:26-33)

When this happens it rocks the whole room. One time a brother pointed out one of the 40 college students I had serving with us on a mission trip who began to reveal things from her past in the middle of my preaching! As the leader responsible for these kids I was terrified, but he encouraged her to go be ministered by some others with a prophetic gift more privately after. That night that college student testified how this group of woman ministered to her and it was like Jesus and the woman at the well. They told her everything she had ever been through, and she experienced deep healing and breakthrough in her life that day.

A lot of words can be both vague and vain (just search on YouTube “2024 prophecies…” and many will be both) but an example of one that is specific but could be vain is the guy who tells every single person he lays hands on “you are going to speak to thousands of people..” just feeding into folks egos.  OF COURSE GOD could tell you that about someone, and we have to take the risk and share that, but we also don’t want anyone to despise prophecy, so we want to have good practices… If we are regularly off, the answer can’t always be explained away by someone’s lack of faith to walk in the word we gave, or many other excuses or explainations. Our idenity is in Him, not our how gifted we are in any area of life.

Another possible example of a vain word, that is unproductive and just puffs up, is those who share extensive details of their travels in heaven. Why would I say that? Let’s look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.”

Those who study the life of Paul and this letter will tell you this is Paul’s humble way of speaking of his own experience, and yet what does he say about those experiences in heaven? They are things that are not permissible to tell. There would be a great temptation, that wouldn’t point people to hope but would possibly cause people to go astray.

This should go without saying but still needs to be said. Revelation 19:10 tells us that the “Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesy.” The sponteous words that God still gives to strengthen specific people at specific times are ALL weighed and judged by the written word God that HE has given to His church, for all people and all time. The written word (the bible) and ongoing prophetic words can all be misunderstood, misapplyed, but when understood correctly is all about Jesus! Our prophetic word’s are never meant to add or change “the faith once delivered” Jude 3, but by the power of the Spirit to make it real to our specific context.

So the opposite of a vague prophecy is a SPECIFIC and TESTABLE one, and let’s grow in giving words like this, if that is our gift we should see that spark grow into open flame. (For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. *This is Paul speaking to his spiritual son in 2 Timothy 1:5)

The opposite of a vain prophecy is HUMBLE & PRODUCTIVE one, and we learn the purpose of prophecy is

“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:3

And

But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 1 Corinthians 14:24-25

Brothers and sisters the gift of Prophecy is not to build up the prophet, or make people in awe of prophesy, but to build up God’s people and to make us in AWE OF GOD.