Rules and Warnings if You Want to Give a Prophetic Word
Let all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40).
Holy Words Given with Unholy Breath
I’ve discussed spiritually polluted prophecies, so now I’ll address the naturally polluted prophecy. If a prophet or prophetic person’s breath is foul, his/her prophetic words will more than likely be foul as well. I’ve experienced that many times: when the breath was rancid, the prophecy was off. I’m not talking about the breath being a little tart. I’m referring to a putrid odor that you can smell six feet before you reach a person. I’m also not referring to bad breath caused by illness. I’m talking about a basic lack of hygiene that causes a person’s breath to smell like a demon. After all, devils are called “unclean” for a reason.
The kind of smell I’m referring to is one that is so bad that you consider taking the person through deliverance. I have seen a correlation here too many times for it to be a coincidence. I want you to “selah” on this one (Strong’s #H5542). Have you ever received a prophetic word that was 100% accurate from someone whose breath was kicking?
Stop laughing, because I’m serious! Check your hygiene, especially if you work in close proximity with others. I taught this during a prophetic activation class, and a multitude of people ran up to grab breath mints from near the altar.
Respect the Dignity of Those to Whom You Minister
Don’t Compete During Prophecy!
When you prophesy with other prophets, don’t try to prophetically “show off” as better than all the other prophets before you. The ministry of the prophetic is not a competition. Instead, focus on the word that God has for the person and not on other prophets.
The Danger of Asking a Lot of Questions During Personal Prophecy
We’ve touched on this briefly, but I want to expand on this further. Whenever possible, I advise people not to ask any questions during prophetic ministry. It’s a recipe for disaster. When you are just starting to move in your prophetic gift, it’s somewhat understandable to ask questions. However, if you have to ask 20 questions while you’re giving someone a personal prophecy, it’s a sure sign that you’re a novice. When you ask questions, you are setting yourself up to give false prophecies. You’re allowing the questions, not God, to dictate the direction and shape of your prophetic words. Never do this.
Instead of hearing from God, you’re hearing from the person to whom you’re prophesying. The person you’re questioning might be lying. Your “prophetic” responses were predicated on deceptive replies, not on the authentic truth that comes only from the Lord. Don’t use questions as a measuring stick of the direction you should take prophetically.
An apostle once made a bold statement to my church that if you depend on questions to prophesy, you’re a beginner. This hit me like a ton of bricks because I had ministered for her a couple of months earlier and had done just that—asked questions while prophesying. My first response was one of offense. How dare she come into my church and throw shade at me? But as I thought about it, she was right. Though this was years ago, her words still reverberate today. I learned a valuable lesson that night. This is one of the main reasons that I make statements instead of inquiries when personally ministering to people. When you make statements that God actually spoke to you, you won’t have to worry about accuracy; you’ll have exactness. You will be 100% exact instead of just 50% accurate.
In stating that, I’m very concerned with the lack of training among many so-called prophets of God. Many are “prophelying” instead of prophesying and messing up a whole lot of lives. Prophetic words are weighty and should not be shared lightly. If you have to literally interrogate people in order to give them a word, then you probably need a bit more training before prophesying to the nations.
The Spirit Behind that Prophetic Word You Received
A prophetic word should not always refer to tangible things but to intangibles that specifically direct the person into who they’re called to be in God. If the word given is always about a new home, car, wealth, the downfall of your enemies, your haters and so forth, then that word is likely rooted in carnality and not spirituality.
It’s probably tied to the natural and not the supernatural. Please remember that all spirituality is not godly. All prophecy is not from God, such as words from the prophets of Baal and others, but the origin might be camouflaged as godliness. When prophetic words overemphasize flesh, it’s a sign to check the source of those words. The woman with the spirit of divination or python spirit in Acts 16 spoke accurate words to Paul and his comrades. She made much gain for her masters through the utterance of correct prophetic words of knowledge, such as a psychic would. While she was right in terms of her words, she was speaking from the wrong source—Satan. As soon as Paul cast the devil out of her, she lost her prophetic ability. As I’ve stated before, Romans 11:29 says the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. The Lord will not take back the gift(s) that He’s given you, but Lucifer will. The next time that you receive a prophetic word that overemphasizes your natural self above your spiritual self, check the source. Selah. {eoa}
Dr. John S. Veal is the senior pastor/prophet of Enduring Faith Christian Center and the CEO of John Veal Ministries. Dr. Veal is a highly sought-after conference speaker due to his uncanny prophetic accuracy, humor, candor and unconventional preaching style. He has traveled the nations, presenting a myriad of prophetic trainings and ministry. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, Elisa, and their three children.
