Sunday Open Heavens Devotional - Detecting False Prophets

MEMORISE : Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 JOHN 4:1.

READ : 1 John 4 : 1 - 4.

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world....

There are different categories of prophets. We have genuine prophets and counterfeit prophets. You might have been deceived by a false prophet, but if you search very well, you will find a genuine one who will deliver the correct message of God to you. One thing is certain: God will always deal with false prophets at His own time and in His own way (Deuteronomy 18:20). God always confirms the words of His genuine prophets (1 Samuel 3:19). The apostles warned us in their epistles against listening to false prophets. Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2:1 warns that :

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

The children of God must be aware of the various ways by which prophecies come to people. Prophesies can originate from any of these sources: the Holy Spirit, the human spirit and the spirit of the devil. In 2 Chronicles 18 : 19 - 22, we read about a lying spirit which took possession of the mouth of self-made prophets of King Ahab. To counter the operations of false prophets in your environment, you must be armed with the truth of the word of God. One way of knowing false prophets is by weighing the content of their prophecies on the scale of the word of God. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ in Galatians 1 : 9 wrote that :

“As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

For instance, it is a false prophet that would prophesy to a married woman that her real husband is yet to come. This is why children of God must be well-grounded in God’s word. A child of God that is well-grounded in God’s word, will know the scripture in Matthew 19 : 6 that says,

“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

When a prophet prophesies to a born-again lady that an unbeliever is the man God has chosen for her, 2 Corinthians 6 : 14 - 18 will reveal the falsehood of such prophetic utterance. It is equally important that a child of God possess the gift of discerning of spirits ( 1 Corinthians 12 : 10 ). May the Lord equip you with perfect knowledge of His word to be able to weigh every prophecy that comes your way in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, enlighten my eyes of understanding to decipher false prophets in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ACT 6 - 7 AND SONG OF SOLOMON 1 : 1 - 10.