1. Prophesying is by the Holy Spirit and should never be done by faith alone.
2. God can show details yet He can withhold certain information----it is unbiblical for a Prophet to say he or she can prophesy on anything anytime. Be careful when a Prophet asks you which area of your life you want him or her to prophesy on. God is not there to speak to any area of one’s life anytime but to speak what is appropriate and useful for His purpose in a particular season.
3. Prophesying is not performance and does not need approval from people but is essentially telling what God wants to be spoken. Thus using those phrasessuch as “can I prophesy” or seeking responses such as “go deeper”etc.looks like a show or playing to the gallery and it is wise to avoid such practices when in the prophetic.
4. The proper way to respond when God is giving a prophetic message is to receive by faith either silently or loudly saying words like “Amen”, “I Receive”, “praise God” amongst other prayerful and faith filled words.
5. Wrong doctrine or incorrect handling of scriptures opens doorways to false or ungodly spirits which may start to inspire one’s gift:
a) Being obsessed by “so and so is targeting you” or being preoccupied with mentioning names of people who are offending or bewitching, is not the character of the Holy Spirit.
b) Many religious churches synonymous with wrong doctrine are associated with false prophets who can go to town telling people their experiences or life events yet they are not presenting the true gospel of salvation.
c) Some misinformed ministers can start well but lack of knowledge in this regard opens doors to wrong spirits.
d) The true Prophetic ministry identifies a problem and majors on giving solution in the form of salvation, deliverance and healings. The Holy Spirit can reveal details of events not in a way that brings fear, doubt, confusion or cause hatred or suspicion but in a way that brings assurance of God’s love and victory through Christ.
6. Prophetic ministry is not all about telling people their issues but ministering or speaking life into circumstances and establishing the will of God:
a) Certain circumstances just need prayer or intercession
b) Some incidences need counselling after receiving a prophetic message.
c) Some prophets would need maturity and wisdom in handling certain information before acting on it.
d) Jesus was a Prophet but whilst on earth He focussed on teaching and preaching, healing and deliverance. Prophecy was not the main centre of attraction but was complementary in the whole New Testament. The prophet in the New Testament should work together or in union with other ministry gifts.
7. The New Testament Prophets should not seek to direct people on personal matters but to confirm; it is not their role to direct people on who to marry or when to pursue a certain career, or whether to choose a certain course of action over another. Prophets just confirm or affirm the dealings of God with individuals. Where new direction is given which is not clear to the recipient(s) it is good to wait for confirmation before acting on the Word because individuals are accountable before God for their actions since the Holy Spirit can direct anyone on personal basis- 1John2:27; Acts 21:4-13.
8. The New Testament Prophet can anoint ministers and impart spiritual gifts to those called to use those gifts not anyone they decide to.
9. Prophets should not seek to prophesy everyone but should give a timely Word in season. God can have a Word for everyone but Prophets should not seek to speak to everyone if God is not directing them to minister that way.
10. It is wrong to focus on angels since the focus should be on the Holy Spirit who inspires the Word and ministry. Angels support as directed by God and they work as sanctioned by God Himself. Thus asking information directly from angels or routinely commanding them directly is erroneous and could lead to wrong spirits hijacking.
11. If God wants to use an angel, He would command an angel to be at the minister’s disposal and they do only that which God send them to do or accomplish. They will direct the minister as per God’s will and the Prophet has little or no room to direct them on what to say or who to minister to.
12. It is not the Holy Spirit’s character to humiliate people or pressure them to act hence those prophets who are obsessed with revealing people’s sins publicly are in danger of allowing wrong spirits to use them. God reaches out in love and would want people to leave their sinful ways out of love for Him. Yes, in the Bible, those who would be rebuked publicly would have failed to pay heed to God’s dealings even when ministers tried to help them privately.
