The Power of Prophecy

UV 700/10,000 The Power of Prophecy “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18 v 22 The Scripture says, “ Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast that which is good.” The test of true prophecy according to the above uni-verse is- that which is spoken of will happen. If it does not happen, the prophet has spoken without hearing from the Lord. While we should respect true prophets and their prophecies as a word from the Lord, we need not be reverential to the presumptuous ones who tend to speak out of their own minds. Once a word is spoken concerning us and it is proven to be true in the course of time, we must not treat it lightly but remember it or hold fast to it. Prophecy that is true is often accompanied by the Word. It is spoken not as foretelling about the future or as soothsaying to comfort us or as fortune telling about the good things or misfortunes about to happen. But, it is a Word from the Lord to encourage us, to exhort us or to admonish us. Over the past several years, we as a family have come across many presumptuous prophets as well as a few true ones. The latter have encouraged us with a word from the Lord about what He thinks about us, our character and our work. Sometimes prophecies come as a word of warning or guidance to avoid or to take a particular decision. Many people think that prophecies belong to a bygone age and that prophecy is a gift that no longer operates. But, the Holy Spirit is active and one of His important gifts and functions is prophetic intervention in the lives of human beings. However, prophecy is in no way a substitute for the Word or a personal daily two way communication with the Lord. Prateep V Philip