ARTICLES
PROPHECY – ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
by Lyn Packer
There are many people releasing prophetic words today using platforms like Facebook, the Elijah List, our own New Zealand Prophetic Network and many other ministries, where you can sign up to receive their latest prophetic word. It is great to see many genuine prophetic words out there and over the course of any single day you will find hundreds of prophetic words and revelations being released onto the internet by both well known prophetic voices and people who are not so well known.
Many of those words resonate with people when they read them but please don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because a word resonates with you it must be for you.
“Prophecy is not a “one size fits all” thing. Not every word released on Facebook or through other sites is for everyone; and should not be taken as such. And not every word released is for you!”
There are several reasons that words or revelations can resonate with us –
- The revelation or word contains truth - Truth will resonate with your spirit when you hear it, but just because it’s truth doesn’t mean that it’s a word for you personally.
- The word or revelation relates to something God has been speaking to you about. Again we must ask, "Is this actually for me personally, or is it just confirmation?"
- The word or revelation makes you feel something. Feelings are not accurate indicators that something is for you and are not always good spiritual confirmation. Feelings by themself are not a safe or dependable way of knowing that God is speaking to us. They must be tested against other things like - Does this line up with the nature and character of God? Does this line up with, or go against, scripture? Ask what will be the fruit of this - Will it bring me closer to God? Will it lead me down a path of unrighteous behaviour? Will it hurt others? etc. Feelings can come because we agree with something, or because it makes us feel good, accepted, special etc. Our own needs can cause us to read into something what is not there.
- The word or revelation comes from someone we respect as a prophet or minister. Many times certain prophets or ministers will resonate with us. That can be for varying reasons - our church background, our theology, what we personally believe, what we are currently learning from the Lord, etc. That still doesn’t mean that it's a word for you - ASK!
- The ‘observer-expectancy’ effect. This happens when we have something brought to our attention and then we begin to see it everywhere. An example of this is - when you want to buy a certain type of car and then you begin to see that car everywhere. It can also happen with what we think are spiritual things, such as something we’ve read about recently or heard teaching about, or is a very popular subject on Facebook at the moment. One example of this is being alerted to number sequences - someone says on Facebook “I’m seeing 11:11 or number multiples everywhere”, other people jump on that and go “Me too” and suddenly you begin to notice number multiples. Is this actually God trying to communicate with you or is this the ‘observer-expectancy’ effect? We must ask ourselves that question! We can resonate with something because suddenly we are noticing it, and it seems to be ‘in our face everywhere we look’. That sets up an unconscious recognition within us that we can mistake for a spiritual response of our spirit, when it isn’t. It may be simply something we’ve noticed because it’s now 'on our radar’.
- It is a word for you. This may seem obvious but sometimes words are actually for us; the problems arise when we think that every word we read is God speaking to us.
When it comes to the superabundance of revelation and prophetic words that are out there on Facebook, the internet and in your email box, use discernment, common sense and wisdom. And please don’t take everything as being a word from God for you; it’s not. That may seem obvious, but it is all too easy to just embrace stuff without actually thinking about it.
BIO
Lyn is recognised as a Prophet within New Zealand and other nations she’s ministered in. Her ministry is revelatory and catalytic, propelling people into encounter with God. The governmental prophetic gift she carries is expressed through prophetic, revelatory insight and strategy, prophetic words (personal, corporate and national), teaching, art, and writing. Click here for more info...