Go to a prophet because God can speak through a prophet or through counselors. We see that Samuel
couldn't like fully understand God's voice, even though God was speaking. God said, "Samuel!
Samuel!" and he was like, "Eli did you call me?" and Eli said, "No I didn't call you." And then,
"Samuel! Samuel!" He comes to Eli again, "Hey did you call me?" "No I didn't call you." So
that tells me that sometimes the voice of God can sound like somebody else's voice.
Sometimes God will actually, somebody will speak into your life
and it will be God's voice because sometimes God's voice sounds like someone else's voice.
Sometimes your own voice, it sounds like your own voice because it's gonna be in your head.
So it could be that. So why do you need Eli in your life? Why do you need a prophet in your life?
Not so that the prophet can always give you God's voice. It's so that the prophet can help you to
understand the voice of God you're hearing, to confirm what you're hearing. Eli did not
make Samuel hear God, he made him discern what he was hearing. Did you catch that?
Eli helped Samuel to discern what he was hearing. The prophetic in our life, the mentors in our
life is not to hear God on our behalf, even though sometimes they can. They can hear God
on our behalf, give us the word of the Lord and it's so beautiful. But it's so that they could
help us to hear God on our own. The prophet of God does not replace my need to hear from the Lord,
and hearing from God does not replace my need for the prophet of God. God has called some people to
be prophets. God has called and given some people words of knowledge and words of wisdom, and my
need for them is not canceled because I hear God. And because I hear God, I still need the prophets,
and when the prophet gives his word, it doesn't cancel my need to develop my hearing of God's
Word. Now I'm going to give a few simple practical steps on what happens if the prophet gives you
a word. I understand that people sometimes have questions: "How do I know it's from God?
How do I know if this prophetic word, if I should act on this prophetic word?" The word of God
that comes through a prophet will usually not be something new to the mind of the person that is
receiving the prophetic word. It will confirm something God's been dealing with you about.
Be careful of prophetic words that come out of blue. You didn't think about it, God didn't deal
with you about it and out of nowhere they're just throwing you into something. Even though I
believe it still can happen but I would be careful with those words. Especially words that come in,
in more of a directional setting where, you know you're praying and there's no impressions,
no guidance, no circumstances, no peace. Nothing about this particular thing, like getting married
to this person, giving, or moving, or picking up this job. And the prophet comes in and says, "God
says you should do this and do this." Especially if the prophet comes in and says, "You need to
give all of your money to my ministry." To the prophet's ministry. Red flag! Or if the
prophet comes in and says, "You need to marry my daughter." Red flag! Or if the prophet comes in
and says, "You need to quit your job and go become a full-time minister," but that's not something
the Lord's been dealing with you about and it's not confirming anything. In fact it's confusing
you. Yeah, I would be hesitant about that because the prophetic words should confirm what the
Lord's been dealing with you already. It shouldn't replace and bring confusion. The other part about
the prophetic word, is the character of the person bringing the prophetic word should always be
considered. Let me say it again. The character of the person giving you a prophetic word,
should always be considered. Just because they said "thus says the Lord." It does not mean,
"thus said the Lord." The Bible says, "You shall know them by their fruits." You should consider
the character of that person. Sometimes God's word gets deluded and polluted by the bad character
and attitude of the very prophet, because the spirit of a prophet is subject to a prophet.
God can say one thing and prophet through his filter, can give you something that
is completely not the same. And therefore you must consider the word, consider the man of God that
is giving you that word, his character. Number three: The word of God, the word from a prophet
should not be controlling but confirming. If it's controllable, it's not from God.
God does not drive us, He leads us. He doesn't control us, He guides us. He doesn't manipulate,
He motivates. Number four: All prophecy is in part. As true as it is, it never gives us a full
whole picture. No prophet has a full picture. Prophets prophesy in part, we see in part. And
one of the reasons God will not give you a full picture, even through the best, the greatest,
the most anointed prophet in the world is because God wants you to trust Him. No amount of prophetic
words and miraculous power will make faith unnecessary in your life. Even when you are clear
God spoke, there will still be a little ounce of risk taking, why? Because it requires faith
to obey God. Everything that we do with our relationship with the Lord is through faith
and there will be no need for faith, if you see the full picture. And the last one about prophetic
words from prophets and how to hear God's voice: In light of the word we should prayerfully
consider what the prophet has given to us. Hezekiah didn't surrender to the prophetic word.
In fact he went to prayer and God changed things. So God's prophetic word is not a final verdict.
It's something you should take to prayer and pray through, pray about.
Is this what the Lord wants or is this not what he wants to do? Is this something that's on His heart
or is this something that's on His mind? Things could change or not, and Hezekiah prayed about it
and the prophetic word was changed. And so I get a lot of prophetic words you know given to me by
people. Some people really mean well, some people completely are off but it's fine, I'd say, "Thank
you." And if they're way off and I don't trust the character, then I say, "Hey, you know, no. Don't
give me that stuff." But if they really mean well, I take that word, put it into prayer and then it
goes through the grind of prayer. And after that you know, if needs to go on my paper or something,
I need to intercede and fight according with prophetic words. Or if it's something I just need
to put aside and say, "Lord it's in your hands." So but I would not let prophet bring confusion
into my life, God's voice is not like that. And so don't allow prophetic voice, don't allow "God's
voice" because it's not God's voice, it's the enemy that will sometimes plant seeds and that's
how you know it's not from God. If it doesn't give you like clarity, if it doesn't give you
confidence, if it doesn't give you confirmation but it brings confusion, it brings condemnation.
This is when you really know this is not the Lord. The devil comes to confuse. The devil comes to
bring condemnation. In Jesus name rebuke that, stay away from that and walk in the path of peace.
I believe that we need more prophets in our churches, we need more prophets in our teams
who will hear, discern and guide us even more. I'm not a prophet. I'm more of a teacher but I rely on
people in my life who have the prophetic gift. I hear God's voice for myself, for my ministry
but me hearing God does not make prophetic people in my life unnecessary. And just because I have
prophets in my life, it does not mean I don't need to hear God. I still have the responsibility and I
have the privilege of hearing my Father to guide me, to direct me and to lead me and my personal
life has been enriched and changed because of the voice of God. And I pray to dear Holy Spirit,
to the Lord to the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost that you will begin to walk in the voice of God.