Note: This is a guest post by my good friend, Kathy DeGraw. She has some tremendous insight. Please connect with her at degrawministries.org and check out her books. You will be blessed.

By Kathy DeGraw

In the end times the Bible warns us to not be deceived. The Bible speaks of false prophets rising up, but what about people that aren’t really false prophets, yet are prophesying out of their flesh or natural knowledge?

They aren’t purposely trying to deceive you, they just have not been taught properly about the prophetic and are operating in their flesh more than the Spirit.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). The Bible says to test the spirits, but how do we test the flesh? I used to run from the prophetic because I had seen it distorted so many times. It seems like every prophetic person I heard was consistently prophesying that people would come into lots of money. It took me on a journey at the Lord’s direction to bring balance into the prophetic.

Through biblical revelation and real-life application and experience, I learned and now teach through my online prophetic training school. As I travel the country teaching ministries about the prophetic, I’ve imparted these knowledgeable insights to others. They too have agreed they have experienced the manifestation of some of these and unfortunately have fallen trap to a few of them.

Discern carefully the following before activating a prophetic word:

• Be cautious of a prophetic person suffering persecution and using their persecution as a platform for soulish prophecies. This could include the fact they are being attacked by Jezebel spirits and now seem to be releasing an abnormal amount of prophecies on Jezebel.
• Prophetic people warn of Jezebel spirits, but they can also be operating in a spirit of Jezebel themselves. The enemy likes to blind us sometimes to the very thing we need deliverance from. Discern the words and actions of a prophetic person to make sure they aren’t in bondage to something they can’t see.
• Seek the Father for wisdom on whether or not to receive a prophetic word from a person in advance of the situation. You don’t want the words spoken to distract you.
• Beware of prophets who think everyone else is wrong. A true prophet is humble and will admit their imperfections.
• Listen for commonalities in the prophetic word being released. Are they always releasing the same words, phrases or financial increase? Although there are some normal commonalities in their style of delivery make sure there is a witness in your spirit before taking in the word.  Listen carefully to what is being released.
• If you don’t have an affirmation to receive a spoken word due to what you are seeing in this person, it is okay to kindly ask them not to release the word to you.
• Avoid receiving prophetic words from prophetic people who are operating in judgment and criticism of others. A finely refined prophetic person will hold their opinion of others to themselves.
• When in a prophetic conference don’t get to know the people ministering before the altar ministry time.  By telling people as little as you can about yourself they can’t gather information from you to use in your prophetic word.

Discern the character of the prophetic person delivering the word if you don’t know them. Check out their website or social media posts and make sure they are releasing the love and power of God. Prophesy is love—even when in correction, love should be the goal. Discern the prophetic ministry or person and make sure you can see fruit being produced in their ministry and the lives of those they minister.

Don’t be in a hurry to receive a prophetic word. The Bible is full of prophetic instruction that we can tap into at any given moment. We also have direct access to the throne room of God, through prayer and communication with our Father we can receive all the prophetic words we need.

There are churches and ministry leaders who don’t embrace the prophetic. As we diligently search ourselves and release prophecy in order, these leaders will begin to be open to the prophetic. We have a part to play in making sure the prophetic we release is pure. Churches will never trust us with the prophetic if we don’t clean up the prophetic.

Prophecy is in part. “For we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1 Cor. 13:9). The prophetic person delivers the word and your responsibility is to discern it. Upon receiving confirmation from the Lord this word is for you, then claim it and call it forth. You have a responsibility in your prophetic word. You cannot sit back and wait for the manifestation you must co-labor with the manifestation through prayer!

Type up your prophetic words and put them in the front of your Bible. Keep them in front of you and call them forth and then enjoy how the will of God unleashes in your life!

Kathy DeGraw is the founder of DeGraw Ministries a prophetic ministry releasing the love and power of God, igniting people in the prophetic and releasing people from emotional bondage. She’s passionate about teaching people the power of prayer through declaring. She speaks at conferences and travels hosting evangelistic love tours.  She is the founder of Change into Colorless, an anti-racism corporation and co-pastors a church. Kathy is the author of Spiritual Warfare Declarations, A Worship Woven Life, Time to Set the Captives Free, and Flesh, Satan or God. Connect with Kathy at degrawministries.org.