I was raised in a Pentecostal denomination and have attended non-denominational charismatic churches almost all my adult life.
I believe the Holy Spirit still distributes supernatural spiritual gifts, and the gift of prophecy supernaturally strengthens, encourages and consoles believers (1 Cor. 14:3). I believe prophets are one of Jesus’ gifts to the church. Along with apostles, evangelists, and teacher/pastors, they help equip, mature, and unify the body of Christ (Eph.4:11-12).
That said, I’m deeply disturbed by certain patterns and trends in this movement over the years, especially the contortion of the gift of prophecy and the task of prophets.
We must return to awe and wonder
That God allows human beings to speak on his behalf, empowering us by his Spirit to edify one other with his personal messages, should take our breath away and leave us in awe, full of humble gratitude and appropriate reverence for a holy God.
The Lord has offered us an incredible gift so we can know him more deeply and serve one another more effectively.
But the Lord also knows the human propensity toward deception, so He set boundaries in place for prophecy. Prophetic words, and the characters of prophets, are to be evaluated by the faith community (Matt. 7:15-20; 1 Thess. 5:19-22; 1 Cor. 14:29, 1 John 4:1).
False words and false prophets have done great harm throughout human history. Today is no different.
What passes for prophecy
Particularly over the last few election cycles, I’ve watched with dismay as so-called prophets build big social media platforms to attract lots of followers, dish up widespread predictions about national and global events, and offer “words for the year” along with other vague, generic proclamations.
Our movement has taken a beautiful gift meant to build up the church and reduced it to circus for our entertainment — an obscene carnival full of fortune-telling booths for charlatans to hawk their spiritual wares, all in Jesus’ name.
Despite the fact that their predictions often fail to come about, these big-name “prophets” allegedly enjoy a special communication line to God, so others need to hear their insights lest they fail to keep up with what God is saying and suffer accordingly.
This fosters unhealthy dependency in their followers, who rely on them for words from God, remain loyal to them, and support them with their finances.
Pumped up with false promises and bedazzled by the spectacular and sensational, the misplaced trust of many believers has deadened their discernment, leaving them unable to separate truth from error.
Misunderstanding and abusing God’s gift
As charismatic podcaster JonMark Baker recently stated,
“I do not think the charismatic movement understands the gift of prophecy at all … we have such an anemic and deficient view of what this gift is meant to be to the church.”
We’ve taken the gift meant to build up the Body of Christ and turned it into a marketable commodity — a pathway to money, favor and fame. We’ve placed our faith in those who claim to speak for God instead of God himself.
We settle for their ear-tickling words filled with pleasing verbiage, but we don’t bother to test the word. (Is it verifiable? Do we track whether it comes to pass? Popular proclaimers often vouch for one another’s words and ministries, but that’s not confirmation — it’s a self-congratulatory club.)
We ignore significant character flaws in those who’ve become our idols.
We overlook their greed, arrogance, lies, and manipulation — even empathizing with their sexual sins and crimes in the name of “grace” — because we like their predictions, admire their perceived success, and want what they offer.
By taking the bait of promised power, domination, and wealth, we’ve reduced prophecy to nothing more than a tawdry religious crystal ball.
What now?
I avoid the spectacle, groupthink, and loud, flashy “words” that pass for prophecy these days. But I refuse to forfeit a precious gift from the Holy Spirit just because some have abused it.
God still does miracles, including the miracle of allowing humans to speak for him. When humbly exercised and properly evaluated, the gift of prophecy still offers believers comfort, edification, and guidance in a powerfully personal way.
I remain hopeful for our movement. I’m glad for the discernment many do exercise. I’m thankful for believers for whom holiness — not popularity or power or prosperity — remains their priority.
I’m grateful for every prophetic person who obediently speaks the messages the Lord gives them to build others up, without ever seeking recognition or reward.
Meanwhile, the Lord is cleaning house. He’s exposing the wolves in the Church and the systems which have enabled them.
(For accurate information on untrustworthy “prophets,” check out charismatic podcasters Minor Prophets, The Remnant Radio, and Wake Up and Win.)
This is a moment of reckoning for the charismatic movement.
May we repent for swallowing the glittering lures which false prophets dangle before us. May we shake free of deception, sharpen our discernment, and commit to testing prophecy and prophets with diligent obedience, calling out the false with courage and conviction.
Perhaps the Lord will yet have mercy on us.
Susanne Maynes is the author of Prophesying Daughters: How Prophetic Ministry and Women in Leadership Strengthen the Church. She holds a Master of Theological Studies degree and serves as Director of Prophetic Ministry at her church. Susanne offers an original, scholarly research-based workshop on prophetic development to churches and enjoys preaching as opportunities arise, as well as blogging regularly.
