“A Word from the Lord” – The Modern-Day Practice of Giving Detailed Life Advice through Prophecy

There is a dangerous practice in Pentecostal or Charismatic Christianity.

It is the practice of trying to receive detailed life instructions from the Lord. By detailed life instructions I am referring to instructions regarding everyday life decisions, e.g., marriage, work, finances, location, etc.

Often these instructions are given through a prophecy—one person delivering “a word of the Lord” to another person. These messages are usually given in a private setting—either in person, during a phone conversation, or in written communication.

Let’s breakdown what is happening.

On the one hand, so-called prophets are speaking to believers with specific instructions for their life. “This is the man for you.” “You will move to this city.” “You must take this job.”

On the other hand, believers are wandering around looking for a word from the Lord. “What did the Lord say?” “Did you get a word?” They want precise instructions on where they should live, where they should work, who they should marry, when they will marry. They want to know when they should sell their house, the selling price, and where they should move. But if they don’t receive detailed directions, they will be happy hearing generic messages, such as “a change is coming in your life,” “I see a breakthrough on your horizon,” “the Lord wants you to wait.”

What’s the problem?

Lots of things.

Here are three.

First Problem: Unbiblical

First of all, this modern-day practice is unbiblical. We don’t have any New Testament examples of prophets giving detailed life instructions to someone else. We also don’t have any New Testament examples of someone seeking a prophetic word. In the New Testament prophecies are given spontaneously and, always, in a public setting.

Let’s dig deeper and explore the purpose of prophecy in the New Testament.

• Paul writes, “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified” (1 Cor 14:3-5).
• Paul continues, “For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged” (v. 31).
• In the book of Acts, a prophecy is given to the church in Antioch, leading the believers to take action or build up another group of believers. “During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul” (11:27-30).
• After delivering the apostles’ decision on circumcision, “Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much toencourage and strengthen the believers” (Acts 15:32).

Based on these references, we can conclude the following: Christian prophecies are primarily addressed to the church—the body of believers—for the purpose of edifying all believers.

Here are four more examples of New Testament prophecy.

• While believers were “worshiping the Lord and fasting,” the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:1-3). This message launched Barnabas and Saul onto their first missionary journey.
• Paul tells Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Tim 4:13-14). So Timothy is authorized to preach and teach Christian doctrine in Ephesus because of the gift he received through prophecy, probably from one of the elders who were present.
• Agabus delivered a public, auditory, and visual message to Paul, who was planning to go to Jerusalem to die “for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). “Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles’” (v. 11). Since Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, what happens to him affects the advance of the gospel.
• An unusual example of prophetic judgment is given in Acts 13, leading to a prominent conversion. Elymas opposed Paul’s message and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith so Paul calls him a child of the devil then says, “You are going to be blind for a time.”

Based on these references, here’s another conclusion: When prophecies are given to individuals in the New Testament, they are given in a public setting with a focus on the advance of the gospel and Christian doctrine.

None of the examples above include a reference to someone seeking a prophetic word. And none convey specific life advice. What do they convey? Paul and Barnabas should spread the gospel, Timothy should teach and preach the Scriptures, Paul will be arrested in Jerusalem because of his message, Elymas, who was opposing the gospel, will be blind for a time.

We can summarize both lists in this way: The focus of Christian prophecy is the edification of the church and the advance of the gospel.

Second Problem: Misunderstands OT Prophecy and Salvation History

This modern-day practice is based on a misunderstanding of Old Testament prophecy. The OT prophets primarily addressed Israel’s relationship with God. Their message was focused on divine judgment or restoration of an entire nation. On rare occasions, some individuals received detailed instructions, such as Saul looking for his donkeys (1 Sam 10). But these unusual examples often contain extraordinary details. For example, Saul was about to become the first king of Israel.

For the most part, individual Israelites weren’t visiting prophets for life advice. Furthermore, OT prophets did not receive messages from the Lord on a daily basis. In some cases, decades passed between prophecies. It’s easy to miss the elapsed time when flipping pages so pay attention to the dating of the prophecies. In sum, I believe what is happening today is that some Pentecostals are looking to the exceptional cases of OT prophets as examples of what should be happening today.

Moreover, by looking to the example of OT prophets, this modern-day practice confuses salvation history. It treats New Testament prophets as if they were Old Testament prophets and in so doing ignores the work of Christ. How so? The idea of consulting a prophet is not found in the New Testament, but there are such examples in the Old Testament (e.g., Jer 42:1-4). Note, however, how the author of Hebrews emphasizes Christ’s superiority to the prophets:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Heb 1:1-3 NIV)

The story of Christ’s transfiguration makes the same point. Recall when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the mountain, God said of Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mk 9:7). Christ outshines all the prophets.

Third Problem: Detracts from Christ

Finally, this modern-day practice leads people away from Christ. It elevates the “prophet” to a perilous height, driving a wedge between the seeker and Christ. The believer begins consulting the “prophet” for life instructions and in so doing turns their trust away from Christ. This reminds me of Paul’s description of believers who are “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Eph 4:14). Granted, not all modern-day prophets are cunning and crafty. Some have good intentions, but the effect is the same. Even harsher, it reminds me of the pagan practice of consulting mediums and spiritists.

Conclusion

Remember no one in the New Testament visits a prophet to receive a word from the Lord. Moreover, while God speaks through prophets in the New Testament, no one receives detailed life instructions. Old Testament prophets focus on Israel’s relationship with God. New Testament prophets focus on the advance of the gospel. It appears, then, that God wants us to use our brains to make wise life choices.

Seeking divine messages for our lives from so-called prophets is not how God wants us to live. The Word has come so we can stop searching for a word from the Lord.

Les Bridgeman

After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. My latest book focuses on Paul’s work as a tentmaker and what it means for today.