Listen to the LORD —

There are many people today who claim to be a prophet. But what does that mean? A prophet, according to common understanding, is someone who hears the LORD in his spirit and tells others what God is saying for us right now. But how do we know if that it is true? How do we know when someone is truly speaking on God’s behalf?

The Bible is one way we can be sure. We can always use the written Word of God to test all prophets. Does the man or woman who believes or claims to be a prophet use the Word of God when they speak? Do they say things that are consistent with the heart, mind, and timeline in God’s Word? While Jeremiah was surrounded by false prophets in his day, we are surrounded by many of them in our day.

The best way for us to be sure that we are not deceived is to know what the Bible says. James 3:1 says, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” Prophets are teachers have the responsibility to demonstrate and instruct with God’s Word. James 3:6 continues, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” God Himself says that our tongues, the words we speak, are critical and often sinful. What is the purpose and trajectory of their speech?

When it comes to hearing God, we should make a way for His Word to be a major part of our personal life. We should know what God has said in His Word, and when He said it would happen.