Recently, a woman commented on one of my social media posts insisting that there are no prophets of God today. I know where she gets her false doctrine having been brought up in the same non-charismatic religious beliefs where God is mute, distant and is confined to the pages of a book unable to communicate with us except through Scripture.  Below are Bible proof texts to help her and others have better understanding. My preference would be that each person would learn to hear God for themselves, then they wouldn’t need to believe me or receive a prophetic word from God through me.

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV)

Spiritual gifts are an anointing from God. Some gifts are embedded in our spiritual DNA. Those gifts reside in us and will be used by God when we are yielded to Him. Other gifts require a manifestation of the Spirit of God. The gift of prophecy is in both the service gifts and the miraculous gifts.

Spiritual Gifts of Service: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:4-8 NIV)

Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV)

I’m not sure when the woman mentioned thinks that the Holy Spirit became unable to manifest power to speak words of prophecy to or through believers, but the Bible clearly says that we should expect to hear God if we belong to God (Reference John 8:47). God doesn’t need permission from anyone to supernaturally empower believers as He chooses.

In all seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation we are told “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Why would we need ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches, if we were not supposed to bring a message forward to the churches when false doctrine is being taught?

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV)