Spiritual discernment goes hand in hand with prophetic ministry. Prophets, similar to apostles, deal with spiritual order, patterns, and structure. They are foundational and minister into belief systems (Ephesians 2:20).
What is a prophet and prophetic ministry? Prophets pull down, throw down, destroy, build, and plant. As a seer, they are spokesmen, messengers, watchmen, and ambassadors standing in the gap and making up the hedge.
The Holy Spirit expects His prophets to stand in the gap and make up the hedge. New Testament prophets are part of the five-fold ministry ascension gifts. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). All these ministry gifts are needed to advance the kingdom of God by making Disciples of Christ.
If one prophesies by faith alone is he or she in danger of tapping into a spirit of divination? If a prophet that has not been granted permission to prophesy and yet does, is he guilty of sin? Answers to these questions take us into advanced prophetic training.
Jezebel spirit can get you in serious trouble. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbal, king of the Sidonians. Her father was the high priest of the goddess Ashtoreth a female deity. She was given to wed Ahab king of Israel to form a covenant between the two nations. Jezebel was a wicked queen. She set out to murder the prophets of Jehovah by the thousands. The few that remained hid themselves in caves. Others compromised their prophetic ministries and gave themselves to her.
Spirit of divination in prophetic ministry is one of the top ten pitfalls. Not every prophet makes it. Sexual sin, divination, witchcraft, seduction of power, fame, and fortune, and every evil thing will test the prophet's life and ministry. All prophets must keep their motives right before God.
Spiritualism is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit. Some things look like the Holy Spirit but are not. A spiritualist operates inside the spirit realm unlawfully with help from familiar spirits and divination. For example fortune telling. For almost every move of the Holy Spirit, there is a demonic counterfeit.
Prophetic ministry.Christians are called to teach each generation the difference between the Holy and the profane (Ezekiel 44:23). Today, all which God calls holy is under attack, and this is not the first time. In the Old Testament, God revealed to Jeremiah that His house was full of wicked prophets, priests, and corrupted ministers.
Prophets know how to flow with the Holy Spirit in the house of God. Our society is filled with those that come into our churches who have formerly opened themselves up to New Age mysticism, witchcraft, the occult, and spiritualism.To protect the flock from false anointing and familiar spirits, there is a proper order in which the Holy Spirit likes to flow. When you understand this order you will compass biblical prophetic operations.