Hearing God's Voice: Separating Prophetic Truth from Personal Imagination

Praying It Through: Unlocking Prophetic Visions from God's Heart

As someone called to move in prophetic revelation, it's crucial to discern whether visions and dreams are truly from the Lord or simply products of our own imaginations. The Bible sternly warns against prophesying from our own human spirit (Ezekiel 13:2-3, Jeremiah 23:16-17). We must be faithful vessels, allowing God's pure revelation to flow through us uncompromised. 

This commitment to separating soul from spirit has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. Just yesterday, as I traveled, the Lord granted me a powerful prophetic vision - a candle's flame merged with an oil lamp, the elements superimposed over a human heart. I knew this piercing image did not originate from my own musings. It carried the undeniable mark of the Divine.

When I awoke early this morning, my first priority was to press play on the scriptures and let God's word saturate my spirit while my rational mind was still at rest (Job 33:14-17). As the holy writings washed over me, a verse from John 14:26 caused the previous day's vision to flash vividly again - "The Comforter...will teach you all things and bring to remembrance whatever I have told you."

Immediately, I perceived confirmation from the Lord about the prophetic image of the flame-filled heart. The vision was meant to be a soaking revelation, one He wanted me to prayerfully meditate on and apply His truth to. 

This is the crucial process of "praying it through" that the prophetic community must embrace. We cannot rashly run with every spiritual picture or dream. We must constantly bring this flow of revelation before the Lord, allowing the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17) - the living and active word of God (Hebrews 4:12) - to divide soul from spirit and discern the true thoughts and intents of the heart.

As I continue praying through this fiery, burning heart vision, I am discovering illuminating truths from scriptures like 2 Corinthians 4:6 - "God...has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ." The Lord has so much more to unpack from this symbolic picture!

Embracing this prayerful dialogue with the Divine is how we steward the prophetic responsibility Christ has entrusted us with. May we never carelessly "follow our own spirit and see nothing" as Ezekiel 13:3 declares. But may we continually commune with our God, seeking His pure spiritual discernment, until the full revelation arises like the "morning star" in our hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

God speaks to us in the morning hours:
Job 33:14-17 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (15) In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; (16) Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, (17) That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

He Brings to Remembrance:
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

We need to make sure we aren't conjuring the vision:
Eze 13:2-3 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; (3) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Jer 23:16-17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. (17) They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

Word Verification:
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Vision references:
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: