I wouldn’t be surprised if by now in your walk with God you’ve heard at least one person say, “I have a word for you” or “I’d like to speak into your life.”

In most cases, these phrases mean someone is about to utter what they believe is a “prophetic word” from God Himself– and which 99 percent of the time is plural and not just one word.

Now I truly believe God still speaks to us today—through His Word, through the wisdom of mature believers, and through His quiet conviction on our hearts and minds, or what I call His (nonverbal) whispers on our hearts. But I tend to be more cautious if someone is claiming to have a direct word from God for my life because, honestly, if God wants to say something to you and me, He often says it Himself—through His Word, through your circumstances He divinely arranges, or through His quiet whispers on your heart.

If someone relays to you a truth that is already recorded in Scripture, then of course they are giving you God’s Word—His written Word. It’s best, though, if that’s the case, for them to tell you, “I have a verse of Scripture for you,” and then tell you where in the Bible it is found, especially if it doesn’t sound familiar to you. God’s Word is clearly recorded for us in Scripture and is “beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;  so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB).

But if someone gives you information or encouragement or a prophecy that they believe came directly from God to their ears and it’s intended for you, be very careful to investigate if it is actually from God, or a well-meaning believer. This caution goes both ways. If you believe God gives you a word for someone else, best to pray for them about what God has laid on your heart and trust God to relay it to them. Otherwise, if what you claimed was a prophetic word from God doesn’t come to pass, you have qualified yourself as a false prophet and made God out to be a liar.

I realize that sounds harsh and I’m certain that isn’t our intent when we seek to encourage another with what we believe is God’s words or will for them. Yet, I say that because, as a writing coach, I have heard many writers tell me of well-meaning believers who gave them “a word from God” about the incredible success they would experience with their writing or speaking and, in their disappointed words years later, “God never gave me the success He promised.” Do you see the danger of passing something on to someone else as prophecy, especially if it doesn’t happen in the way they heard or anticipated it, and they blame God for it?

If God places it on your heart to encourage someone, then encourage them. But don’t attribute it to God if it’s merely a thought that came to your mind or a desire in your heart to encourage them. Instead of claiming to have prophetic words, tell someone you’d like to encourage them as their brother or sister in Christ. If the encouraging words are yours, and not attributed to God, then you won’t have to worry about being held accountable to God for putting words in His mouth, distorting what might actually be His will or words for someone else, or even leading them into a ministry or spiritual battle they weren’t prepared for because you jumped the gun in your attempt to “speak a prophetic word” to them.

Throughout my life, I have heard many words of encouragement and wisdom from mature men and women in the faith, that I immediately sensed as God’s encouragement to me. But those believers didn’t need to clarify their words as authoritative by labeling them as being “from God.” Those wise believers were clearly His vessels (as evidenced by how they lived), so His Word (Scripture) flowed through them and their words resonated with the wisdom and love of God.

Know your Bible, dear friend.  Know what God has already said in His written Word. And be careful about “speaking into someone’s life” something that might not actually be His Word. Consider this: if God wants to say something to someone else, His Holy Spirit can often lay it on their hearts in a far better way than you and I can. And if He hasn’t yet told them something, maybe we shouldn’t either.

If you are on the receiving end of a “prophetic word” from someone, do your research. See if it is backed up by Scripture and godly counsel from those who are mature and respected in the faith. Pray about those words and see if God reveals them to you as well. By getting into God’s Word and spending quiet time in prayer with Him, you can learn how to recognize and discern His voice for yourself. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Ask Jesus to speak into your life. Then you know you’re getting the real deal.

For more on discerning the voice of God, see my books, When Women Long for Rest, and God’s Whispers to a Woman’s Heart.