Pray Before Speaking

One night at my church, a lady approached me and said that she had a word from God for me. I quickly heard the voice of the Holy Spirit warning me, “Pray before she speaks!” and I prayed. Her words declared things about me that were far from true. At that moment, I felt very confused—because nothing she said made sense to me or to those who knew me best.

Jesus said:

“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true” (John 5:31-32).

The Holy Spirit had indeed warned me about this person who was speaking falsely. He knew that my identity in Himself would be confronted by the enemy, but I know that God knows me and confirms my acts done in faith. When we do things according to God’s will, our fruit speaks for itself (see Matthew 7:20).

At that moment, I remembered these words of Jesus,

“And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face” (John 5:37).  

An intimate and genuine relationship with the Father will bear consistent spiritual fruit evident to others. We don’t have to accept someone who wants to speak—on God’s behalf or their own—into our lives just because they do it in a church setting. Someone who genuinely knows our character and maturity will not go where they are not invited.

Perhaps many people have tried to label you according to your past: lazy, a thief, good-for-nothing, liar, crazy, or even unfaithful. Your heavenly Father does not identify you according to what you’ve done. He is always waiting for you to turn back to Him and receive a new identity in Christ. It is important to know and discern what God says about you and hold steadfast to the truth of your genuine relationship with the Father. When needed, God can and does bring loving, humble correction through another; this will always be consistent with biblical truth.

In my daily work at CBN Guatemala, I have the privilege of praying for many people who are going through difficult situations. Others have gone through terrible things and have overcome them. Having a genuine relationship with the Father, and my identity grounded in Him, is my greatest strength to help and guide others.

The good news today and forever is that God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for you on a cross. God has faith in you and has plans for your life. Give your life to the Father today and you will see how false and degrading words toward you will come to nothing. You will see how the roads in the middle of the desert open up and you will see His hand move in your favor. God loves you simply because it pleases Him! And that is more than enough reason to love Him in return. Remember:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.