WHAT THE LORD SAITH

"...As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith to me, that will I speak."-1Kings 22:14b

These words out of the mouth of Micaiah the prophet have pierced my heart. When every other "prophet" in the land agreed with one another about the "word of the Lord", Micaiah had the courage to speak what he heard God saying to him DESPITE these words being opposite the group of prophets. This was 400 prophets who were in agreement. Micaiah spoke ONLY what he heard God telling HIM specifically. He didn't dilute it. He didn't sugar coat it. No. He didn't listen first to see what the other prophets were saying and allow that to influence the word he gave.

The messenger who summoned Micaiah to deliver the word of the Lord to Ahab the king warned him, "Look, the other prophets WITHOUT EXCEPTION are predicting SUCCESS for the king. Let your word AGREE with theirs, and speak favorably." (1 Kings 22:13b) Yet Micaiah chose to speak only what God spoke to him even though he was put under great pressure to agree with the other prophets. He spoke despite ridicule, backlash, and imprisonment. He spoke only what he heard God speak even though that meant being hated by the most powerful and influential man in the land-the king. He spoke even though that meant being shunned by the prophetic circles of that time.

WHITE WASHED WALL

I believe much of the prophetic community has been in the belly of the whale of sorts over the past 1 1/2 years. God has been testing hearts and weighing motives. He has been purging and cleansing. The purpose has been to bring about a turnaround and give an opportunity to repent, surrender, and obey fully the voice of God. This past season has given space to seek God and turn from error. Some have run from the hard words God had given them. This lull has been a chance to return to the road they have strayed from.

God has been sending hail against the white washed wall erected by the false prophetic and false shepherds. I give fair warning...the hail and lightning of God are going to increase in destructive fury. It is going to come harder and harder. The white washed wall will be torn down and leveled to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. (Ezekiel 13) God is looking for, raising up, and calling forth prophets and prophetic voices of courage who like Micaiah have committed in their heart ,"What the Lord says to me, that will I speak."

DECREE A THING ERROR

There is a passage in Scripture that is often quoted among certain circles. When I hear it, I cringe because of the many times I have heard it taken out of context.

It is Job 22:28, "Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways." I often hear it in the context of--decree something into the atmosphere and claim it, and it will be yours. Here are my issues with that....

Firstly, these words were spoken by Eliphaz to whom God says several chapters later, "I am angry with you (Eliphaz) and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has." God had Job offer sacrifices and pray for Eliphaz and his friends so that God would not deal with him according to his "folly". (Job 42:7-9) If this is God's opinion of what Eliphaz spoke, that it was folly and not the truth, then we should take his words with a grain of salt and not quote them out of context as the inspired word of God.

Secondly, the Word says, "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?" (Lam. 3:37) Who are we to think that we can simply decree anything into the atmosphere? Have we checked with the Lord to see what He is decreeing? For if we speak out of our own soul, or prophesy what is in the soul of another person, we are prophesying in the flesh. God says in Jeremiah 23:16b, "They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord."

You see, the prophets of Ahab were deceived. They were CONVINCED in their deception. Wasn't there confirmation in their agreement? No. Not necessarily. Here these prophets were all proclaiming a word that was NOT from the mouth of God. Micaiah announced to the king, "The Lord has decreed disaster for you." (1 Kings 22:23b) THIS is what the Lord was declaring....DISASTER. It didn't matter how many times the prophets decreed success or how much agreement there was among the prophets, because their words did NOT align with the Lord's decree.

God is looking for those whose words align with His decree.

COUNCIL OF THE LORD

God said of the prophets, "But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?" (Jeremiah 23:18) Jesus, our perfect example said this, "I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it." Again Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." (John 12:49, John 5:19)

I am concerned that words have been and are being spoken and decreed that the Lord has not said. I am wondering how many have actually stood in the council of the Lord to see and hear his word.

Not the council of the news-CNN or Newsmax. Not QAnon. Not the government. Not fear. Not the preppers. Not social media. Not the world's narrative. Not the YouTube preacher. Not friends. Not the projectors and forecasters. Not the stock market. Not the conspiracy theorists. Not the prophets.

Who has stood in the council of the LORD to hear His Word alone?

I believe God is inviting us to "examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." (Lam. 3:40) I for one am gripped with the fear of the Lord. There must be purification within the prophetic. How many are speaking by divination and mixture? How many are being swayed by the release of words God is not decreeing? May the holy fear of God consume us if we are to say one word that the Lord has not spoken. It is best to remain silent if we do not have a sure word from God.

Lives are in the balance. God said, "But IF they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds."(Jer. 23:22) We are responsible for what we say. We are especially accountable if we claim to speak for the Lord.

God said to Jeremiah, "Tell them everything I command you; DO NOT OMIT A WORD." (Jer. 26:2b)

Friends, I am burning with the fear of the Lord. Let us repent, right now, for any and every way that we have sinned against the Lord. Join me...

PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

Father God, I repent for any and every way that I have spoken or decreed a word that is not Your word. I repent for coming under any deception. I repent for knowingly or unknowingly partnering with or operating in divination, witchcraft, or mixture. I repent for any time I have spoken out of the flesh or vain imagination. I repent for looking to signs or omens that have not come from you. I repent for any time I have run with a message when you did not speak. I repent if I have ever omitted a word or changed a word that you have given to make it more palatable. I repent for any time I have operated in deception or a lying spirit. I repent of all pride. Lord, your word says, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me." (Jer. 23:30) If I have allowed any word I have released to be influenced by another person or prophet's words, I repent. I repent for fearing man over fearing God.

I also repent on behalf of my family blood line and on behalf of any spiritual father or mother who has operated in any of these things that are not of you. I forgive those who have caused hurt, damage, and confusion in the body of Christ for releasing words that you Father were not decreeing. I forgive the disenchantment with Your true prophetic that has resulted. I forgive the wounds that have come from those speaking but not with the Father's heart. I now renounce in the name of Jesus Christ all partnership with the spirit of divination, witchcraft, leviathan-twisting, deception, pride, the lying spirit, and fear of man.

Your Word says that you confide in those who fear you. (Ps. 25:14) Would you pour out the spirit of the fear of God upon me, that I may seek your face and stand in your council. I turn to you Lord God for you alone have the words of life. Cleanse me with your blood from all iniquity and create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit and holy motives with me. Those who look to you are radiant, and so I turn my face to seek you alone for you are my source and my portion.

Embolden me to speak only what you are decreeing. Empower me to stand firm against the pressures of this world and of man's approval. Encamp around me to protect from the evil one. Establish my identity in truth. Enlarge my heart. Enable me to persevere. Amen.