The Seven Deadly Sins of Prophetic Ministry

Prophets are susceptible to certain types of sins. As prophets, we must be aware that certain sins can easily ensnare us. The question is: What sins do prophets often struggle with? Once that question is answered, we can begin to learn how to overcome those besetting sins. 

I have been a prophet for 30+ years. I was called into the prophetic office in 1987. To confirm that calling, I had 2 open visions, heard the audible voice of God, was sovereignly baptized in the Holy Spirit, received numerous prophetic words about my calling, and began to receive significant specific revelations through dreams. 

During that time, I have witnessed the rise and fall of many prophets. Some have fallen victim to the besetting sins I will describe in this blog post. There are 7 deadly sins of prophetic ministry: 1) pride, 2) greed, 3) witchcraft, 4) theft, 5) wrath, 6) cursing, and 7) fear. Briefly, I will identify what they are and the damage they have done to the church. 

Pride. Prophets must learn to overcome the sin of pride. See 1 Tim. 3:6. Pride often manifests itself as presumption in prophetic ministry. Prophets presume what the Lord is saying. Prophets presume it is okay for them to do certain things because of their calling. It is not. When pride turns into presumption, prophets lose their ability to discern God's voice. Then, they may substitute their voice for God's voice. In Jude 1:11, Jesus's brother, Jude, speaking to those prophets, says, "Woe unto them!" for they "having men's persons in admiration because of advantage". Samuel fell into this trap and almost anointed the wrong man, David's brother, Eliab. God corrected Samuel: "The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7, NLT.

Greed. Prophets can be tempted by monetary gain. Balaam personifies prophets consumed by greed. Jude, speaking of Balaam said, they "ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward". When prophets succumb to greed, ministry turns into a lust for more money. Indulgences are sold and honorariums demanded - all in God's name. Prophets shake down people for money through the promise of the prophet's reward. Then, they advertise their prosperity to others to provoke them to give sizeable offerings. Love of money not love for God controls what God's people when they give. This happened in Eli's day. Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, without fear, shook down God's people - taking "the fat" by force. When prophets provoke others to give through greed, they are inviting others to participate in their error - the love of money.   

Witchcraft. Yes, prophets can be guilty of using witchcraft to control the hearts and minds of God's people. In Galatians 5:20, we learn witchcraft is a sin of the flesh. Prophets will often say they are battling the spirit of Jezebel (Ahab's wife). In reality, prophets are battling their own words leading others into rebellion. In Jeremiah 28:1, we see the prophet Hananiah. Hananiah desired to prophesy God's people back to Israel. But it wasn't God's will. Hananiah's desire was not godly. No, Hananiah was motivated by witchcraft; he was leading God's people into rebellion against the true word of the Lord by his false prophecies. Jeremiah confronted Hananiah: "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies...‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the LORD.’” Jer. 28:15, NIV. I have to wonder how many prophets died because they taught God's people to rebel against what God was really saying.

Theft. Prophets can steal "words" from other ministers. When prophets do that, they devalue prophecy. Prophecy must be fresh from God's mouth for it to be valuable. When prophets steal words from other prophets, it diminishes the vibrant reality of prophecy. As counterfeit money has no value, counterfeit prophecies lack value. Prophets who steal words from other prophets "are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted... wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever." Jude 1:12,13. Jeremiah confronted prophets who stole words: "I'm against the prophets who steal my words from each other". Jer. 23:30, God's Word Translation. Prophets must not "steal" prophecies; they must learn to only speak what the Lord is speaking. Nothing more, nothing less. Balaam, although a false prophet, learned to speak the right thing: "I can say only what the LORD tells me." Num. 23:12, CEV. As prophets, we must have that same thought process. We must only speak what God says, and we must only go where God sends us.

Wrath. I have seen prophets defined by their own anger. They believe God is an angry God all the time. That thought process creates an environment for error. Yes, God can be angry. Yes, He can be severe in His judgments. But God is also filled with love; He is great in mercy. Unless prophets are balanced by grace and mercy, they quickly fall into the error of judging others in sin rather than lifting them out of sin. Prophets, on occasion, speak words of judgment, correction, and rebuke. But prophets authorized by Heaven to do that are filled with love, grace, and mercy. Why? All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible teaches us there is none righteous; no, not one. Prophecy is designed to bring grace to fallen men and women to lift them out of sin and into righteousness. A prophet who is filled with wrath cannot do that. Instead, he brings a snare to the soul of believers who hear him.

Cursing. I have seen prophets who use curses to control others; they curse others who do not receive them or their ministry. I have had that happen to me. I even had a person who I thought was a friend try to use "prophetic revelation" as a basis to curse me. When anyone tries to use curses to control you, run. Prophets are called to release blessing not curses. The Apostle Paul said to the church in Rome: "bless and do not curse". Rom. 12:14, NIV. When someone tries to use curses to get their way, it is a clear sign that they are in error. When prophets use curses to control people it can cause great damage. I have had to learn how to leave the blessing "switch" on in my heart, mind, and mouth. We cannot curse and expect to be used to bless others. As James, Jesus's brother said, "And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!" James 3:10, NLT.

Fear. Prophets can and sometimes will struggle with fear. Elijah, the great prophet, became fearful and ran from Jezebel. In 1 Kgs 19:3. This, after he had defeated the prophets of Ashtaroth and Baal. What happened to cause this great prophet to turn and run? Fear entered his heart. Elijah even prayed, "Lord, take away my life." He became suicidal. Defeat entered his heart. Jezebel manipulated Elijah to use his fears against him. She caused fear to enter into his heart. She played on Elijah's fears. Yes, prophets can become fearful. Not every spiritual experienced is divine. Some spiritual experiences are demonic. We need discernment to know the differenece. We need God to show us when fear is seeking to gain an entrance into our hearts. When we face those fears, we must learn to "Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life." Prov. 4:23, New Heart Enlish Bible. 

Prophets must keep their hearts pure. Prophets must recognize their own blindspots and weaknesses, if they want their strengths to shine even brighter. As prophets, we must hold ourselves accountable, wake up from the deluge of delusional realities offered by false prophecies and recover our discernment of the value of true prophecy. To do that, we must sift through our own hearts and defeat the seven deadly sins of prophetic ministry on open display in the church and world today.