However, it is the will of God that you do not fall to the deception of false prophets – whether they are around you or afar of.
Can you avoid seeing false prophets around you? Possibly not; as I said earlier, they can be found everywhere – even in church.
Read also:
Three innocuous things you should know about false prophets
Being a cultural Christian is not enough
Can you avoid being entrapped by false prophets? Yes you can, if you are discerning enough and pay attention to what the word of God says.
This post will suggest two simple but effective ways to treat a false prophet.
In the book of Jeremiah, we are given two simple keys to avoid falling into the deception of false prophets. Let’s read the verses together:
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your [false] prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you; pay no attention and attach no significance to the dreams which they dream or to yours, for they prophesy falsely to you in My Name. I have not sent them,’ says the Lord .
Jeremiah 29:8-9 AMP
From this above quoted scriptures some salient points can be surmised:
- Where ever you find yourself, you will find false prophets amongst you;
- The aim of false prophets is to deceive you;
- False prophets can prophecy in the name of God;
- You will not be deceived if you don’t pay attention to false prophets and don’t take their words seriously;
- False prophets can’t deceive you without your consent;
- False prophets are not God’s representatives.
You can see that the Bible doesn’t say you will not meet false prophets in your Christian journey. But it does say you should not fall into their deception.
Let me explain further…
1. Pay no attention to a false prophet
What does it mean not to pay attention to anyone? I like the way the Collins dictionary explains it:
“If you pay attention to someone, you watch them, listen to them, or take notice of them. If you pay no attention to someone, you behave as if you are not aware of them or as if they are not important.”
With that definition, we can have a fair idea of what the Bible means when it says you should pay no attention to false prophets. It means:
- Don’t watch them
- Don’t listen to them
- Don’t take notice of them.
- Don’t behave as if they are important.
You will not be deceived by false prophets if you don’t watch them, if you don’t listen to them, and if you don’t take notice of them.
‘Do not let your [false] prophets who are among you… deceive you” remains Jeremiah’s warning to you.
2. Attach no significance to whatever a false prophet says
Apart from not paying attention to false prophets, you are also required not to attach any significance to their words.
“If you pay no attention to someone, you behave as if you are not aware of them or as if they are not important.”
Imagine if everyone should act that way to false prophets, they will all disappear into oblivion because no one patronises them.
But what do we see around us today? People honour false prophets by paying them attention and even subsiding their operations by giving them money.
Unfortunately that’s why false prophets are in business: preying on you and feeding fact on your ignorance.
It is my hope that you will change your attitude having read this article.
What else can you do when you encounter a false prophet? Leave me a comment.
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