Prophecy, Power, and The Cross

We live in a day when “prophetic ministers” put out words because they want to establish a ministry and gain influence in the Body of Christ, rather than because the Lord has actually given them a word to release. They manufacture “prophetic words” because they are gifted enough to do so and are able to make them sound spiritual, but their words do not have substance or the transformative power of Christ. Their words are often focused on secondary matters when the Lord is seeking His prophets to address the core issues of His heart.

“I did not send those prophets. Yet they were in a hurry to give their message. I did not tell them anything. Yet they prophesied anyway. But if they had stood in my inner circle, they would have proclaimed my message to my people. They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways and stop doing the evil things they are doing.” Jeremiah 23:21-22 NET

The Father is grieved that so many are giving their own message when He has not told them to say anything. These are the ones who are unwilling to “pay the price” of truly hearing the Lord’s message and faithfully delivering it to the Church. They find it easier to give their own message. Some of these “prophets” are even operating under their own self-imposed deception, believing that they are actually giving the Lord’s message.

Lust for Power

Just as some have found their affirmation among men by functioning in the prophetic, others have lusted after power for the wrong reasons. Peter had to deal with this situation in the early Church. Simon, who had recently been converted to Christ and baptized, had not yet been inwardly transformed. There was still mixture within him, and he desired power.

“Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, saying, “Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money! You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God! Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin.” Acts 8:17-23 NET

Simon wanted the power to impart the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that he could maintain and gain greater influence. He wanted power for selfish reasons. Simon was a believer, but he still had bitterness, falsehood, and deceitfulness within him. He wanted the power of God without first being inwardly prepared to handle it. He would not have been a safe vessel for others if he had been entrusted with that power. Instead, power would have only corrupted him further. He could have gone down a dark path and taken many believers with him.

God’s power is pure and holy, but when a human vessel is corrupted inwardly, that vessel can use the power of God to gain influence over people. The corrupted vessel gets people to follow them instead of Christ. They use people to give them money, build their ministries, and establish their own version of human success. Power without inward transformation will only produce greater corruption within the vessel.

Peter rebuked Simon in an attempt to make him recognize his own inward corruption and his lust for power with impure motives. Many times, those with ulterior motives cannot see the bitter deceitfulness that is within them. They continue to release prophetic words because they can, rather than because they carry the burden of the Lord to do so.

The Lord is warning us about giving prophecies and seeking power. These can be good things when they come from Him, but we must submit ourselves to the Lord’s soul-cleansing process through the cross of Christ. We have to allow the Lord to do the inward work in us during this season.

Failure to embrace the cross of Christ and allow the self-life to be stripped away will only result in more Simon the Sorcerers and Balaam-like corrupted prophets.

-Ty Unurh (8/14/26)