Here is a journal entry written down a few years back. A lady preacher prophetically said the church was going to grow in a certain area. The prophetic message did not come to pass.
Does this make the lady preacher a false prophet. Probably not, it is just that she got it wrong on this occasion. However, through the prayer journal you can test prophetic messages by recording them, then when you hear from the same preacher again, you know you must be careful, and test everything that preacher is saying from the pulpit, because it could be unreliable.
Here is a scripture from Deuteronomy 18 v 21-22.
“21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.”
When someone has spoken a false prophetic you have absolutely nothing to fear as the scripture tells us in Deuteronomy. They have spoken without Gods authority. We have recently spoken about the pulpit and how we want to hear from God and not man through innuendoes. Well, the prayer journal is a great discerning tool where you can test prophecy, was it from God or not? Are we hearing from a preacher who is communicating what the Lord is saying? Or are they preaching what they have been told to preach by man.
Sadly, in church organisations politics exists in the background. It can affect the authenticity of the pulpit because pastors are fighting battles in the background, and using the pulpit as a communication tool to get messages out to their adversaries, and the congregation is oblivious to how they are being manipulated, hearing from man and not God, and are part of deeper issues that again are oblivious to them.
A good news prayer journal story
Prayer journaling can help you have a deep and intimate relationship with God. Not only can you test prophecy you can pray for people to be saved. Here is a prayer and 4 days later lead to a salvation. God is so good.
Prayer journaling is a joy. It can help you in so many ways with your walk with the Lord. But not only helping you, but also helping others like leaders when we pray for them.
Conclusion
Always pray for the authenticity of the pulpit and the sermons you hear from them. Ask God to ensure the pulpit is a place where we do hear from Jesus, and that the word is 100% authentic. We are more than confident that God will help those leaders who are battling church politics and are not relying on God for protection but are using the pulpit as a means to communicate with adversaries, fighting battles in their strength and not in the Lords.