check if its from God

 Introduction

Prophecy is a recurring theme throughout church history. And rightfully so Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, encourages churches to seek the gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Yet many leaders struggle with this topic. While prophecy can be a blessing, it can also cause harm. Many people attempt to prophesy and consciously or unconsciously deliver false messages. That’s why it’s so important for every believer to understand the basics of how to test a prophetic word.

Whenever we receive an impression either from within or through someone else that we believe may be from the Holy Spirit, the process of testing already begins. This testing happens on several levels. We examine the impression from different angles to discern whether it might truly be from God.

1. The Bible

The most common way to test a prophetic impression is, of course, through Scripture. But how exactly do you do that? Should you read from Genesis to Revelation every time you receive an impression? Even though reading the entire Bible is encouraged, it’s probably not feasible for every single instance.

That’s why it’s wise to read the Bible regularly apart from testing impressions. The better you know God’s Word, the easier it is to discern in the moment. The Holy Spirit can then bring relevant verses to mind. If you're not familiar with Scripture yet, you can ask other believers to help you examine the impression together two minds are better than one!

Not everything is written word-for-word in the Bible. If you receive an impression about starting a specific course, study program, or job, it’s unlikely to find that exact choice in the text. Instead, look at the broader biblical themes like being a disciple, discipling others, growing through training and practice. These threads appear often throughout Scripture.

As you search and study those verses, you can evaluate whether your impression aligns with God’s Word. If it does, feel free to ask Him for confirmation: Which school? What course? When? How? God will surely answer in His timing if your impression is truly from Him.

2. His Character and Nature

Although not everything is explicitly written in the Bible, it is recorded in the Book of Life—and while we can't see into that, we can still ask: Does this impression align with “the Spirit of the Bible”?

Think about where the impression came from: Was it during quiet time? Worship? A church service? In nature? Was the source filled with love and humility, or was it condemning, angry, or prideful? If it’s the latter, it doesn’t align with God’s Spirit. God loves His children. Jesus justified us through His blood, and the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. So if the message carries condemnation, that likely contradicts the grace we've received.

One simple way to test: Ask yourself, “Would Jesus say this? Would He do this?” Does the impression match His nature and character? If the answer is no feel free to flush it away.

The Bible says the Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and shares it with us. So looking closely at Jesus who He is and how He lives is a powerful way to test prophetic impressions.

3. Spiritual Parents / Elders

The Bible speaks of elders—people who are more mature in faith than you are. I’ve known Jesus for 23 years now, but I also know people who’ve walked with Him for 50 years. If their faith hasn’t been shipwrecked, they’re often much further along in spiritual maturity. You could call them spiritual parents—people who have love for you and want to walk alongside you in your spiritual journey.

We all need people like this in our lives. So if you don’t have elders in your network, try to find one or two. They can also help you discern prophetic impressions.

Elders are able to test the impressions you receive because of their biblical knowledge, their own experiences with Jesus’ character and nature, their life experience, their personal relationship with Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit—and their relationship with you.

4. Confirmations

Of course, God doesn’t need to speak three times about the same topic before we accept His word. But we are allowed without shame or guilt to ask Him for confirmations. Especially when it involves decisions or choices that affect your life or the lives of others.

Confirmations often come in various forms: a situation that touches you, a Bible verse, a dream, a vision, an impression through another person, a song... There are countless ways God can speak to you.

And the art is not in seeking the confirmation yourself. So don’t chase after it, even after you’ve asked God for one. Instead, release the impression, and place it into His hands with trust. He will confirm it or not.

5.  Acting on It

We can also test a prophetic impression by simply taking action making a small move in that direction. For example, you receive the impression that you may one day speak in churches. That could be from the Holy Spirit. You can test this impression by starting small and seeing if it might be from God perhaps by sharing a testimony or preparing a short sermon.

As you step out in faith to test the impression, you’re essentially doing a “trial run” with God. Along the way, you’ll be able to sense and explore whether these steps bring you closer to Him or create more distance. If your personal relationship with Jesus feels more strained as a result, that’s a good indication the impression may not be from Him, and you can go ahead and “flush it.”

6. Spiritual Closet

Of course, there’s no actual spiritual closet but the image can help illustrate how to handle impressions. Sometimes after testing, you sense an impression might be from God, but it’s not yet time to act on it, or you’re unsure how. These impressions can be “stored in the closet,” put aside for now.

If the impression really did come from God, He may confirm it months or even years later, connecting it to something you tucked away in your spiritual closet.

Some people keep every impression “just in case.” Personally, I prefer to discard those that don’t hold up in testing, and only keep the ones I’m still unsure about. But that’s a personal choice!

 Final Thoughts

Don’t be afraid to let go of impressions that aren’t in line with who God is. But also take the ones you receive seriously—because a small impression can sometimes have a huge impact on your life or someone else’s.

That’s why it’s essential to handle them with care and use the various ways available to test what you've received.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out. Contact