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There are some people who seem to be born to be pastors, whether they preach for an Orange County church or not. There is just something about these people, something that makes others listen to them And there is one thing that many of them will recommend, as well, which is to have a so-called “power prayer card”.
What Is a Power Prayer Card?
A power prayer card is a very simple tool, but a very powerful one. It is something that you use in a way that works for you. It should have, one side of the card, a prayer that you draw inspiration from. On the other side, you could take notes, or even print another prayer. That is all entirely up to you. What matters is that you have one and that it inspires you.
By having a prayer card with you, you will constantly be reminded of how much the Lord loves you and cares for you. Interestingly, some believe that it will also help you identify who is a true prophet, and who is a false prophet.
The Issue of Prophecy
According to the Old Testament, if someone makes a prophecy and it comes true, they were true messengers from God. If the prophecy does not come true, however, they are a false prophet. The problem is that, sometimes, a prophecy won’t come true for hundreds of years after it was made. This means people can be denounced as false prophets, when they were actually true messengers of the Lord.
This is why a group of pastors from Orange County, who all also recommend carrying prayer cards, have modernized the “Five Tests of a True Prophet”. These five tests have been around since the Old Testament, when it was recognized that two prophets could give seemingly conflicting reports, simply because they were making prophecies of different time periods.
The Lord gave the church three specific tests in the Old Testament. But the New Testament added two more tests to this, making it even easier to recognize a true prophet from a false one. The agreed understanding is that this was necessary because modern churches, and modern prophets, have to give further doctrine.
So what are the five tests? They are:
- The prophet must believe the Son of God does redemptive work.
- The prophet must listen to others, including authority, as not doing so would stop them from growing spiritually.
- A true prophet is motivated by love. A false prophet is motivated by getting noticed and receiving attention
- A false prophet tries to motivate people through fear.
- False prophets do not have healthy relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ. They often do not attend church.
The last two tests were added because there was a need for them. During the days of the Old Testament, times were very scary, and few churches existed. Hence there was no need for tests four and five. Today, however, they are in fact key tests to help determine whether someone is a true prophet.