When ‘God Told Me’ Leaves No Room for Questions
Prophecy, spiritual pressure and the freedom to test what we hear
There is something wonderfully precious about knowing that God is not distant, disinterested or silent. Throughout Scripture, we encounter a God who speaks, leads, reveals His character and invites people into a genuine relationship with Him. As Christians, we have the extraordinary privilege of knowing Him through Jesus Christ, receiving His Word and enjoying fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit.
I believe God still speaks today. I believe the Holy Spirit guides us, brings Scripture to our attention, encourages us through other believers and distributes spiritual gifts for the building up of the Church. I've experienced enough of God's goodness to remain convinced that we should neither dismiss nor despise the possibility that He might speak to us personally.
For clarity, although I wholeheartedly believe in the continuing ministry and gifts of the Holy Spirit, I am not part of, nor do I subscribe to, the theology commonly associated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). In particular, I reject any teaching or practice that places claimed apostolic or prophetic authority beyond biblical examination, discourages personal discernment or uses spiritual authority to exercise unhealthy control over others. That distinction is important to me because I believe we can be genuinely open to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit without surrendering the authority of Scripture or our responsibility to exercise discernment.
I find it particularly disappointing when moderately Charismatic Christians, who sincerely believe in the continuing gifts of the Holy Spirit while maintaining the authority of Scripture, are automatically placed in the same category as those who promote unhealthy forms of apostolic or prophetic authority. We shouldn't have to choose between being open to the Holy Spirit and being committed to sound biblical theology, discernment and accountability. In fact, I believe these things belong together.
Over the years, I've come to appreciate something especially important. Just because someone believes God has spoken doesn't necessarily mean they have accurately heard, understood or communicated what He has said. And that distinction matters far more than we might initially realise.
In fact, when we lose sight of it, something intended to encourage faith can gradually become a source of considerable spiritual pressure. What begins as an invitation to listen to God can sometimes become an expectation to accept someone else's understanding of what God is saying. Either unintentionally, or maybe worse, for purposeful control.
This is particularly concerning when the person receiving that message genuinely loves God and has surrendered their life to following Him.
When the desire to obey God becomes a vulnerability
Imagine being a committed Christian who genuinely loves Jesus. You've surrendered your life to Him, you want to follow His leading and your greatest desire is to please Him. Perhaps you've prayed for years to become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, to walk in obedience and to respond faithfully whenever God calls. You understand that following Jesus sometimes involves sacrifice. You've learnt that genuine discipleship isn't simply about doing whatever makes you comfortable, and you're willing to receive correction when necessary.
Now imagine someone you respect approaching you with a message. Perhaps they're an experienced Christian, a recognised leader, a supposed 'father figure' or someone you believe has a genuine prophetic gift. They explain that God has spoken to them about your situation. They may tell you what God wants you to do, how you should respond to a particular person or which direction you should take. Perhaps they even express disappointment that you haven't already recognised what God is saying.
At first, this might seem like an ordinary part of Christian fellowship. After all, we are encouraged to listen to one another, receive instruction and remain open to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But what happens when you're uncertain about the message? What if it doesn't quite sit right with you? What if the instruction feels uncomfortable, conflicts with other responsibilities or seems inconsistent with what you understand of God's character?
More importantly, what happens when questioning that message is interpreted as questioning God Himself?
Consider the enormous psychological and spiritual pressure this can create.
What genuine Christian, whose heart belongs to God, would knowingly want to resist the most powerful Being in the universe? And not merely the most powerful being, but the loving Father who saved them, forgave them and gave His Son for them. For someone with a tender conscience, the possibility of disobeying God isn't a trivial matter. It can produce genuine distress. They may begin to question their motives, their spiritual maturity, their sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and even the sincerity of their relationship with God.
They might agree to something they would otherwise question, not because they've become convinced it's right, but because they're afraid that refusing would mean refusing God. And this is where we must recognise an important distinction:
A willingness to obey God is a beautiful expression of discipleship. Feeling compelled to obey another person's interpretation of God's will is something quite different.
We should never confuse the two.
I also believe we need to recognise that some Christians are particularly vulnerable to this kind of pressure. Someone who has experienced rejection, struggles with anxiety or has previously encountered unhealthy spiritual authority may find it especially difficult to disagree with a respected Christian leader. Equally, someone who is naturally conscientious, deeply committed to their faith or particularly sensitive to disappointing others may feel an enormous responsibility to comply.
That doesn't mean they're spiritually immature. Sometimes the very qualities we hope to cultivate in disciples, such as humility, teachability and a willingness to obey God, can leave them vulnerable when those qualities are exploited or misunderstood. And that's precisely why those of us who exercise spiritual influence have a responsibility to communicate carefully.
The subtle power of "God told me"
I wonder whether we sometimes underestimate the authority our language carries. There's a considerable difference between someone saying, "I've been praying, and I wonder whether God might be encouraging you to consider something", and someone declaring, "God has told me that you must do this."
One invites consideration. The other can appear to settle the matter before any conversation has even taken place.
Of course, the wording alone doesn't establish whether someone is exercising unhealthy influence. There are occasions when people communicate genuine convictions strongly, and Scripture itself doesn't encourage us to be perpetually uncertain about everything. However, there's an important difference between communicating something we believe God may be saying and presenting our personal understanding as though it carries unquestionable divine authority.
Sometimes the pressure is even more subtle. Imagine someone telling you that they've been praying about your circumstances and that God has shown them something important. They then explain that, before you can move forward, you need to demonstrate a willingness to receive correction or submit to God's direction.
Perhaps they haven't explicitly instructed you to agree with them. Perhaps they genuinely believe they're helping you. But consider what might happen when you express uncertainty about the proposed course of action. You might be encouraged to examine whether you're resisting God, whether pride is influencing your judgement or whether your unwillingness to accept their guidance reveals a deeper spiritual problem.
Notice what has happened. The original question was whether this person had accurately understood what God was saying. Now the conversation has shifted towards questioning your spiritual condition. Instead of examining the message, you're examining yourself to discover why you're apparently struggling to accept it.
There is certainly a place for self-examination. Sometimes our personal preferences, fears and prejudices do influence our willingness to receive God's instruction. We should never assume that everything we dislike must therefore be wrong.
Nevertheless, there must also be room to consider the possibility that the person delivering the message has misunderstood something. If every disagreement becomes evidence of a spiritual problem in the person receiving the message, how can the message itself ever be genuinely tested? That's a question I believe deserves serious consideration.
We should also recognise that spiritual pressure doesn't always require someone to issue explicit commands. Sometimes it develops through a series of expectations, repeated conversations or the gradual suggestion that genuine spiritual maturity will eventually lead someone to agree.
A Christian might be told that their leaders are waiting for them to become ready to receive what God has revealed. They may be encouraged to pray until their heart is sufficiently surrendered or to demonstrate their humility before further conversations can take place.
Again, there may be circumstances in which genuine repentance or a willingness to receive correction is necessary. We shouldn't dismiss those possibilities.
However, we ought to be concerned when the required evidence of repentance, humility or spiritual maturity is essentially agreement with someone else's interpretation. At that point, the distinction between obedience to God and compliance with human expectations can become dangerously blurred. Looking back, I embarrassingly admit that I once believed my former ministry associates when they claimed that disagreeing with or disobeying their leader was equivalent to rebelling against God.
And if someone has already accepted that disagreeing with a particular leader might mean disagreeing with God, the emotional and spiritual pressure can be enormous.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that questioning someone's understanding of what God has said isn't necessarily questioning God Himself. The two are not interchangeable, and we should be extremely careful whenever we make people feel otherwise. My concern isn't that Christians will become too discerning, but that some may become so afraid of getting things wrong that they eventually surrender their responsibility to discern at all.
So, where does that leave us? How do we remain genuinely open to the Holy Spirit without becoming vulnerable to unhealthy spiritual expectations? And what does Scripture actually teach about testing prophetic words, receiving correction and submitting to spiritual leadership?
These are the questions I want to explore in the next article, because I believe we can wholeheartedly embrace the ministry of the Holy Spirit while remaining firmly grounded in Scripture and enjoying the freedom Christ has given us.
© 2026 Darren Roy
This article explores spiritual authority, personal discernment and Christian freedom. The situations described are general illustrations informed by pastoral reflection and experience. My intention isn't to discourage prophecy, biblical correction or responsible spiritual leadership, but to encourage their healthy practice, firmly grounded in Scripture, humility and accountability.
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