Prophetic faith is an unbiblical movement that occurs mostly in Charismatic or Pentecostal churches. The movement emphasizes speaking prophecy onto a person or situation, and using words to place faith or gifts onto someone.
For example, you might hear someone say: “I speak health and blessings onto you. From now on, you will operate in faith and have God’s great blessings and healing poured on you so that they overflow. In Jesus’ name!”
The main problem with this is that it is completely unbiblical and doesn’t work. God tells us to obey Him in the Bible. There are no shortcuts to obedience. We cannot formulate some words and speak them forcefully to make things happen.
Instead, we need to be humble before God and repent of our sins. We need to trust God in our hearts just as the Bible says. We need to pray to God, ask Him to help us, and believe that He can.
This will build our character and make us more like Christ, but this takes time and practice and God's help. This is not done by forcefully shouting some words at someone and declaring something for someone else. There is no practical faith if we do that. If we do that, we are not speaking to God but commanding something to happen, without humbling ourselves before God and asking Him to help us.
Remember, Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
So Christians need to go back to the basics. Jesus warned us that we need to obey Him and practice our beliefs, so that we can bear fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:18-20)
Therefore, you will know the “teachers” and “preachers” of these movements by their fruits. Do they live a life of obedience to Christ? Do they stay away from sins and various kinds of greed? If they don’t do what the Bible says and don’t repent, they are false teachers.
Such people will get the following words from Jesus: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
So the most important thing for a Christian is not signs or wonders. The most important thing is to believe in Jesus and practice obedience to God. The most important thing is to trust God and practice Jesus’ teachings in the Bible.
Then we are doing the will of the Father, and not practicing lawlessness.
Don’t be surprised or impressed even if any so-called prophet performs signs and miracles. Jesus forewarned us: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24)
Again, there are no shortcuts to following Jesus. We cannot speak things into existence because we are not God. We need to humbly follow God step-by-step, and do what the Bible says.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Notice the Bible says trust in the Lord with all your heart. You can’t do this by having someone speak faith into you. But you can do this by practicing trust in God in everything you do in your daily life, and asking God to help you trust Him more.
True Christianity is believing God’s words and living it out. It is not about forceful speech or following a formula to get one’s way.
On the contrary, it is very harmful to one’s faith if he practices the prophetic faith movement. Imagine someone receiving a word from a so-called prophet and it doesn’t come true. Then the person might start doubting God. But what the prophet says won’t come true in that person’s life, because that person is relying on a human being for something he needs. He is not talking to God, trusting God, or following God’s commandments. He is simply listening to a “prophetic” message and expecting something to happen according to that false message.
But God always wants a personal, direct, one-on-one relationship with each person. He doesn’t want anyone to rely on a middleman (like a priest or teacher).
Jesus said, “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12)
Do any of these so-called prophets or teachers practice true humility according to Jesus' words or do they exalt themselves above others?
We need to trust God’s word, follow God’s word, and practice God’s word.
There is absolutely no shortcut to following God. Jesus expects us to give our all, just as He gave us His all.
“…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).
"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him" (John 14:21).
If you want God to personally direct your life, start obeying God’s word in your daily life. Then He will direct you step-by-step, and you will know and experience Him more and more.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11:28)
To learn more about false movements such as prophetic faith, please see:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Word-Faith.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/prophetic-prayer.html