Visions of the future and foreign thoughts after or during prayer?

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The former has been happening from a young age while the latter happened since I started praying. The visions happened when I was Christian at a young age, ceased when I lost faith, and returned when I returned to Christianity so I'm thinking Christianity has something to do with it.

When I was a child, I have vivid dreams about the future. Now they're thoughts that come true. For example, I predicted the destruction of cities, storms without any evidence, etc. Some of the predictions, like my sister's relationship being broken, were obvious while others, like chaos in South Carolina (I had no idea about the hurricane at the time) were not things I would make up. I have a friend in South Carolina, but he's more of an acquaintance. The friend in Florida is much close to me, so why wasn't the vision about Florida? Not all my visions came true, yet. For example, a couple days ago, I had a vision where sister nations would go to war, and there would be no victory. I have yet to have a nice vision unless you count the rebuilding one of two cities that will be destroyed a nice vision.

When I pray, I have foreign thoughts. They're not intrusive, but they're not mine. For example, yesterday, when I was praying for my mother, I had a thought telling me to do something for her and to honor her. A few day ago, I had another prayer where I told God that I was afraid and heard "1 John 4:18." ( There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.) and heard "Psalm 18:2" (The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.) When I was praying for strength when I felt hopeless.

Also, when I pray, the same thought will explain verses, will speak of God in first person, and told me that I should go to church.

Is God speaking to me, or is it a demon trying to deceive me? How can I know the difference? He doesn't seem evil, and this brought me closer to God, but that doesn't mean it's God. If it's a demon, do I need to get an exorcism? I've prayed to God to get rid of demons several times. What should I do in the case that it's a demon?

If it is God, then why?

If it's just me, then how can I accurately predict the future and know the location of verses when I haven't memorized the Bible?

I have no control over this. I don't know why this happens. I need advice on dealing with it.
 

sdowney717

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The test of a prophet, all that the prophet says must come to pass.
If the prophet fails, the prophet is not of God, and the law required them to be killed.
We have many warnings of the deception of false prophets that speak to the church.
If you have a vision of God and God knows His own word, He will bring the vision to pass, because He is the author of it.

If it does not come to pass, then the vision was not from the Lord. The measure of God's prophet is perfection, a single failure deemed the prophet not of God. Today we have all sorts of prophets, and they will answer to God for their falsehoods and errors.

You should study all the OT prophets. Today in the New Covenant, a prophet is an 'oddball' as He, God, has spoken to us in the last days by His Son, which all the OT prophets spoke of Him who was to come.

20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Hebrews 1New King James Version (NKJV)
God’s Supreme Revelation
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
 
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The test of a prophet, all that the prophet says must come to pass.
If the prophet fails, the prophet is not of God, and the law required them to be killed.
We have many warnings of the deception of false prophets that speak to the church.
If you have a vision of God and God knows His own word, He will bring the vision to pass, because He is the author of it.

If it does not come to pass, then the vision was not from the Lord. The measure of God's prophet is perfection, a single failure deemed the prophet not of God. Today we have all sorts of prophets, and they will answer to God for their falsehoods and errors.

You should study all the OT prophets. Today in the New Covenant, a prophet is an 'oddball' as He, God, has spoken to us in the last days by His Son, which all the OT prophets spoke of Him who was to come.

20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Hebrews 1New King James Version (NKJV)
God’s Supreme Revelation
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
Most of my visions came to pass. The only ones that haven't are recent ones. How long should I wait to know if a prophesy is false or not? How long should it take for a prophesy to come true? Surely not a couple days. I am an oddball and seen as an outcast in my own community and family, I never got along with others. It's not that I care.

If I am a false prophet, how do I stop this before being put to death?
 
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DawnStar

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If I am a false prophet, how do I stop this before being put to death?
Who is going to put you to death? And who are you articulating these prophecies to if anyone? From the looks of your posts it sounds like they are still in your head and you are not actually attempting to prophesy. Either way there are way to many want to be prophets out there for me to believe any of them. No offense intended. I just do not believe that God talks to a bazillion people and gives them all conflicting information because that is what it amounts to.
 
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Who is going to put you to death? And who are you articulating these prophecies to if anyone? From the looks of your posts it sounds like they are still in your head and you are not actually attempting to prophesy. Either way there are way to many want to be prophets out there for me to believe any of them. No offense intended. I just do not believe that God talks to a bazillion people and gives them all conflicting information because that is what it amounts to.
Who would put me to death? The Bible is clear. False prophets should be put to death. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to kill me. There are people who want me dead as is.

I don't want any of this. I don't want to be a prophet. If that's what God intends, I'm not going to go against it, but it was never a wish or anything. I would actually wish for a normal life where I wasn't seen as an outcast, even by strangers. I'm hated by people who don't even know me. I don't know why anyone would want to be a prophet. Have they read the Bible?
 
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DawnStar

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Who would put me to death? The Bible is clear. False prophets should be put to death. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to kill me. There are people who want me dead as is.
I would not worry about it. Even if you believe you are a false prophet, there are plenty of false prophets in line ahead of you.
 
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sdowney717

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Who would put me to death? The Bible is clear. False prophets should be put to death. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to kill me. There are people who want me dead as is.

I don't want any of this. I don't want to be a prophet. If that's what God intends, I'm not going to go against it, but it was never a wish or anything. I would actually wish for a normal life where I wasn't seen as an outcast, even by strangers. I'm hated by people who don't even know me. I don't know why anyone would want to be a prophet. Have they read the Bible?

Today, no one will kill you, that was the OT law. Although if your a 'false prophet', then God will take it up with you someday... God sought to kill Moses who was a true prophet since Moses was not circumcising his sons, likely as a sort of wake up call for Moses to get serious with the Lord..
 
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I would not worry about it. Even if you believe you are a false prophet, there are plenty of false prophets in line ahead of you.
I don't believe I am, but many believe there are no prophets, so all prophets are false prophets. I believe in spiritual gifts, but not all Christians do.
 
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seashale76

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You're being enticed into pretest (spiritual delusion). Anytime unwanted thoughts occur and pop into your head, especially during prayer, that is a distraction. Why on earth are you trying to predict the future anyway? That's divination. That's a sin.

In Orthodox Christianity we call such unwanted thoughts logismoi (tempting thoughts which lead to sin). The Church Fathers tend to recognize five stages:

assault (thoughts pop into your head)
interaction (you entertain these thoughts)
consent (you decide to act on these thoughts)
defeat (you are hostage- resistance is difficult)
passion (it becomes part of you)

The usual recommended practice is to pray when the thoughts first pop into your head. Ignore the thoughts if possible and keep turning your mind and heart back to prayer. It is easiest to stop at this point.

Most people will say the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

"Even a pious person is not immune to spiritual sickness if he does
not have a wise guide -- either a living person or a spiritual
writer. This sickness is called _prelest_, or spiritual delusion,
imagining oneself to be near to God and to the realm of the divine
and supernatural. Even zealous ascetics in monasteries are
sometimes subject to this delusion, but of course, laymen who are
zealous in external struggles (podvigi) undergo it much more
frequently. Surpassing their acquaintances in struggles of prayer
and fasting, they imagine that they are seers of divine visions,
or at least of dreams inspired by grace. In every event of their
lives, they see special intentional directions from God or their
guardian angel. And then they start imagining that they are God's
elect, and often try to foretell the future. The Holy Fathers
armed themselves against nothing so fiercely as against this
sickness -- pretest." ~Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky
 
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You're being enticed into pretest (spiritual delusion). Anytime unwanted thoughts occur and pop into your head, especially during prayer, that is a distraction. Why on earth are you trying to predict the future anyway? That's divination. That's a sin.

In Orthodox Christianity we call such unwanted thoughts logismoi (tempting thoughts which lead to sin). The Church Fathers tend to recognize five stages:

assault (thoughts pop into your head)
interaction (you entertain these thoughts)
consent (you decide to act on these thoughts)
defeat (you are hostage- resistance is difficult)
passion (it becomes part of you)

The usual recommended practice is to pray when the thoughts first pop into your head. Ignore the thoughts if possible and keep turning your mind and heart back to prayer. It is easiest to stop at this point.

Most people will say the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

"Even a pious person is not immune to spiritual sickness if he does
not have a wise guide -- either a living person or a spiritual
writer. This sickness is called _prelest_, or spiritual delusion,
imagining oneself to be near to God and to the realm of the divine
and supernatural. Even zealous ascetics in monasteries are
sometimes subject to this delusion, but of course, laymen who are
zealous in external struggles (podvigi) undergo it much more
frequently. Surpassing their acquaintances in struggles of prayer
and fasting, they imagine that they are seers of divine visions,
or at least of dreams inspired by grace. In every event of their
lives, they see special intentional directions from God or their
guardian angel. And then they start imagining that they are God's
elect, and often try to foretell the future. The Holy Fathers
armed themselves against nothing so fiercely as against this
sickness -- pretest." ~Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky
I don't think I've been as clear as I would like. I'm not trying. I don't want to predict the future. I know it's a sin, which is why I hate it and hate myself for doing it. I know that there are no more prophets. I'm nowhere near God. I know I"m a horrible sinner who is probably going to Hell. Demons still haunt me, so I know I'm not a true Christian.
 
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