Are the new year prophecies from God or men?

In my culture, it has become an annual ritual for Christians to gather every 31st day of December to hear declarations of what will happen in the coming year. I do not know if it happens in the Western world, but in my country, most pastors have “words from God” for their congregation on the eve of the new year. These words are perceived by their followers as the inerrant word of God that will guide them and shape their lives throughout the coming year.

Whether these words come from God or are manufactured by men is what we need to be sure of. The Scripture enjoins believers to judge prophecies (1 Corinthians 14:29). There is no doubt that some of these prophecies are inspired by God and are delivered by men as the Spirit gives them utterances, but it is also obvious that the majority of these words are from men who excite their congregations with words of promises that never come to fruition.

What bothers me most is that the majority of the pastors usually state it categorically clear that they heard the words directly from the mouth of God. “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!” (Jeremiah 23:28). This difference between the “straw and the grain” is what many Christians have failed to identify.

Words like these were all too common just a few days ago: “The Lord said that your year of uncommon fortune and prosperity has come, I hear God pronounce mega breakthrough in all you do in 2024. God is releasing keys to exotic cars and houses for you now, receive them! God said that I should tell you that you will not experience poverty, pains, difficulties, and suffering in 2024.”

People have heard these exact prophecies in previous years and never saw them fulfilled. Yet many still believe that this year’s prophecies might be different from others.

The major reason why people are gullible is because poverty has been weaponized in my country and people are prone to believe anything that promises solutions to their hardships and sufferings. They usually jump, shout “Amen” and throw their money at these people to claim these words which they believe were from God. Many of them have forgotten the previous year’s prophecies given to them by the same people.

Notable pastors have even prophesied that God told them that the killings of Christians in Nigeria would be over — yet the killings continued unabated.

Many worshipers now have itching ears and are excited when these falsehoods are dished out to them from the pulpits. I recently listened to a “prophet” in one of the mega-churches in Nigeria accusing his congregation of being responsible for his unfulfilled prophecies. He blamed them for not having enough faith to provoke Heaven to act.

Is it not time for Christians to start judging prophecies that are given to them? Shouldn't pastors and prophets be held accountable for the words which they claimed they heard from God? Many ministers of God have become very careless with words that they claim are from God simply because no one is held accountable when these words fail. Ghanaian Police in a security briefing before the new year warned religious leaders to share false prophecies and go to prison for 9 years. Is this not embarrassing to the body of Christ?

A Nigerian lady recently lamented bitterly how 2023 has gone without her getting married after her pastor gave prophesied that she would be married by the end of the year. Is it really God who spoke to this pastor about this lady's marriage? Can't we go to church and pray to usher in the new year without a prophetic declaration? Must we manufacture words and call them words of God?

He who has not heard from God should keep quiet and commune with Him in prayers. The faith of many believers is on the line.