If the gift of prophecy is to be exercised in the church today, believers must have guidelines to determine whether or not a particular prophetic utterance has come from God.
Conform To Gods Word
The first thing that prophetic utterances should be tested by is the revealed Word of God. Is the prophecy in harmony with Scripture? The Apostle John encourages us to test the prophets:
Beloved, do not believe every Spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
Any alleged prophetic teaching that contradicts what God has previously revealed demonstrates itself to be from another source. Thus a prophetic utterance must first be in harmony with what God has previously revealed. The Bible says to be on guard against false prophecies.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8).