Accra: Founder and Senior Pastor of Dashen Ministries, Apostle Nat Opare Yeboah, has cautioned Christians against assuming that every accurate prophecy originates from God. He claims that some individuals minister through what he described as “familiar spirits” while closely resembling genuine prophets.
According to Ghana Web, in an interview with media personality MzGee on Behind the Pulpit, Apostle Nat emphasized that Scripture warns about false prophets and stressed the need for believers to develop spiritual discernment rather than judging prophetic ministries solely by the accuracy of their predictions. “There are prophets that use familiar spirits to prophesy,” Apostle Nat stated. “The difference between a true prophet and one using a familiar spirit is very small. If you are not spiritually discerning, you may not be able to tell the difference.”
He elaborated on the challenge of distinguishing between genuine and false prophetic ministries, noting that their outward manifestations can appear almost identical. “The resemblance is about 98 per cent,” he said. “Someone operating with a familiar spirit can look almost exactly like a genuine prophet.”
The Dashen Ministries founder urged Christians to rely on biblical principles and spiritual maturity rather than sensational demonstrations when evaluating prophetic ministries. He remarked that while some ministers have genuinely been called by God, others exploit the popularity of the prophetic ministry to deceive vulnerable believers. “The Bible confirms that false prophets will arise,” he noted. “It takes the Spirit of God and knowledge of God’s Word to detect them.”
Apostle Nat also defended church leaders who have publicly criticized excesses within prophetic ministry, explaining that they should not be dismissed simply because they are not prophets themselves. He referred to comments previously made by Reverend Eastwood Anaba on the conduct of some prophets, arguing that teachers within the five-fold ministry have a legitimate role in correcting doctrinal and ministerial errors. “A teacher does not have to be a prophet to understand the principles governing prophecy,” he asserted. “Teachers establish biblical standards and can help prophets understand where they may be going wrong.”
The apostle further cautioned against elevating the prophetic ministry above other ministerial offices, suggesting that doing so has contributed to pride and abuse within some churches. “We should be very careful with how we carry ourselves,” he said. “Some people make it look as though the prophetic ministry is greater than all the other ministries. That should not be the case.”
Throughout the interview, Apostle Nat maintained that while he firmly believes in the prophetic ministry, Christians must exercise wisdom in distinguishing genuine spiritual gifts from counterfeit expressions. He urged believers to measure prophetic messages against Scripture and seek spiritual maturity instead of being swayed by dramatic public displays, insisting that the authenticity of a minister extends beyond the ability to reveal hidden information or predict future events.