What should we do with prophecies?

The prophets were faithful men and women of God in the Bible who declared His message. The most well known prophets include Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Then John the Baptist came on the scene, as "the prophet of the Most High" God (Luke 1:76).  Was Jesus a prophet? Yes! Jesus referred to Himself as a prophet in Matthew 13:57. 

Then we read in Ephesians 4, we read that God gave "prophets" to the church (vs 11). Christians have differing views as to whether we have prophets today. Some say 'Yes' - regarding certain people as legitimate prophets. Others say 'No' - claiming that since the end of the New Testament era, and the completion of the Bible, God is no longer sending prophets with a fresh message for His people. 

What is certain is that some people claim to be prophets today, and to be speaking for God. So what should we do if we hear a "prophecy"? The safest approach is to test it (1 Thess 5:21), lining it up against the Bible. 

The following helpful advice is given in the article 'Are there prophets in the church today?' by www.gotquestions.org 

"whenever a person claims to be speaking for God (the essence of prophecy) the key is to compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak through a person today, it would be in 100% complete agreement with what God has already said in the Bible. God does not contradict Himself. 1 John 4:1 instructs us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 declares, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.” So, whether is it a “word from the Lord” or a supposed prophecy, our response should be the same. Compare what is said to what the Word of God says. If it contradicts the Bible, throw it out. If it agrees with the Bible, pray for wisdom and discernment as to how to apply the message (2 Timothy 3:16-17;James 1:5)." 
Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/prophets-today.html 

We live in days of deception, and need to face the fact that not all who claim to speak for God are in fact speaking for God. May God give us discernment, and vigilance to compare everything to His Holy Word. 

David