4 Reasons a “Prophetic Word” About a Relationship Did Not Occur

By the phrase, “prophetic word,” I’m referring to a statement claiming something would occur in the future. More specifically, we’re going to be talking about a “prophetic word” about a relationship. Perhaps someone proclaimed that you and a certain person would get married or that you would meet a certain type of person by a specific time period. Or maybe you feel like you received a prophetic word from the Lord about your own relationship future with someone. If this “prophetic word” has not occurred yet, what is the explanation for this? Here are reasons to consider based on the biblical principles found in 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

1. The Prophetic Word Was an Unbiblical Prophecy

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 commands, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” This is a very important passage for us when asking why a prophetic word about a relationship did not occur. We certainly want to be careful we are not despising prophecies and quenching the Spirit. But we also need to test these prophecies and not be tricked into believing lies.

The most basic definition of these words relates not to future telling but rather to “speaking messages from God.” So really, at a basic level, when someone applies the word of God through applicational teaching, they are offering “prophecy” because they are proclaiming a message from God. All you need to do is compare it to the word of God. If the person said something unbiblical, you know it’s a false prophecy.

2. It Was a False Prediction About the Future

It’s much harder to know if something was really from the Spirit when it’s the type of prophecy proclaiming that a future event will occur. The only real way to know if this was from God is to wait and see if it happens. According to Scripture, if a prophet says something that never happens, that prophet did not truly hear from God and they spoke a false prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

The Danger of Manipulation

A true prophecy from God will always happen. Therefore, people get into trouble when they start making life decisions based upon this prophecy. Rather than the prophecy revealing their future, now this prophecy starts controlling their future. This is not right and it is a form of manipulation on the part of the prophet and a form of immaturity by the person trying to fulfill this false prophecy through their own power.

If you start rejecting relationship opportunities with people you like because you are believing a prophecy made about you and a different person, you are acting unbiblical because you are trying to make the prophecy come true. If God truly said it, you are not going to need to micromanage the situation for it to happen. If it’s not happening naturally with this person, it’s far more likely that this was simply a false prophecy and God didn’t really say you two would be together.

3. The Person Spoke to Look Good and Told You What You Wanted to Hear

This world is full of people who are willing to sell their soul to the devil just to be famous and rich. If someone like this knows that you really want to be with a specific person, it is highly likely they will tell you what you want to hear just so you will elevate them, give them money, and make themselves look good in front of whoever is watching. This behavior aligns with the warnings found in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 regarding people seeking teachers to suit their own passions.

Summary of Biblical Principles on Prophecy

To better understand why these words may fail, consider the following scriptural guidelines: