A prophetic word can sound convincing and still send a Christian in the wrong direction. Deliverance minister Alexander Pagani says discernment is essential when spiritual pressure leaves us fearful, distracted or trapped under controlling teaching.
He knows the cost firsthand. In an interview with Charisma Media, Pagani said recovering from false prophecies spoken over his own life took years.
“God didn’t speak in that instance,” he said.
His warning reaches beyond prophecy. Christians can blame demons for problems that require a different response, overlook genuine spiritual attacks or mistake our own emotions for the Holy Spirit’s direction.
Pagani said clarity begins with Scripture and a growing relationship with the Lord.
“There’s never a moment where we should not be into the scriptures and developing and deepening our relationship with the Holy Spirit,” he said.
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When Emotion Gets Mistaken for God’s Voice
Pagani’s concern comes with an admission: He once confused religious zeal with God’s leading.
Early in his Christian life, he would interrupt his pastor’s sermon, walk through the aisles and loudly rebuke the devil. He also recalled going out alone to evangelize at 3 a.m. because a voice in his head told him to go.
One encounter nearly ended with a gang attacking him. When he returned home, he said, the Holy Spirit confronted him: “I didn’t tell you to do that.”
“I genuinely thought that I was being led by the Holy Spirit,” Pagani said.
He also acknowledged previously preaching that women wearing pants would go to hell. What began as a desire to promote modesty became an extreme teaching he now identifies as legalism.
“Was my heart in the right place? Yes,” he said. “But then I was promoting hyper modesty.”
His experiences underscore why we must examine spiritual claims against Scripture, even when the person making them appears sincere.
False Prophecy, Spiritual Control and the Way Forward
Pagani said churches can affirm foundational Christian beliefs while imposing practices that become spiritually controlling.
He described churches demanding attendance whenever their doors open and requiring ordinary members to seek permission for vacations. He also said he knows a church requiring members to give 10% to the church and another 10% to its leader.
Deliverance ministry needs scrutiny, too. Pagani warned that Christians can become consumed with identifying demons while losing focus on Jesus.
“We are not preaching the gospel of deliverance,” he said.
He urged a return to Scripture, sound doctrine and the centrality of Christ, with a straightforward test: “Does this honor Christ?”
That standard also applies to prophecy. Pagani said prophetic words should agree with Scripture and bring edification, exhortation and comfort.
He challenged Christians who continually pursue another “new thing” before completing what God previously directed them to do.
“What did you do with the last word God gave you?” he asked.
Pagani described encountering Christians overwhelmed by dread that they were failing to fulfill God’s calling. Constantly chasing prophetic direction, he said, can leave people distracted and desperate.
Some words originate in human emotion; others, he said, can involve demonic influence. Christians must discern their source and reject false words that have burdened them.
“Where’s your relationship with the Lord? Forget the prophecy,” Pagani said.
His call brings us back to prayer, Scripture and fellowship with Jesus. As we test what we hear, our relationship with Him must guide how we respond.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
