Prophetic movements start from the margins, gathered around disenfranchised voices. Precisely because they are on the margins, they hear some things clearly. When they get power, people listen to them...but the leaders aren’t in the same proximity to listen to the Spirit anymore.
I don’t say this with judgment. It happens to all of us. Once we become experts on hearing/speaking for God, we forget we only heard God before because we were on the outside, where God always is. So by the time we become experts, we actually don’t hear God so well.
The caution is against presumption. We get more influence, & we start to think God has favored or blessed us more...we believe we especially know the voice of God! The truth is, any “influence” should make us more suspicious of our own discernment—not less.
The invitation, I think, is this: as influence widens & you feel yourself pulled “inside,” you have to be more intentional to go back outside, listen to the voices you find there, elevate them. And listen to the voices of your sons & daughters, rather than resisting them!
The cold hard fact is that about the time people start thinking they hear the Spirit well, they are no longer in position to hear the Spirit well (because you only hear her from the bottom). This should keep us very humble.
And footnote: the moment you start with the whole we hear & know God but the generation rising up does not? Be careful. That’s not a sign of wisdom; it’s more likely a sign that wisdom has moved on from you, & you need to lower yourself again.
