1Sa 10:6 The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

1Sa 10:10 When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying

The end of the year in Nigeria is always a beehive of activities with a load full of spiritual activities across the religious centres to terminate peoples problems just as d year is terminating itself; only for them to re-group in the new year and start the same process again. However, one of the major attractions of the end of the year is the load full of branded annual predictions (they call it prophesies) for the in-coming year, usually dished out by the so called men-of-God. This annual rituals of predictions is now made popular especially by the social media.

What exactly is prophesy according to the Bible
?
If we search through the scriptures, especially the old testament, it was established what a Prophesy is. Prophesy means speaking of what God is set to do, when God reveals or speaks through you of what He sets to do, which is beyond our calculations or predictions. If it is negative, he want us to know so as to be cautious or pray to avert the evil. If positive, to know its not by our power. It can also come as a warning, or to prepare for the future or to trace the source of a protracted and difficult problem for a solution. This is in contrary to speaking for God (not of God), i.e. saying something on behalf of God or credited to Him when actually its according to your wisdom.

For someone, or a Prophet to prophesy, he must be possessed by the Spirit of God (I Samuel 10:6, 10). Prophesy comes when only someone is possessed by or under the influence of the Spirit of God, which translates to God speaking through him. Everything he says becomes yes and amen.
Even though in Acts 2: 17, God says he would pour out his spirit on all people in the last days to be able to prophesy (not to predict). God is still speaking to His own.

What is predictions?
On the contrary, predictions is saying things that are likely to happen based on some predictable calculations or one's mind. Predictions step in when the Spirit of God is no longer involved. Predictions most at times may spell doom, and consists mostly of what is already known to be likely to happen, whose glory would not be attributed to God, because there is nothing supernatural about it. For instance, for someone prophesying that price of dollar to naira will increase further in 2017 sounds more of predictions than prophesy. We already know this is most likely to happen due to some governement policy in place. But, let's assume someone now prophesy that by 2017, $1 will be equal to N20 or a bag of rice will be sold for N2,500 as in the book of 2Kings 7; we may not likely believe that because it is beyond our ability within that little time frame. Let's now assume it happens exactly like that, we may attribute the glory to God for doing what we never thought could be possible by our own thinking and ability. It is now a usual thing to hear PREDICTIONS at the end of the year that a celebrity will die, another party will emerge, etc. These are mere predictions because such events are bound to happen anyway. Celebrity or no celebrity, we shall all die one day. Countless prophesies (predictions) in the past failed to happen because they were not from God. Don't get me wrong here. God may reveal that something will happen, and such may not happen again due to prayers rendered or when sin is involved. See the case of Prophet Hezekiah in 2Kings 20: 1ff.

What baffles me most about these Predicters is that God did not tell u that some people should repent of their sinful ways or they will perish, He did not say wicked people who embezzled workers pension will die? I wonder which god was speaking to them in the first instance? People are losing credibility in our men of God. If truly God reveals to you that someone will die, why can't you call the person to relay the message rather than posting it on the social media: or pray an intercessory prayer to avert it.

Why do people give predictions or fake prophesies?
I realized many of these people give fake prophesies:
Because it is now seen as an annual ritual which everybody must do;
To make more money;
for affluence or earn more respects among their followers; and
To be perceived been more spiritual and relevant than others.

Hear what the Bible says concerning this :


Jer 5:31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?

Jer 14:14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.

Jer 23:16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

Jer 23:26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?

Jer 23:32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.

Try to keep your OP short.