In Ezekiel, chapter 13, it expresses condemnation of speaking false prophecy and ignoring true prophecy. Verses 1-7 says:

The word of the Lord came to me:“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel.You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord.They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?”

This passage is all about the people who were supposed to be true leaders and teachers of God, but instead misled the people of Israel. As I was reading this, a few phrases stuck out to me.

1. "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit"

This stuck out to me because it reminds me of when I have followed my own spirit and heart instead of God's. Society says to follow your heart and your dreams, but the Bible says "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) However, these prophets did not want God's plan for them, they wanted their own which in turn can lead to destruction. Just because you have a passion in your heart, that doesn't make it good, healthy or wise. Your heart can lead you astray.

2. "You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord."

All I could think about when I read this was, where is my wall? Where is the wall that I could have built for the Lord? Where is the wall that defends God in my mind when other things try to sink in or attack it? This wall needs to be a strong foundation so that when others try to tear it down, it won't crumble.

3. "They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word."

Each summer, I go on mission trips and our leaders always say "If God isn't a part of this trip, it's never going to work." Meaning, if God hasn't sent us to these places and we just go because it's an annual tradition, then it's not going to be God-centered. You can't expect God to bless something he wasn't a part of in the first place. If God isn't the heartbeat of that ministry, it's not going to work out.

These false prophets in Ezekiel were condemned by God because they were liars, manipulators of the people, and self-centered. They wanted to do what their heart convinced their mind was good for them. They didn't want to stand up for God in the battles or go to the places that God sent them to go. They wanted to go where theywanted to go. It can be easy to follow your heart even if it seems good or wise at the beginning, but just remember that God has much greater plans for you than your human mind can imagine.