Oh, I see. You had a problem with my etymology. I looked it up on an online dictionary, which wasn't a good source. Now I looked it up on an etymology site:
_http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=prophet&searchmode=none
prophet
late 12c., from O.Fr. prophete (11c.), from L. propheta, from Gk. prophetes (Doric prophatas) "an interpreter, spokesman," especially of the gods, from pro- "before" (see pro-) + root of phanai "to speak," from PIE *bha- (2) "speak" (see fame). Used in Septuagint for Heb. nabj "soothsayer." By early writers, Gk. prophetes was translated by L. vates, but the Latinized form propheta predominated in post-Classical times, chiefly due to Christian writers, probably because of pagan associations of vates. Non-religious sense is from 1848; used of Muhammad from 1610s (translating Arabic al-nabiy, and sometimes also al-rasul, prop. "the messenger"). The Latin word is glossed in O.E. by witga. Prophetess is recorded from c.1300.
and for the prefix pro:
pro-
prefix meaning "before, forward, in favor of, in place of," from L. pro "on behalf of, in place of, before, for," also in some cases from cognate Gk. pro "before, in front of," both from PIE *pro-, extended form of root *por- "forward, through" (cf. Skt. para "beyond," pra- "before, forward, forth;" Gk. paros "before," para- "from beside, against, beyond;" Goth. faura "before," O.E. fore "before, for, on account of," fram "forward, from"). Pro and con is attested from c.1400, short for pro and contra "for and against" (L. pro et contra).
So now I see that it can mean both "on behalf of" and also "before". I didn't realize that. I thought of just "pre-" as meaning before. You are correct that there is no reference to god in the word. I was also wrong in saying it first came from the bible.
I am an English teacher but I am definitely not so strong with etymology. Thank you for your feedback.
One other question if you don't mind. What do you mean by "dies by guiding us in beliefs"?