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Once upon a time, everything in this world paled in comparison to attending a prayer meeting where an established prophet was ministering, at least from my perspective.
I was that girl! The prophetic junkie that hopped from church to church in anticipation of hearing a word from God. The one that showed up to those meetings and sat at the end of the row to ensure the woman or man of God would not miss me.
Coming from an unchurched background caused me to believe I could not hear the voice of God for myself. Therefore, I relied heavily on other voices.
Thank goodness Jesus is merciful and indulged me in my non-sense. During those times, there were many personal prophecies spoken over my life.
Nevertheless, years went by and I did not see the manifestation of those prophetic words.
I was still experiencing boyfriend drama, living paycheck to paycheck, and not to mention in and out of feeling depressed. 1+1 was just not adding up to 2. Something was up. You can read more about my story here.
I knew God could not lie (Hebrews 6:18), but I also knew I was not experiencing the fulfillment of prophecy. I began to question, “Where is my promise?”
In retrospect, I now understand simply hearing a prophetic word does not equal manifestation. I needed to discover what to do when you receive a prophetic word.
What Is Prophecy?
Prophecy is a supernatural ability (given by the Holy Spirit) to discern God’s heart, hear His voice, and relay those messages to His people. Prophecy is not just accurately describing details of an individual’s life, but rather relating God’s heart concerning that person’s life. It is not just outlining past and current events, but communicating God’s desire and will.
The purpose of prophecy is to build, edify, and comfort God’s people(1 Corinthians 14:3). In other words, it is meant to help a sister or brother along their spiritual journey.
Just as anything else God creates, here comes the devil trying to cause confusion and create counterfeits. There are many persons that misuse and abuse prophecy and are known as false prophets.
For this blog, we are referring to true prophetic words spoken over the life of an individual.
Perhaps you are sitting in the seat I was in all those years ago. Maybe you do not quite know what to do when you receive a prophetic word.
Here is some advice to help get you from the word spoken to tangibly experiencing the actual promises of God.
Obedience
A few years ago, my husband and I moved into our new home. Of course, family and friends were eager to share in the excitement we were experiencing. In order for them to see the house, I had to give specific directions.
Without those directions, my family and friends would only end up lost or trying to figure it out on their own.
In like manner, God gives directions to get us to the destination He desires for us. If we choose to follow God’s direction, we will arrive at the promises of God. However, if we choose to disobey God, then we won’t get there.
Obedience starts by surrendering your life to God and allowing Jesus to be the head of your life. Once you’ve made this step. God’s spirit comes to dwell within you. This Holy Spirit will work inside of you and give you a longing and desire for God and to turn away from sin.
Obedience does not stop at salvation or becoming a new Christian. As you continue to fellowship with God, He will speak to your heart and guide you. You may be led to leave a relationship, move to another country, start a business, or serve at a specific ministry.
Wherever God is leading you, know that obedience activates the fulfillment of prophecy over your life.
Faith and Works
I did not always know what to do when you receive a prophetic word; therefore I sat back waiting on God to do everything. I figured since God said it, He will make it happen. Waiting on God is not bad. However, as believers, we are partners with God.
Partners also have a part to play.
When a prophecy is released, we should ask God to reveal our part in fulfilling His promises. This will require faith and works.
If it was prophesied that you would be a great writer, move in faith. Start looking into writing courses. Educate yourself in this area. Read books to expand your vocabulary.
If it was prophesied that you would be married soon, brush up on your cooking skills. Build better time management habits. Seek individual counseling to heal past wounds.
Walk in faith and prepare yourself as best as possible for the fulfillment of God’s Word.
However, be careful not to become so consumed with a prophetic word that you try to make it happen yourself. Do not make major and rash decisions unless God says otherwise.
Don’t quit your job to become a full-time writer or marry the first guy that seems half-decent. Let the prophetic words spoken over your life propel you, without overwhelming or consuming you.
Your responsibility is to maintain faith and prepare, while God’s responsibility is to fulfill.
Process & Timing
I used to believe there was a set time for the fulfillment of prophecy. For instance, if a person was supposed to conceive a child on July 23, this would be the appointed time. I felt there was no action a person could take to alter what is “meant to be.”
However, God’s timing is more fluid than this. God does not operate on human-made calendars. Instead, God releases His promises based on our development.
Think about it. You would not give a newborn baby a house. Even if you purchased the home for that baby, you would hold on to it until the baby is matured and developed enough to care for that home.
Similarly, God is more interested in developing your character to ensure that you can sustain the promises He desires to release to you. You read that correctly.
Your pace in development can alter the timing of God’s promises.
The children of Israel are a perfect illustration of this. They wandered the desert for 40 years before entering the promised land. God desired this journey would only take weeks; however these children were disobedient and slow to learn the lessons God was trying to teach them.
When you are slow to develop in character, then more often than not, you will not receive God’s promises until you mature in that area.
Character development does not happen on a whim. It is a process that requires intentionality.
Character development begins with how you treat what God has already put in your hands.
- How are you acting on that job?
- How do you treat those closest to you?
- How are you managing your finances?
Like my momma loves to say, if you struggle to manage one dollar, you will struggle to manage a million dollars.
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
-Luke 16:10
Wherever you find yourself in your process, decide to be obedient to God and pass those tests daily. Spend time in God’s word. Be consistent in prayer. These spiritual disciplines will help you to grow and become more like Christ in character.
Wait On God
It is tempting to want to give up while waiting for a prophetic word to come to pass. We all experience it. However, we must resist temptation.
Waiting on God is not always easy, but it is worth it. Never give up, no matter how it seems.
If you are walking in obedience, pursuing God’s revelation, and developing, you will experience the fulfillment of God’s promises no matter how long it takes.
I hope this helped to clarify what to do when you receive a prophetic word.
I’m always here from you and only a message away 🙂
Until Next Time,
Be Strong, Be Courageous, Serve God Wholeheartedly.
Gilberta Thompson
