Over the past 25 years, I have had many prophecies or prophetic words spoken over me, some that came to pass, most did not. I believe most people mean well, I just think not all are really giving a word from God, I think it is just something they think should happen or wish would happen. Also, I believe our heart must be in complete unity with God when giving a prophetic word and that’s no always the case. We should be speaking the heart of God, not our own heart toward the person.
In addition, over the years I have seen many people hurt by prophetic words. I have seen many encouraged by prophetic words and I have seen some destroyed. I have heard, with my own ears, people give others a prophetic word saying ‘if you fast for three days, this will happen. Or in 7 days this will happen.’ Unfortunately those things did not happen, even when they did their part, those who received the words were devastated. We have to be careful when we give and receive words from the Lord. I remember distinctly standing there hearing them receive those words and I had a little ‘check’ in my spirit. Unfortunately they had faith in the ones giving the word so they received it, when it did not happen, they didn’t blame the people giving the word; they blamed God. They walked away from God. It hurts me to this day.
Because of things like this, people are wary of prophetic words, I can understand that. I believe we need to know a few things when receiving a prophetic word. I believe we need to ask ourselves a few questions. For instance, does it line up with the word of God? Does it line up with what God has shown you for your own life? And…do you trust the person giving the word? Do you know their track record?
As I said, I have had many prophetic words over the years, most I have forgotten, only a few stick with me. Those few I KNOW are from God, I know it in my spirit. A couple have come to pass, one I am still walking out but I am walking it out, warring with that prophetic word in mind.
Words of wisdom, words of knowledge and prophetic words are part of God’s plan and we should embrace genuine words from God. We should, as the Bible says, war with them. We should use them as part of our arsenal when standing in faith for the final outcome. We can’t just lay them on the shelf and hope they happen, if we truly believe it is a word from God, we must keep it before our eyes. How awesome is it that God would speak to us through someone else? I think it is pretty awesome. He loves us so much that He will do whatever is necessary to get His message across to us.
When I was first born again, I sought prophetic words. Now, don’t act all holy on me, we have all done that at one time, but I learned quickly that was not the thing to do – if you seek something you will find it and it may not be genuine. I stopped seeking prophetic words and sought for God, Himself, to speak to me. I have found when we do it this way, God will still speak through people, and it is more likely to be a genuine prophetic word….from a genuine source. I had one of those just a couple months ago. It was from Steve Shultz of The Elijah List.
We were corresponding in emails about an upcoming article, at the end of the email, he shared what he felt to be a word from God for me. I wasn’t seeking it, it simply came. Frankly, when I read it I could not imagine what he was talking about, but I kept that word in my heart and I read it every day or so. I knew his heart, I had watched his ministry for years, so I meditated on that word. Here is the word he gave me on September 3rd, 2015:
Quick note: I have this impression that you are soon to FIND something that was lost. Something you least suspect. It may or may not be anything big. But God is using it to demonstrate to you the intimate detail to which he is involved in your life, including HIS intention that you would find something you are about to find. Steve Shultz
Here is the email I sent him November 6th, 2015;
Good Morning Steve,
You sent me this word in September – I could not imagine what was lost that I would find – but I received that word nonetheless.
On Monday, due to the Elijah List sending out the writing on debris – two people from a past season in my life – whose friendships I thought were lost emailed me and reconnected in a great way.
Additionally…and most astounding to me came just this morning…it is so small yet so big.
There is a bible highlighter I LOVE, a particular one that is no longer produced. It is called the Stabilo Boss Bible Highlighter, it is a thin highlighter and has the very best color yet doesn’t harm the bible pages. I had a half of one left and my little granddaughter wanted to use it for her bible, of course I let her take it. She misplaced it at her house and her mom couldn’t find it. That was months ago.
I work in my office daily – I know every pen in my cup and have checked my own home over and over again for one of those highlighters, I finally gave up. This morning…and this has been months ago…this morning I reach into my cup to get a pen to write a note with and pulled out one of those Stabilo Boss highlighters. Oh my, I just had to stop and stare at it – I knew I didn’t put it there….and your word came to mind….oh How God Loves Me!
It doesn’t end there – I was able to get the name and number off of it and found someone online who still has a few of them – of course I ordered them….
You spoke that word to me and I received it, and then, that anointing….to discover something lost came on me and several things lost have returned. I am overwhelmed with the truth that God is indeed, as you said, involved in the intimate details of my life.
I wanted to let you know that and say ‘thank you!’ If you ever have a word to speak into my life, with honor I would love to hear it.
Blessings on you Steve and thank you for what you have spoken into my life. – Kim Potter
When a word from God is spoken into our lives it releases an anointing, an anointing to empower that word to come to pass. Does it always come to pass? I believe many times that is up to us. If we receive it, believe it and keep it in our heart, it will come to pass.
However, it was God, Himself who told the children of Israel that He was taking them to the Promised Land, yet because of their complaining and unbelief, they never arrived there, at least most of them did not. However, two received the word, believed it and kept it in their heart, Joshua and Caleb made it to the place that was prophesied to them.
After I saw the word Steve had given me come to pass, the Lord showed me that when Steve spoke it to me, an anointing was released to bring it to pass, because I believed it and received it and kept it in my heart, it came to pass, not only one time so far…but three and counting.
Even after I sent Steve the email, I have ‘come across’ several things I thought were gone, and I have come across them in different ways. I can clearly see that same anointing that was released in his words is still active and working in my life. It has caused my faith to soar and to believe that all things lost in my life will be restored in this season. Praise the Lord!
I know many of you have had words spoken over you. I encourage you, if you have cast them aside, get them back out, dust them off and war with them. I Timothy 1:18 says; ‘This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.…’
When warring with the prophecies you have been given remember Numbers 23:19 says; ‘God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?’
God does not lie – if He said it to you – then the anointing was released to bring it to pass. War with it, declare His yoke destroying, burden moving, anointing over it and watch it come to pass.
Friends, if you have suffered hurt because a word did not come to pass, let it go, it may have been man speaking what they hoped would happen for you, or maybe they missed it OR maybe, just maybe, it is still alive and full of anointing, only God knows and He will show you if you will ask.
The prophetic words that were not from God, forgive and let it go, it is not worth hanging on to the disappointment…but for those that were a divine appointment from God….get them back out, dust them off, put them before your eyes, war with them, declare them…know that there is an anointing on them to come to pass…know it – believe it – receive it and stand until you see it.
I pray you are blessed today, encouraged today and have a renewed faith in prophetic words from God. God is speaking….let’s listen, discern, believe, receive and release our faith for the manifestation of that word, to God be the glory!
