In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, the apostle Paul writes, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despisethe words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good.” This Scripture warns us to prove and judge prophecy, not the prophet, if some elements may not seem to relate at the present time.If a person does not understand a portion of a prophetic utterance they should be careful not to reject it immediately as false. It may be that the word refers to something that is yet to come in the persons life and they do not yet have knowledge of it. Instead, the person should put the word on the shelf for prayerful consideration at a later time.Witness To and then War a Good Warfare with the WordIn the proving process, we accept and receive that which is timely and deals with the past or present in an accurate way. 1 Timothy 1:18 tells us to prepare for warfare with God’s prophetic words to us at hand; “I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight...Do Nothing Different unless Definitely Directed By GodWhen a prophetic word refers to transitions in life such as romance, geographical moves, changing churches, and so forth, it is important that a person never make hasty changes until prayer, godly counsel and much reflection are made. Through careful prayer, counsel with spiritual leadership andcautious small steps of faith, God’s purposes can be established in the believers life.The Bible gives many examples of caution in the face of a prophetic word. We see in 1 Samuel 16:13 that David tended sheep for many years after being told he would be king. Jehu received very specific instructions in his anointing as king concerning what he was to do in 2 Kings 9. King Jehoshaphat was shown in 2 Chronicles 20 to follow all the divine directives in detail. It is imperative that we not only hear God’s word, but also listen for the way and the timing on how that wordis to be fulfilled.Remove All Hindrances to Receiving the PromiseWhen dealing with personal prophecy, a Christian must be willingto judge him or herself to make certain they are able to hear from God. Attitudes that can hinder our hearing from the Lord include negative mind-sets, an inflated or a low self-image, pride, self-justification, blame-shifting, self-preservation, people-pleasing, carnal reasoning and procrastination. Hidden or unconfessed sin or unforgiveness can also hinder our ability to hear from God.A biblical example of a person needing to judge himself was King Saul. When the promises of God were presented to him, he rationalized God’s directives and chose what he wanted. This brought about God’s judgment on his life andhe never received the promises of God (1 Samuel 15).Wait Patiently upon the LordWe are told in Isaiah 40:31 to wait patiently upon the Lord. The principle of waiting on the Lord is found throughout Scripture. The biblical meaning of waiting is active, expectant faith.Allow God to Form Character in the ProcessGod’s primary intent in the life of the believer is to call leaders and to test every area of their lives in preparation for ministry. Prophecies given to us about future ministry should be received with joy, and withrespect for the process God will use to prepare us for that leadership.Men in the Bible like David, Joseph, Abraham and Moses were tested first before they were given dynamic ministries. Women like Deborah, Esther and Priscilla showed themselves to be women of character. God developed these people through testing, trying and time.The foundation of a person’s character will determine the height of the person’s ministry. God’s timetable of ministry revolves aroundour growth and maturity in Him and our willingness to allow Him to be Lord in every area of our lives.Receive God’s Promise in FaithThe Scriptures show us that people of God have missed God’s best for them by not receiving His Word in faith. Hebrews 4:2 says, “For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”While the accomplishment of any prophetic directive is largely up to God, our role in the process is to put aside doubt, and to give God freedom to make whatever changes in us that are necessary to bring about His plan.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 01:11:39 +0000
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