Responding to Prophecies

This post complements a much earlier one on the Prophetic Ministry.
The Bible tells us: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” 1 Th 5:19-21 NKJ

Even though there are false prophets, we should not reject prophecies altogether. Lest we throw the baby out with the bathwater, the Bible exhorts us to test all things and in this case, prophecies. I have mentioned some things we can do to weigh and judge prophecies in the post, Prophetic Ministry.

Personal prophecy is where individuals receive a word directly into their lives and circumstances from heaven. It is always good for personal prophecies to be taped and transcribed so that the recipient can read and discern what has been said.
An example in the NT: And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Ac 21:10-11 NKJ

Private prophecy has to do with prophesying outside the constraints of meetings and the accountability of leadership. Prophets must earn the right to minister into people’s lives. If they are living in a godly fashion and are seeking to behave responsibly, they should have no fear of accountability. We should be wary of receiving private prophecies from individuals who do not seek to come under any spiritual authority.

Three characteristics of personal prophecy
1. Incomplete – a prophecy gives a small insight into God’s will for our lives. God only reveals what we need to know in order to do His will in that particular time and place. Prophecies may give us positive highlights about our future but be silent on the pitfalls we may encounter. Prophets know and prophesy in part (1 Cor 13:9). The issue of timing is an indicator where prophets may get it wrong. Joseph saw the fulfillment of his dreams after 20 odd years; going from pit to prison and then to palace.

2. Developmental – the Lord will never speak the totality of His heart to us in a single prophetic word. Rather, He speaks words that will give us focus for now and the immediate future. As we work within those prophecies and allow our lives to be encouraged and shaped by them, we can see that prophecy builds from one word to another. Example, different prophets saw different aspects of Jesus’ life (1st and 2nd coming and all in between). Also, Abraham received 5 prophecies concerning himself and the great nation that shall come from him (Gen 12-17).

3. Provisional – personal prophecy refers to the possibility, not the inevitability. If your response is poor and full of unbelief or your lifestyle is one that continually grieves the Holy Spirit, you may not expect those prophecies to be fulfilled. Example, King Saul had the kingship taken from him because of disobedience.

Responding to Prophecies

Assuming that the prophetic words have been judged and found to be sound, the next thing is for us to respond to them.
1. Acceptance and acknowledgement – We need to be listeners and not just hearers, to have teachable and open hearts, and we need to be sure that we are living in obedience to what God has previously spoken, because very often He’s not going to add to it. He’s not going to add disobedience to disobedience. All prophecy must receive a response even if it is simply one of thanksgiving and praise. Words that really mean something to us need us to go over them thoroughly at the first opportunity. Prophecy opens us up to the realm of faith.

2. Absorption and assimilation – Most prophecy is not self-fulfilling but we have responsibility in the matter. Our part is to commit ourselves to the application of the prophetic word. The advice of significant people will be of great benefit to us. We need others to help us judge and weigh the prophetic word and to correctly identify what the Lord is really saying. Words that bring joy, hope and excitement will also bring us into a time of testing. After the promise usually comes a problem, a set of circumstances that are designed to enable us to hold on to the words we have received.

3. Actualization and attainment – Faith and obedience are ongoing responses that we must make continually to the Lord. How we respond to prophecy dictates what will happen to the word; will it be fulfilled or discarded?
a) Moral Imperative: Between the prophecy and its fulfillment, the Holy Spirit will be dealing with our character. The Lord will likely test you in an effort to bring to death many character flaws you had no idea you had. We must live in alignment with His revealed Word or covenant to us. Case in point: Moses.

And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!” – because of the circumcision. Ex 4:24-26 NKJ

Moses had received prophecy regarding his role as the deliverer of Israel from the Egyptian bondage and the promise of Canaan as the Promised Land. In this passage, we see that Moses had sinned against God by not having his son circumcised according to the covenant God enacted with Abraham. In his disobedience, Moses had broken faith with God. Even though he had a wonderful prophecy and a purpose, he was still in opposition to God because he had not obeyed the revealed Word!

b) Prayer Agenda: Prophecy will provide us with an agenda for prayer and action (1 Tim 1:18-19). Jonah was sent to the city of Nineveh to prophesy its destruction in 40 days due to its wickedness. But the city repented through prayer and fasting and God relented on the punishment (Read Jon 3:7-9).

c) Through faith and patience, we will inherit what God has promised (Read Heb 6:11-12). Example of Joseph.

Cling on to the prophetic words God has spoken to you for it shall surely come to past in God's good timing (Hab 2:3).