How do you receive a prophetic word well?
What happens when you’re in an environment where the Spirit of God moves through someone and prophetic words are released? Do you hide to make sure you’re not noticed? Do you eyeball the person to gain their attention? What is God doing? Is this safe? These are all questions that may race through your mind. How do you receive a prophetic word well?
Firstly, let us understand what a prophetic word is not.
IS NOT: Fortune telling
IS NOT: Guaranteed predictor of the future
IS NOT: Manipulation of others
So, that being the case, what is a prophetic word? In speaking about spiritual gifts, Paul the Apostle writes;
“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” (1 Cor 14:3)
A prophetic word is a demonstration of God’s love to people – it shows us His heart.
A prophetic word is a spiritual gift and is therefore activated by the Spirit of God.
A prophetic word is given to edify, encourage or exhort. (that’s means it is positive and pregnant with promise!)
So, how do you receive a prophetic word well?
It’s really important you treasure a prophetic word as a gift of love from your Heavenly Father. You treasure it by writing it down, praying over it and sharing it with your Pastor or mentor. This provides security for you that someone else is involved in checking you are not being manipulated – it’s a safe practice recommended in the Bible to “weigh and measure” what you receive.
You must also trust God’s timing for the prophetic word. God alone knows the timing of this word. That means you must resist the urge to create circumstances or manufacture blessing by your own strength! This will create an “Ishmael” in your life which is not a manifestation of the promise.
Finally, you must keep your faith in the One Who gave the promise. Too many times people put their faith in the object or circumstances surrounding the promise instead of God Who brought the gift. Protect your heart by keeping close to Him. Remember, He Who made the promise is faithful to see it come to pass in the best possible way.
For additional reading you can view an article written by Len Buttner here.
What to do with personal prophecy