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Prophecy is Your Warfare!
1 Timothy 1:18-20 (TPT) says, “So Timothy, my son, I am entrusting you with this responsibility, in keeping with the very first prophecies that were spoken over your life, and are now in the process of fulfillment in this great work of ministry, in keeping with the prophecies spoken over you. With this encouragement use your prophecies as weapons as you wage spiritual warfare by faith and with a clean conscience. For there are many who reject these virtues and are now destitute of the true faith, such as Hymenaeus and Alexander who have fallen away. I have delivered them both over to Satan to be rid of them and to teach them to no longer blaspheme!”
When most people hear the word “prophecy”, they view it as someone accurately foretelling the future. The word “prophet” comes from the Greek word “prophētēs”, which means “an inspired speaker, a foreteller” (Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries). It is a mouthpiece of God, declaring His word with authority, accuracy and power. They can issue words of confirmation and affirmation to aide sons and daughters to endure through pain and hardship, or they can warn of judgment if repentance does not take place. They do not speak “word curses”, but they do speak the Word of God, which is absolute truth. They can consist of both men and women. For example, Phillip had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses (Acts 21:9). These words can be rehearsed based on what God has revealed in the secret place! There is an order to the gift of prophecy, and it should be treated as such (1 Corinthians 14)! Every word you receive may not exactly mean that you should tell other people, and so it is important to use wisdom in guarding the gifts and revelation of the LORD!
Never align prophecy with witchcraft! Witchcraft brings a curse, but prophecy returns people to the heart of the Father! It is more than seeing what is going to occur in someone’s life, but it is declaring a word over someone that shapes their identity and future!
God’s Word is never dictated by the surrounding climate, but it is affected by the condition of the heart. Moses’ generation heard the prophesy concerning the children of Israel leaving Egypt and entering the promise land, but a generation had to die out because of their unbelief. An entirely new generation had to arise that would take God at His Word so they could rightfully inherit what belongs to them. Another example is the Pharisees, who make the Word of God ineffective by their tradition (Matthew 15:6). To think that we can initiate such manmade rules that God’s Word cannot be a factor in our lives is almost unbelievable in itself. The Pharisees saw the miracles and heard the words of Jesus, and yet they still did not believe. The words you believe will be what holds power over your life! A final example is the parable of the sower. When we hear God’s Word, our hearts can be like stony ground, thorny ground, the wayside, or good ground! It is still the same seed. It never changed, but the condition of the heart plays the ultimate factor. If we allow doubt, inconsistencies or tribulation to determine the outcome of God’s Word, then it is not fruitful! If we want to see souls saved and bear fruit that remains, we must believe God’s Word, even if it seems like the “now” moment is completely opposite of the prophetic words you have received! Just know God’s Word over your life is your warfare that defends you and advances the kingdom in the earth. Refuse to be blinded by the “now” moment. Just have a little faith!
We do not simply move at prophetic words, but they should confirm what God is already speaking to and dealing with our hearts in the secret place. If you only respond to someone who speaks over you because they said, “Thus saith the LORD”, but you have not tried and tested that word to see if lines up with the Bible or what God is laying on your heart in secret, then you show a lack of wisdom on your part. You cannot just take it as absolute truth because you trust the man or woman who comes to you! Does it confirm with the Spirit of Christ resting within you?
Prophesy is declaring the word of God in faith! Prophecy is about speaking in faith what God has already shown you! Romans 12:6 says, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith”. It is the grace of God that enables one to prophecy, but that it is a gift. You can do nothing to deserve the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is why it is not an award, but a gift! God’s grace equips us to boldly declare and speak His Word, but we can only prophesy according to the faith that we have! How can we declare what we ourselves do not believe?