Listen, life can be hard sometimes. Really hard. And even when it’s not hard, sometimes we just really need to lean on God’s truth and His promises.
If you saw the title of today’s episode and felt a twinge of uncertainty at the word “prophecy,” especially if you believe that it ended with the New Testament, may I ask you to hang tight a moment? Let’s take a look at what prophecy actually is.
When we talk about prophecy, we’re talking about sharing the mind and guidance of God. While in some cases God had His prophets tell of events to come, it’s important to note that prophecy isn’t just about foretelling the future. In fact, it’s not even primarily about predicting future events. Instead, prophecy is about declaring God’s truths and sharing God’s heart.
In 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 2:20, and Acts 13:1, we see that the purpose of prophetic ministry is to edify, comfort, and encourage believers… and ourselves.
Prophets in the early church were messengers of God’s love and wisdom, helping to build up the community, provide comfort in times of distress, and encourage faith and perseverance. That’s still true today.
The title of today’s episode comes from a worship song by the same name. I’ll link to it in the show notes in case you’d like to listen to it. But I want to share a portion of the lyrics here:
“And the lies I once believed
They crumble
With the weight of Your truth
And the fear that gripped my heart
Is arrested
So that I can see You
When I only see in part
I will prophesy Your promise
I believe You, God
‘Cause You finish what You start
I will trust You in the process
I believe You, God”
So, as we explore this topic together, I invite you to set aside any apprehensions and join me with an open heart. Let’s rediscover how prophecy can be a source of hope and encouragement in our lives today, just as it was for the early believers.
Now that we’ve covered the prophesy part, let’s talk about the promises. As I mentioned at the beginning, life can really challenge us – our faith, our hearts, our minds – in all the ways.
And sometimes, the only thing that carries us through is God’s Word. His promises. They may be a super-fine thread, but strung with God’s truth, they are enough. So, it’s really helpful to learn how to declare these promises over our lives and over each other.
In past episodes, we’ve talked about the power of our words and the power of speaking God’s Word through declarations and affirmations. Prophecy is another form of that, but key ingredients are faith and conviction.
When we declare His promises over our lives, we are aligning ourselves with His will and inviting His power to work within us. Speaking these promises out loud reinforces our belief and trust in God, helping to activate His plans in our lives.
1 Corinthians 14:3 explains that ‘the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort.’ This underscores the edifying nature of prophecy. When we prophesy, we are not only declaring God’s promises but also building up the faith and hope of those who hear it. It serves to remind us of God’s presence and His active involvement in our lives.
A few practical tips to get you started:
- 1. Ask Holy Spirit for help: Begin by praying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in finding the promises and truths He wants you to focus on.
- Study the Scriptures: The Bible is our source of for God’s truths, promises, and guidance. As your read scripture, make note of anything that stands out or tugs at you. If you listened to episode 21, you’ve already heard me talk about how important it is to never ignore the tugs.
- Speak in Faith & Confidence: As you feel led, speak out the words that come to your heart. Trust that God is speaking through you. Scripture tells us that you have the mind of Christ and that He lives inside of you. Ever heard the phrase, “Be the hands and feet of Jesus?” Well, sometimes we’re called to be the mouth of Jesus.
- Encourage and Build Up: Focus on words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort others, or yourself, as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 14:3.
- Test the Prophecy: 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 instructs us not to treat prophecies with contempt but to test them. This means weighing the words against Scripture and seeking confirmation through prayer and wise counsel. But don’t be afraid to “get it wrong.” First, if it has love and hope in it, you can trust that God approves. And second, God doesn’t expect perfection. It’s a learning process. Learning to hear Him. Learning to speak with courage and confidence. Learning to trust Him with the results.
This month’s Scripture Cultivations will be filled with verses about God’s promises to us, but honestly, there are so many that I couldn’t possibly include them all. So, I’m including several ideas to help you find and declare the promises you need right now. If you aren’t getting the Scripture Cultivations in my monthly emails, you can grab them at the link in the show notes.
Also, grab a cuppa and join us in the Figs Community Facebook Group. We’re going to be building some Promise Lists together that you can use to create your own bank of promises for when you need them.
And if you’re not a Facebook-er, I totally get it. You can share your favorite promises using Speakpipe. It’s super easy, and I’ll leave a link in the show notes.
Here are your cultivations
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What are Scripture Cultivations?
If you’re new to the Figs Community, you may be wondering why I call them Scripture Cultivations instead of a Scripture Writing Plan or Scripture Reading Plan. Hop on over to this page to find out more.
