There are quite a few resources out on the internet about how to test a prophetic word to see if it is true. I’m thankful for these resources, as too many prophetic words miss the mark either in content (no, God is not telling you to leave your family, go to Sedona, and follow your spirit guide hawk!) or else miss the heart of God while delivering a true message (you are under judgment vs. you’re struggling and God is calling you to forsake the sin and run toward Him). There are fewer resources that try to help you figure out what to do once you’ve tested a word and decided it’s probably true. In this post, I’d like to cover a few things that you can do with a prophetic word once you have tested it and determined that it is true.
Two quick side notes before we begin: 1) What if you test the word, you don’t think it’s false, but you’re not sure if it’s true, either? In these situations, I will keep the word in mind, put it on a proverbial “word shelf” (a Google Doc on my computer), and wait to see what God says and does. I can think of two very specific words I had no clue how to handle, but God did. It took years, and now I live with the blessing of the fulfillment of those words because I didn’t utterly reject them when they didn’t make sense. 2) Prophetic words of any type – no matter how much you believe them to be true – should be pursued with God, not in your own strength. If you’re wrong, but you’re still following God, He will be able to lead you to where He wants you to be, anyway. I think of a true story of a man who received a word that – he found out later – was not from God at all. But he felt it was true, his spiritual leadership felt it was true, and he pursued it. Because he followed God as well as pursuing the word, he is reaping the benefits even though the word itself was bogus.
What to Do with a Prophetic Word
- Write it down as accurately as possible. This is very important before you begin to try and make sense of the word – you want to be able to go back and say, “this is exactly what was said” instead of interpreting based on your (likely not very accurate) memory.
- Look for where Jesus is the answer within the context of the prophecy. In other words, what issue or topic is the word about, and how is Jesus the solution to the issue or relate to the topic? (This is an especially helpful technique when the word could cause fear or hopelessness – Jesus needs to be the answer, or if you begin to follow the word, you will end up worshiping fear or hopelessness instead of Jesus.)
- Look for actionable items. In other words, what can you do to move toward this word, right now? If the prophecy is simple and general (say, “Jesus loves you!”), is there some way you can press into that general topic with the Lord? If it’s a longer-term, more specific word (for example, “You’re going to have an influence on children”), what is one thing you can do to prepare yourself for the eventual outcome?
- Pray through your prophetic word(s). Read them and see what stands out to you. Pray into anything that stands out or any specific outcomes. Do this with the Holy Spirit – He can direct you on how to pray.
- Revisit the words. Don’t get a word, tuck it into your “prophetic word shelf,” and then go back and try to get another word next week. Instead, revisit what God has already said, praying into those words and living them out with the Lord.
- Don’t get discouraged if the word takes a while to happen. I’ve seen prophetic words come to pass within minutes, hours, days, or weeks. I’ve also waited years before I saw the fulfillment of those words. God lives outside of time, He sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and He may be giving you hope or planting seeds in your heart long before it’s time for you to step into the word of the Lord He has given you.
- Remember, prophetic words are an invitation to come closer to God. Very few prophetic words tell the entire story from beginning to end. Instead, the word gives us a topic to discuss with God and for Him to make clear to us as we do life with Him.
