Understanding Prophecy

Thursday 17 December
READ: Gen. 12: 1-7
MORE LESSON: 1 Thess. 5: 20

In Genesis 12, God gave eight “I wills” to Abram who was already old when God gave him this prophecy. A prophecy denotes a Word of the Lord about what is to come. Prophecy could be a promise or a warning. It could come to give direction and sometimes a confirmation. God might give you a prophetic word to tell you what tomorrow will look like and at another time, He might just be warning you about what could happen tomorrow if you do not do something. God can also give you a prophecy as an instruction and direction about what should be done and how to do it. At such times your obedience to instruction is what determines whether the expected result will come or not. God can also use His servants to give you a prophetic word to give you a confirmation of what He had spoken before.

God told Abram that He would make him into a great nation with people as many as the stars in the sky but at the time the word came Abram didn't even have a child. God was making a promise to him about tomorrow. In Ps 32:8, the Lord says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you (NLT). By His prophetic direction, a child of God should not wander around like sheep without shepherd and live life by trial and error. God will tell you where to go, when to go the kind of job to do, the location to settle down, who to marry and what ministry to do for God. Your blessings are connected to the instructions God gives you. When you stay personally connected to God. He will give you leadings which are prophetic directions on the best pathway for your life.

God spoke through Jeremiah to the people of Israel that If they didn't give up their ways of sin He will hand them over to the Babylonians- that was a prophecy of warning. (Jer. 22: 25) He was warning them that they would end up as slaves if they didn't repent as He asked them to. The Bible says, we should not take the issue of obtaining prophetic directions, instructions, warnings and declarations from the Lord lightly. A prophetic word might make the whole lot of difference that you have been waiting for all your life. So, despise not prophesyings. 1 Thess 5:20. I pray for you that you will have the wisdom to heed the directions and warnings that God gives you and every good prophecy that has gone ahead of you will be fulfilled in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that God’s Word will never cease to come to you in life.
* Ask God to fulfill Isa. 30:21 in your life - ..thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it...
* Uproot every negative word that could have been prophesied against your life to die now in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I redeem today from every evil memorial and repeated evil occurrences, in the mighty name of Jesus.