The Prophetic Gift: Living with, from and in God's Promises

In 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about how the Holy Spirit gives gifts to whomever and however He wants, and that He gives them for our own good (see chapter 12:4-11).  He also says that when we prophesy we edify the church, and speak 'to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort' (chapter 14:1-5).

My own relationship with 'the prophetic' began as a young Christian.  In those days I was eager to start what God had in store for my life, but He wanted to do some preparation first.  So for seven or eight years I mostly waited on Him.  I continued to live life, do my job, serve in my church and witness to people about Jesus when there was an opportunity.

Disaster struck when my (now ex-)wife walked out on our marriage.  I was devastated.  My sense of identity, self-worth and confidence were shot to pieces.  The dust settled, and my heart believed that I was a failure, that I'd missed what God was calling me to.  The world was broken beyond my ability to fix it.  How could the promises be true anymore?

In time, God healed my broken heart and showed me what my identity in Jesus is really like.  In Christ, I am a highly favoured and fiercely loved son, always joyfully welcome in God's presence, that He longs to share what He's dreaming and thinking with me. (Chuck and Della have been key in helping me to realise the truth of that).  In and of myself, I'm no one special.  Yet, because my Father loves me, Jesus gave everything to have me in His family and make me worthy of all His goodness.

You see, the prophetic promises that God gives never have their foundation in how we view ourselves, how others see us, or what we think we're capable of doing.  They are always based in His great love for us.  Always.  It's why Paul talks about love in the middle of his teaching on spiritual gifts.  Even when we've been unfaithful, angry with God, disappointed in Him, or lukewarm in our affection towards Him, He always remains faithful.  He is so much more set on our restoration than we are.  Shame, guilt, failure and inadequacy all lead us to hide from God.  We'd rather stay hidden and take what we deserve than accept His forgiveness and receive restoration.  But that's not grace.  Grace is an expensive gift, and cost Jesus everything to buy it for us.  We don't deserve it at all, but it's freely given to us anyway because our Father loves us so, so much.

Living with the promises of God can be difficult, because they say things about us that we don't believe about ourselves. They talk about things that aren't yet visible as if they already are. Living with the promises of God can mean we can't do anything to make them happen, even when we're eager to. We have to wait for God to do the thing He said He would. Other times living with them means something more of us, requiring us to dig deep, get out of our laziness, funk, fear or excuses and step up into something we could only do with God's help. It always flies full in the face of how others have hurt us, betrayed us and disappointed us, asking us to trust Another that has the boldness to say He'll never leave us or let us down.

That's how it was for me.  The Holy Spirit spoke promises to me that I couldn't believe were possible. He told me about about my calling (apparently I still had one), and He told me that He wanted the honour of presenting my future wife to me (how could God ever be honoured to do anything for me?!?).  He told me He wanted to take me to the nations so that I could hear the 'new sound of the Kingdom'.  This was the prophetic gift at work through others to comfort and encourage me.

And I didn't believe Him.

I was so convinced that I had "missed it" that I decided one day that "this will be the last time I lead worship".  That very same day, before I even led worship, I was invited to be a part of Burn 24-7 in my city (a global worship, prayer and missions movement. I led it there for three years).  Later that same day, I was invited to Turkey to minister in worship and intercede for that nation.  Two promises that God had given me a year earlier were suddenly fulfilled in a single day, at the very point I was about to give up on them.  

I still remember Holy Spirit saying to me, "So, you thought we were done, huh? Son, we're just getting started!".

While living with the promises can be difficult for our wounded hearts to do, living from those promises is so good for us!  They call us into a different perspective of how our Father sees us and invite us into living in a new reality of what's possible with Him, daring us to believe in the hopeful certainty of a favourable outcome.  When we live from His promises, we're led out of our fear and insecurity into the knowledge that the current reality, however difficult, will be utterly transformed according to His promise, and that it will be good.  It's no overnight process, but as we live from the promises, that are rooted in His love for us, we see that He truly does 'work all things for the good of those that love Him'. (Romans 8:28).  This is where the prophetic strengthens us, because it directs our gaze to God's heart and ability.  We see there's nothing that will be left untouched by God's ability and willingness to be good towards us.

In my own walk with the Lord and the prophetic, perhaps the newest thing to me is learning to live in the promises that God gives us.  By that I mean possessing the promises, where they are the new, everyday reality.  Sometimes we wait so long for the promise to come that we stop holding out hope.  But if God made a promise, He intends to keep it.  The ancient Jews lived hundreds of years with a promise, and were forced into slavery before they saw it.  It seemed not to be true.  And yet, not only did God free them, He made good on the promise, too.  The thing they dreamed of for hundreds of years was now literally the very ground beneath their feet, the homes the lived in, and the food they ate.

Zechariah 9:12 says, "Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice us much to you".  He wants to lead us into our "Promised Land", too.

When Sonja and I were married last year, God's beautiful promises to both of us were made real before our eyes.  Soon after, I was granted permanent residency here in Helsinki, Finland, where I lead Burn 24-7 now – more dreams fulfilled, and all in the space of a year.  It was so, so good, but so, so surreal!  I mean, after years of pressing in for these things for so long, what was I supposed to do with it all?  What do you do when God does all He promised?  Here's what I learned: You enjoy it!

He gives you prophetic promises to encourage you, to strengthen you and to edify the church.  I pray that as you pursue His heart for you, your community, city and nation, that you may be encouraged to dream again.  Dust off His promises, and be open for new ones.  Be courageous, and dare to live in hope.  May the One who is faithful to do all He promised lead you into the full reality of all that He said to you.  And from one child of God to another, I pray that when they become your new everyday reality, that you enjoy the gifts He gives. 

Written by Ben (from England, now living in Finland).  BURN 24-7