Why You Must Steward Your Own Prophetic Words

Did you know that nobody else is going to guard, savor and protect your prophetic words for you? That’s right, folks — what you receive from a word is very much up to you.

Imagine how many words never come to fruition because we simply never take part in them, step into them or at the very least, remember them. In this instant world we live in, it’s easy to hear a word and interpret it for right now. Then when we don’t see it play out, we often just forget it.

As a father, that pains me to think about!

This may be a sobering thought, but it’s so important to recognize that even if you get a word that makes no sense to you now, it doesn’t mean it’s not from God or not valuable. Remember that the value you place on the word determines the power you’ll receive from it!

I have a ton of prophetic words that I had no idea what they meant when I received them, but I’ve seen them come true 15 years after they were spoken! Today I want to encourage you to think about longevity when it comes to the prophetic.

In a nutshell:

• I believe that God oftentimes arms us with prophetic declarations to protect us in seasons that are yet to come.
• Prophetic words are about the future! It’s normal when some words don’t make sense!
• God gave prophetic words in the Old Testament that didn’t come true for 327 years!
• The problem is we live in an instant culture, so we interpret the words we get as something for now. This is not always the case.
• But 30 years down the road, we may need to pull some words off the shelf.
• We don’t have an instant God. We have the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Please understand that I know He can do a miracle in an instant, but He also sometimes likes to tell a story over generations and generations!
• It’s possible that God has given you prophetic words that your children’s children will use!

Don’t Make the Word Fit Your Morning Prayer

Things that God has been trying to talk to us about for years often come in the form of prophetic words. Why? Because we’re often so focused on what we want to see that we read everything that comes toward us through that lens. Not all prophecy is God confirming what you’ve been talking to Him about!

Steward Your Words

First Thessalonians 5:20-21 says, “Do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good” (NASB). So it’s important that we filter the word we receive with Holy Spirit and then HOLD FAST to what is good from it.

Today I want to encourage you to treat every word you’ll receive in the future with the understanding that it could be for years from now. Write those words down, revisit them often and pray over them like your children’s children’s lives depend on it! Maybe the word you need for today was given to you years ago.

I encourage you to read back over the words that were spoken over you years ago and ask Holy Spirit to highlight any that are for your current season. Do you have any stories of prophetic words that took a long time to unfold? How do you steward your prophetic words? I’d love to hear in the comments!

For the original article, visit krisvallotton.com.

Kris Vallotton is an author, international speaker, culture leader and, most of all, a spiritual father to this generation. As the Senior Associate Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and co-founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) and Moral Revolution, Kris has helped thousands of believers over the last 20 years realize their identity as sons and daughters of God. He’s a bestselling author, having written more than a dozen books and training manuals to help prepare believers for life in the kingdom.

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