As the people of God, our lives are defined by our promises, prophecies and possibilities. The father inserts a promise into our lives lovingly, so we have his word to hold on to when we need it. Not all promises need to be understood when they are first given, but they do need to be recorded and date stamped so we can remember it later.
At a conference where a minister was speaking, he expressed appreciation to the bass player in the band for his music. While he was there, he heard the Lord say, tell him his niece will not die! Tell him to take this promise into a room and pray quietly and confidently like I’m much-loved child. His niece will not die.
He relayed the message. The man looked at him blankly. A future promise when recorded now can be opened up when its time has come. The minister made him write it down. Apparently, he had a niece that he was not allowed to see. His father was estranged from his brother and this young man had never met his uncle and aunt. Several years later his niece was in a car accident which broke almost every bone in her body and left her for dead. She was in a coma with no possibility of recovery. He got to the hospital as the priest was about to minister the last rights. Introducing himself to his uncle, he showed him the note and told him the story. The priest was called over and the story retold. The priest packed away his vestments and said, this promise has weight, and we must allow it to do its work. The doctor, wanting to turn off life support was persuaded to wait for a day. The young man stayed in a room all night quietly praying. The next day there were signs of improvement. That day stretched into three weeks of confident praying. Each day the prognosis was better. In the 4th week she opened her eyes. After 11 weeks she left the hospital. The brothers were reconciled, and the niece is fully restored to health.
A promise from God is a sure thing in life. It need not be understood at the point of entry, but it must be recorded, and date stamped. When it is required, it must be applied confidently. A promise takes away fear, weariness and worry. It’s a guarantee of future blessing.
If you’re serious about your walk with God, you’ll journal. The Psalms are David’s journal. They are a record of revelations, reflections, convictions and promises.
Grow through your personal scriptures, prophecies and dreams. Recover the promises. If you can, date stamp them. Later on, continue to look at them and use them in your meditations and devotional times. Keep them in the forefront of your thinking, in the context of your story and journey.
Are you in a place now where a previous promise may be applied to current circumstances? Sometimes we can spend time seeking a new word when a past word can be applied. God is always previous sometimes we have to go back to the future. A previous promise that is to be used in the future is now your guarantee. Use it and rejoice.