God allows difficulties to arise in this walk with Him in order that we will search the Word and find the real basis for a walk with God. In
I Corinthians 14:24, 25, we read what prophecy in a service can really be. But, if all prophesy and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
“The unbeliever begins to worship God”—the purpose of the deep personal ministry and revelation is to reveal the presence of the Lord. People need to understand that in every service God is speaking.
Paul goes on to tell about the teaching revelation, tongues, and interpretation. Then in verses 29–32 he says, And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets…
This passage more than implies confirmation; it says, “let two or three prophets speak.” I want you to understand something about the word of God that comes by revelation in a service.
The word comes, not just in exposition of the Scriptures, but it also comes giving individual direction and guidance. Especially when a word of personal direction is coming, two or three prophets are to speak, and if something is revealed to another prophet sitting by, he is to enter in, and the others are to give place to him and let him speak.
The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. That means it is not to be an exhibition of ecstasy, “Oh, I cannot control myself. I am so full of this I have to speak.” It does not come like that. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets; they can all speak in turn, and there can be a divine order.
To be in God’s perfect will, we need to be directed by words from the Lord. The word of personal direction we receive from the Lord is very important.
Each one to whom a word of direction comes, needs to have some record of it, a typewritten copy, and some people keep a file of their prophecies.
We need to consider again the scriptural guidelines for giving and receiving the word of the Lord.
If a word comes from one person to you, remember that it is not binding. Do not throw it away, but do not try to walk in it. Hold it in your heart. You would be very foolish to try to walk in a word someone gives you if it is not confirmed.
That is why I am always looking for confirmation. Do as Mary did when she heard a word; she pondered it in her heart. That is a good thing to do. Keep remembering it. Do not forget it or throw it away, because if it is of God there will be another confirmation.
If it is not of the Lord, there will be some indication too, so that you will know it was not of the Lord. But when a word comes from two or three and it is confirmed, you have a word from the Lord. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. II Corinthians 13:1.
A responsibility rests upon those who speak the Word of personal direction.
Romans 12 tells that we are to prophesy according to the proportion of our faith. Never prophesy to another person something you do not have faith in your heart to believe will happen.
You must understand this: it is your believing faith added to the flow of the Holy Spirit that brings the creative element that makes the fulfillment of the word possible.
In prophesying, prediction is not nearly as important as impartation. What God imparts to a person is more important than the predictive element. That is why we are to prophesy according to the proportion of our faith.
The next responsibility of the one who speaks the word is to continue to believe it.
When we receive a Word of direction from the Lord, we are going to be tested on that word. Everything that happens after you receive that Word is going to look like the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen.
Until that confirmed Word is established in your life, don’t go around looking for another Word. We receive a Word from God because that becomes the vehicle for our transformation.
People run around wanting to get a Word from God to be blessed! No ! you are going to get a Word from God and be tried! I am talking about Words of direction now, a Word from God that is going to create you.
When you prophesy over someone, you should continue to have faith for them, and not abandon them later. It is important to believe with the one who is receiving the word.
Now we will shift to the responsibility of the one who is receiving the Word.
The Word is binding only when it has been confirmed.
From that time on (note this), that word is between them and the Lord. More and more that must be made plain.
I am going to follow this pattern, because people will say, “You prophesied a word. Now go ahead and fulfill it.” If you give some people a word from God to go mail a letter, they will ask for the stamp first. They insist, “If I am to do that, you provide the way. You do it.”
That is incorrect thinking. If it is a word from God, while the person who gives the word is responsible to believe for you, the fulfillment is between you and God! God will not give the fulfillment until you are ready to walk in it and He has worked it in your heart.
Some people will try to push you into acting prematurely by saying, “There was a word a year ago about a certain thing.” Yes, there was a word, but I do not have the responsibility of playing God and fulfilling the word.
We speak a Word from God, and when God is ready, He will work it out. By that I mean He will be ready when the people involved are ready. It is unlikely that there will be successful bringing forth the fulfillment of a word from human sources.
How many times have you tried to fulfill a Word that God spoke over you, and found that you could not? But if you go into fasting and prayer and seeking God, after a season the Word God had spoken will spring forth, it will come to pass.
This is a very important point—the responsibility of the one receiving the Word. That Word is between them and the Lord, and they must believe, they must obey, they must be dedicated to that Word.
When you come into a walk with God and you look back at the number of prophecies that have been fulfilled over your life it is amazing!
But if you run ahead of God, those prophecies are not going to be fulfilled. We cannot allow the people God puts under us to move into situations that are premature as far as the preparation in their hearts is concerned. But if they keep insisting, soon problems will develop, and much prayer will be needed to see them solved.
Do not put the responsibility for fulfillment on the one who gives the Word. That will take away the glory from God.
If I prophesy over you, then I have to look to God to work the work in you and through you, and you have to look to God too. If it is prophesied over you that you will be an elder or a deacon, be patient. I do not think God has been behind schedule with anyone.
In one night, God could move, and all the ones who should be set into a ministry will be set in, if we check their spirits and find they are ready.
Let’s look to God; let’s not play God. Believe for people, but do not try in yourself to fulfill a word that hinges upon a meeting of a condition in the life of an individual.
Another guideline that is necessary, especially for the ministers: do not argue words to fulfill your plan, your program, or your ambition. Do not think, “I received a Word, so I am going to push that Word to get what I want.” We are coming into such a holy walk before the Lord that we will move in more and more carefulness.
What is the purpose of getting a Word if we start maneuvering God? We say that someone who twists a Scripture is handling the Word of God deceitfully, but this pushing and maneuvering is handling the Word of God deceitfully also.
All the churches need this direction. People have tried to use the apostolic Word of direction for their own ends. A person may say, “I got a Word from the apostle, and he said this…” It was a true Word, but the person pushes it and puts his own interpretation on the Word to get what He wants out of it. That is not good.
Beware of a false submission that forces another person to do what you want them to do. A person says, “I am submissive to you; therefore, you should give me the money I need to do this. You open the door for me to do that. I am submissive to you.” I have seen the role of submission used wrongly, but it will not be any longer.
Submission is not to be a weapon by which people can get their own will. Do not allow this in your own life.
We are talking about ministers, but what about you wives? You cannot merely mouth your submission so that you can get your own will done.
And you brothers have done the same thing. They have shown submission to the Lord in order to get what they wanted, yet as soon as they got what they wanted they forsook the submission.
We must beware, because in this walk with God, the truths of God are so great that if we abuse them, God will deal with us.
One thing I love is that this walk with God is a pure thing. It is the most real move of God that has ever come. I will fight for the purity of those involved with me, and this ministry that God is raising up.
We cannot allow the flesh to get in the way. We are so far into the will of God now; we understand all the doctrines, the truths and the divine order, and we cannot try to manipulate it for our own ends. As we come into the end-time move of the Spirit we need to pray for God to go through this movement and purge it.
Lord, let the Holy Spirit deal with each one of us, that the purity and holiness of this walk will be something that we will guard with our very lives. Lord, search our hearts, for this is not the time to point the finger, but to say, “Lord, is it I?”