Like many believers, over the years I have received from the Lord a good number of prophetic words.  Some of them have come directly to my own heart as a still, small voice.  Some have been given to me by others who have sensed what they believe God was intending to do in my life.

I have also heard that same still, small voice speaking to me about things which I believe God was intending to do in the churches I pastored or even in the Church at large.  Likewise I have heard many wonderful prophecies from others of what God was about to do in the Body of Christ.  Just recently I heard of a very exciting word that had been given of a great season of visitation coming to the nation of India.

How should we respond to prophetic words?

Certainly, one important response that we are all familiar with is to test the prophetic word.  Does it match what the  Scriptures say?  Is there confirmation in our spirit?  Are there other confirmations?

But once we have determined that a word is Biblical and that in fact our own heart testifies that yes, this is something that we believe is from the Lord, what then?

I confess that my own response has usually been, “Well, I hope this comes to pass, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

By contrast, take a look at Daniel’s response in Daniel 9:2-3,  “I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.   So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.”  (New Living Translation)

What a great response: Daniel pleaded with God in prayer and fasting!

Far from passively waiting to see what God would do, Daniel believed that he had an important role in partnering with God to see the will of God done on earth.  Sounds like something Jesus taught in the Lord’s prayer doesn’t it.  This new realization has helped to energize my own times of intercessory prayer.  I certainly have a lot to pray about – don’t you?

Let’s lay ahold of the words we believe are from the Lord, and together let’s cry out to the Lord that his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven!