Prepared for the Prediction
A season for prophetic leadership has been upon us for the past decade, but we are now entering a time when prophetic leadership will be essential. We must be ready or we will be left behind. That is, we are now going to walk by faith in a whole new way! Faith and boldness walk together.
Prophecy requires faith to function. “The one that prophesies should prophesy in a way that corresponds to his faith,” Romans 12:6 says. Prophecy and faith function together.
[I’ve always thought the people of faith would be the people best prepared to prophesy. They are full of Word and active faith, so they should be leaders in prophetic function. I believe the Faith Movement will enter a new season of clarity because they have a strong foundation of Word and active faith. Right now, some have moved to formulas of faith in terms of how they practice faith teachings. Moving past an inordinate concern for formulas, the entire movement will function in prophetic leadership that will re-center and activate the movement.]
Bible prophecy isn’t so much about prediction as it is about preparation. Prophecy is about revealing hidden things: secrets of the heart of individuals as well as secrets of the heart of God. Prophecy is about us being changed so we will be ready to respond when what is predicted arrives.
Prophetic leadership accurately anticipates what is coming next and prepares the Lord a people ready to respond when the new season arrives. The predictive part of prophecy guides the preparatory side of prophecy. We don’t wait around to see if the predicted comes true as much as we activate ourselves today so we will be prepared for what’s coming next.
Many are discouraged because they have heard prophecy after prophecy that don’t seem to be coming to pass, but they are waiting on the predictive side to manifest instead of preparing themselves to be ready for it when it comes. They miss the fulfillment because they lack the fullness to walk in it. It comes, and it passes them by.
The men who missed the manger were the very ones who should have been the ones standing outside the barn waiting to hear the first cries of Mary’s newborn. Instead, they were waiting for the predictive side as if to say, “When Messiah comes, then we’ll get ready.” They were preparing people for anything but Messiah to protect them from false messiahs! Messiah came and they killed Him, because they were not fully prepared for the fullness of the promise.
I remember hearing TD Jakes tell leaders at a conference in Africa, “Stop following leaders who refuse to change!” Prophetic leaders are already in the next season so they can prepare people to lead the season when it comes; properly preparing people keeps us ready.
The Church wastes away playing “catch up” to the seasons of the Father. Jesus comes to His own and His own receive Him not, because they are not prepared! None of us needs to do anything about the predictive side of prophecy because we can’t make anything “come to pass!” Our job is to get ready for the fulfillment by walking in fullness.
