In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

 

This Scripture reminds us that God speaks to us not only in our inner being and in the written words of the Bible, but “in various ways” through the “prophets.”

 

One of the Hebrew words that is translated prophet literally means “a mouthpiece of God.” In other words, a prophet speaks on God’s behalf. To put it even more plainly, a prophet hears from the heart of God and uses his/her mouth to release that word into the heart of the person(s) for whom it was intended.

 

Although most of us tend to think of the Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel when we hear the word “prophecy”, the New Testament has a lot to say about prophecy as well.

 

You may wish to read all of I Corinthians 14 to see how the apostle Paul explains the purpose and protocol of prophecy.

 

In verse 3, he says that every prophetic word is given by God for these 3 purposes: “edification and exhortation and comfort.”

 

To edify is to build up or strengthen. (The root word in Greek is the same as “edifice” or building)

To exhort is to encourage.

To comfort is, well, to comfort J

 

In other words, when God uses someone to give you a word that builds you up, encourages you and/or comforts you, you have received a prophecy!

 

Most of you, our readers, have received at least one prophetic word this year, I hope. At the beginning of this year, Sulojana and I held two online sessions where we prophesied over every one who was able to join us.

 

If you have not received a word from the Lord through a prophetic person, you may have sensed in your spirit an indication from the Lord about what He had in His heart for you in 2013. For some of you, a particular passage of Scripture or a Scripture-based promise may have been the “central theme” for this year.

Either way, there are still 18 days left in 2013…and, to quote Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

 

God says this about His word in Isaiah 55:10-11: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

 

God’s word will be fulfilled. One way to press in for their fulfilment is to listen to the recordings and/read written words and decree them.

 

For example, one word spoken over Sulojana and me this year by prophets consistently is about provision coming to us to take care of all our needs. It has come in to a certain degree, but not in the measure that it needs to be for us to be completely debt-free. So my decree would go something like this: “I decree that the provision promised by the Lord for us in 2013 is being released in full measure by Dec. 31.”

 

This is obeying what the apostle Paul told Timothy to do in I Timothy 1:18: “I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well.”

 

So, rather than get down about the fact that the income has not exceeded the outflow, we decree the outcome that God promised.

 

Can you do likewise? Of course, you can!

 

Now it’s your turn: Begin with this general decree: EVERY WORD FROM THE LORD FOR 2013 IS BEING FULFILLED BY DEC. 31.

 

Then get specific with every promise from the Lord…and wait with hope. For, “You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established.” (Job 22:28)