There is often confusion and misunderstanding associated with prophecy, which is one way that God speaks to us. Prophecy in the purest sense is foretelling and forthtelling. Foretelling means to speak about what will happen in the future or to tell what will happen before it does. Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with numerous examples of prophecy where people foretold what would happen, sometimes hundreds of years before it did.
Prophecy was an important gift in the 1st century church. A famine was prophesied in the book of Acts, for example, and before the famine the church decided to collect money and send it for the Jerusalem church so that when the famine came (not if), they would have the ability to purchase food.
Prophecy isn’t just uttering words. When the word of God comes forth concerning something, it has the power to cause that thing to happen. Although prophecy was very important to the New Testament church, it had specific focus and purpose. “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:1-3 (NIV).
The prophetic word is not just language, or a means of expressing ourselves; it’s what God is saying to and about us. When God releases that word, all that’s necessary to make that word come into being is released with it. Nothing can stop it except the receiver of the word if he/she stops believing or acts against it.
When God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 37) in a prophetic dream that he was destined to be a ruler, all that was required to bring it to pass was also released, including the process to get him there. When Samuel anointed Saul as King of Israel, he told him a sequence of things that were going to happen to him. After he had prophesied to Saul about his father’s lost donkeys being found (forthtelling), Samuel foretold him that, “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” 1 Samuel 10:6 (NIV). The word of God, once released, has the power to effect the change.
In Matthew 14, Peter and the other disciples are on a boat. They’re stuck in a storm and in the midst of it they saw Jesus walking on the water. They were afraid and cried out and Jesus responded by identifying Himself to them. Peter then said to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:28 (ESV). Jesus told Peter to come, and Peter walked on water.
Peter didn’t go in presumption; he asked the Lord to release the command for him to come because that command had the power in it to transform the circumstance to bring it to pass. The only time it didn’t work was when Peter took his eyes off Jesus.
We’re the ones who can stop the prophetic word from working. God has released prophetic words over our lives, and we got frustrated saying that it didn’t come to pass. It’s because we took our eyes off the Lord. His Word has the power to make whatever He says come to pass and God always keeps His word.