The prophet's handbook

and events that can initially shake up a person’s life before the word comes to pass. The shake-up happens in order to materialize in its time what the word of the Lord as promised through the prophet’s mouth. Hindering forces, misguided ideas and beliefs, and the presence of detrimental relationships and behavior in one’s sphere of life can, and often do, delay the performance of God’s words. There are several rational reasons for this. God’s spiritual diligence goes into action once the word of the Lord goes forth, to clear the way for its manifestation. Sometimes this can be very upsetting or excruciating to the hearer of the word. In addition, opposing forces who have sought to retain what they have withheld from the hearer for so long are aroused. In a knee-jerk reaction, these forces form invisible barricades that block the flow of spiritual resources the hearer needs to empower his or her faith enough to evidence the prophecy. These are not passive forces, mind you. They are aggressive, resolute, and vicious forces that seek to retain their hold on the hearer. Previously, they may have been silent as there was no contest for the hearer’s faith, but once prophecy comes, they go into fierce action to see that the word does not come to pass or to ensure that the hearer is in the wrong place to receive it. Their goal is for the hearer to move out of the place where God’s promises can or should come to pass, causing that person to miss it because he or she was never there at its fulfillment. Do you remember the earlier example of the little church on the corner? If this happens, another person enjoys your blessing, your children, your ministry offspring, etc., because you were out of the vicinity of the release. It is somewhat like what took place with the children of Israel. The first generation that came out of Egypt did not receive the promise because they feared its conditions—attacking the giants in the land. On top of that, they made the mistake of following the wrong (usually counterfeit) prophetic voice. Even though Moses had led them for years and was the established voice of the Lord for them, they turned and listened to others who presumed to know better than Moses the Lord’s plan for them. Today we see this happening often, as people hear the word of God and, fearing its cost and consequences, turn to another voice to get a prophecy they can live with, one that has fewer strings attached to it. Similar fears caused the apostle Paul to tell Timothy to wage spiritual warfare with (and over) his prophetic word to provoke its performance in his life. (See 1 Timothy 1:18.) Prophecy Class