"This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme." (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
Do you believe in personal prophecy? The Apostle Paul did. He told Timothy that there were prophecies previously made concerning him. These prophecies were weapons by which Timothy could "wage the good warfare". Are these prophecies recorded in the Bible? They are not recorded anywhere in the Bible. There are those who believe that we don't need the gift of prophecy today, because we have the completed canon of Scripture. Timothy was personally mentored by the man whom God used to pen half the New Testament, but he was still admonished concerning the importance of personal prophetic words spoken concerning his specific calling and destiny in God.
If there are true prophecies on your life, you need to know them, take hold of them and use them to fight your fight of faith. Don't despise prophesyings (1 Thessalonians 5:20). That verse is in there because you will certainly be tempted to despise them. Sadly not all personal prophecies today are true, and even the ones that ARE from God are generally conditional in their fulfillment and will only be fulfilled after a period of waiting and testing. This means that if you receive a true personal prophecy concerning your life, you will still need to walk in obedience to God if you want the blessings mentioned, and you will still have to patiently endure for a season in many cases before the fulfillment comes. Are you ready for that?
One temptation that comes to us is to be disappointed and offended with God if things we are expecting seem to delay too long. Disappointment with God can arise for various reasons. I have to
add that this should not be the normal state of affairs. We can and should expect answers and blessings from God as we walk with Him in childlike trust and obedience. God does do great things.
But while we are in a waiting season, and experiencing difficulties, that is when we need to choose to affirm to ourselves the promises of God in the Bible and the promises we have received through reliable prophetic ministers. We must remind ourselves of these things and encourage ourselves in the Lord. One of the devil's greatest weapons is discouragement. A discouraged person can be more easily tempted to be offended with God. But this is not the way to go.
What is the Good fight?
The Bible talks about fighting the good fight of faith. This is the "good warfare" Paul mentions when he says "that by them [the prophecies] you may wage the good warfare. The good warfare is the battle to take down opposing thoughts, draw near to God, and speak as a person full of faith and the Holy Spirit even in tough times.
To fight the good fight we have to remind ourselves of the promises and prophecies because at times we will be called upon to go through hard things. Consider the sufferings Paul himself went through! God is greater than our trials and can sustain us. His promises are sure, but we need to receive them and believe them. Here all the weapons of
Get your free registration and log in to view entire article
Post new comment