Does it seem like the very opposite of your prophetic calling is happening right now, or that your faith is being tested through trial?
You are in good company. The heroes of Scripture underwent severe difficulties. The greatest trials often took place right before the breakthrough that would see them released into their God-given destiny.
We serve a faithful God and no person, and no circumstances can prevent His prophetic call upon our lives being fulfilled if we keep our hearts right before Him, stay in an attitude of obedience, and remain in a place of integrity and honor towards people.
And whenever we realize that we have departed from this position, the grace of God invites us to freely return.
Signs Your Prophetic Destiny is Being Unleashed
1. You are Undergoing the Greatest Trial of Your Life
David and his men returned to their homes and property in Ziklag, only to find that their homes had been burned, their property plundered, and their wives and families captured. To make matters worse, David’s men turned against him, blaming him for the tragedy.
David could easily have given up. However, he stayed on track, pressed into God and made tough leadership decisions. As a result, David and his men overcame the enemy, recovered their losses and won back their families. (1 Sam 30)
The devastation of Ziklag prepared David for his move to Hebron—the very place where he would be crowned King of Judah and then of all Israel. (2 Sam 2:1) [1]
2. The Obvious Means of Fulfilling God’s Call Seems to have been Removed
Ezekiel was a young man with the call of God upon his life. Born to the priestly tribe of the Levites, his destiny was to serve in the temple from the age of 30. (Ezek 1:1, Numbers 4:3)
At the age of 23 he was taken captive from Jerusalem and relocated in Babylon. Ezekiel’s primary means of fulfilling God’s call on his life—ministry in the temple—was removed from him.
However, we read in Ezekiel 1:1 that in his 30th year, in the place of captivity, the very time he would have started his priestly service in God’s temple, the heaven’s opened and his ministry as Prophet was launched. (Ezek 1:1) [2]
3. A Person you Felt was Significant to God’s Purposes has been Lost to You
Uzziah, King of Judah spent most of his life serving God and his nation well—and the Prophet Isaiah diligently recorded the stories of his reign. (2 Chron 26:2)
Uzziah must have seemed like the hope of Judah—the King who set things to godly order and made the nation successful. And yet his life ended suddenly in a sinful act of pride.
This loss must have been devastating to Isaiah—and yet this was the year that God chose to reveal Himself and the glory of His Heavenly throne to Isaiah and to commission him to speak on God’s behalf. (Isaiah 6)
It is as though God was saying, ‘It is time to put your eyes on the Only One who can save Judah. I am your only security and all that you need. Now is the time to step up into your destiny as Prophet.’
4. There is a Huge Faith Challenge Standing Between You and the Promise of God
Caleb faithfully served God as a leader of his tribe through the 40 wilderness years of Israel. But on the eve of the fulfillment of God’s promise to him and his family, he faced his greatest challenge yet—to take Hebron from the Canaanites. (Joshua 14) We learn that through Caleb’s leadership giants were expelled from the land. (Judges 1:19-20)
The fulfillment of God’s promise to Caleb was not going to happen without a battle—and the greatest test of his faith in and dependency upon God.
5. You have been Repositioned by God—and Suffered Loss as a Result
A young Moabitess called Ruth committed her life to follow and serve her mother-in-law, Naomi, after the death of her husband and father-in-law in Moab.
When Ruth entered Bethlehem she had not only lost her husband, she had left her family and culture behind and was known as a stranger. She had no means of living apart from relying upon charity. Everything of her former life was stripped away.
And yet in that very place, she was destined to marry Boaz, of the tribe of Judah, secure the inheritance of Naomi’s family, and become great-grandmother to King David—part of the lineage of Christ. (See the book of Ruth) [3]
6. You are Being Tempted to Promote Yourself Rather than Wait for God’s Timing and the Affirmation of Oversight
As Jesus was being launched into His season of ministry, the Holy Spirit compelled Him to go into the wilderness, to fast and face demonic temptation.
There in that place of severe want and hardship, Jesus was tempted to receive the kingdoms of the world without the cross, and without a life submitted to the Father’s will.
Emerging triumphant, His position of submission to the Father secure, Jesus left the wilderness ‘in the power of the Spirit’ to enter His public ministry. (Luke 4:1-14)
7. The Tyranny of the Ordinary: Nothing Seems to be Happening
For Elisha, the launching place of God’s purpose for his life was in the place of the ordinary. If he had any inkling of God’s call upon his life, then the trial for him was that nothing was happening. Nothing at all. A great big zero.
Elisha was living at home and serving in the family business. It was just another day in his life as an ordinary citizen, ploughing oxen, being faithful, when the Prophet Elijah came by and threw his mantle over Elisha’s shoulders. (1 Kings 19:19-21)
Success in God’s eyes comes from staying on track when the greatest challenges of your life occur.
These things are the means Father uses to sharpen and prepare you for what lies ahead.
- And they may be the very launching pad God uses to propel you into your prophetic destiny.
Notes:
[1] For more lessons from this situation, see ‘The Day David Lost Everything: 4 Things You Can Do In A Crisis
[2] For more lessons from the story of Ezekiel, ‘Prophet of the Holy Spirit’, see Ezekiel, the Holy Spirit, and You
[3] See the following two studies from Ruth on Enliven Blog:
Related Post:
4 Reasons why the Opposite of Your Prophetic Word is Happening
© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching
Enliven Ministries: in the David McCracken Ministries family
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
Thank you so much Ms. Nancy, I really appreciate your sharing. The word Holy Spirit gives you quickens my spirit. I am really enjoying the process and God’s presence, knowing He hears me and I hear Him. Almighty God, Wow..Our Father, Praise Our Jesus! May the Lord multiply His Grace & Peace and Love in every area of your lives.
Everything I read has been happening to me. Thank you for confirmation! I have sooo much peace right now.
Hi Moses, our Father is so faithful!
May 2015 be a year of breakthrough for you
challenges i faced-i had an eye opreation at the age of 7 due to an accident..at the same time i broke my tooth,fractured my right hand..i suffered from rejection..family problems..at a time my mum hated she handled me brutally and it caused astigimatism..my father stop my schooling at the age of 14..at 16 i took high school exams and my math result went missing..at 17 i took gce exams and failed..i was betrayed and mocked severally..but it never made me lose focus
despite all problems,persecution,trials nd temptation..i thank GOD nd bow my head in worship to the shekinah glory..when i remember all insights given to me by ALMIGHTY GOD..i read all ur blog posts and discoverd that i have a prophetic call with the discernment,wisdom,healing,deliverance and teaching gifts..i have always longed to be in a prayer group..am born again nd am baptized with water nd spirit..please pray about me ask jesus to reveal to you my calling arena.thanks
Hi Danny, it’s great to hear from you. No matter what has happened in your past, you can move onward and upward with your faith in Jesus. Continue to love and serve Him. If you haven’t done so already, find a loving and faith-filled church where you can grow in your gifts and discover areas to serve. Be blessed.
Hi Helen, great article. I identify with most of these, especially in this last 15 month period of time. This has been the hardest time in my entire life. I have been a christian for almost my whole life, but it wasn’t deep or grounded, nor was I spirit filled…. Until my marriage fell apart and my husband left me last may. That was my wakeup call. I knew what the problem was that lead to our marriage issues: the lack of God as our foundation (even though we both professed to be believers, we didn’t walk in God’s ways and we brought shame to God with how we spoke and treated each other), so I IMMEDIATELY knew when my husband left that GOD was the only solution and so my spiritual journey began that day as I sought him for a second chance with my husband. I have grown SO much in the Lord as I am being taught so much by the holy spirit. I have heard God for the first time in my life during this time and He has broken me out of my “religious” comfort zone by breaking more into a prophetic realm, intercession and now recently, speaking in tongues in prayer. His promise to me since my husband left has been that this separation had to happen for God to make us into what He wants us to be, but that He will bring my husband back. This was an first told to me by an audible voice in my thoughts in the beginning before I really matured in faith, as well just a “knowing” in my spirit later on, then confirmed through the most random signs and personal profesies (that I never sought out, but God sent a few ppl my way, all with similar words… All confirming what I already knew in my spirit) but there is no sign of this reconciliation happening in the natural. in fact, since my husband left, it’s gotten worse and worse. Even with all the faith I have and all the prayers and all the obedience to God and all the love I show my husband despite his rejections… Its at a point where it seems divorce is going to happen and my husband is talking about moving to another state, and he has now rejected his entire family, along with me and remains isolated from all of us, living a secret life with unknown ppl where we don’t even know where he lives. I KNOW what God told me will happen but it “seems” more impossible now then when he first left! I have had visions recently of God bringing my husband’s heart back to life ( spiritually speaking) and lifting the dark cloud off of him that I constantly see on him And have dreams about him coming back but just last week I felt the spirit of God tell me to release my husband. Like, to tell him that I’m giving him what he wants and for him to move the rest of his things out of our house. I tested this thought and have peace that it’s the Lord because there is love in it still and it’s not out of anger or manipulation. But, I guess my point is that the very promise that God gave me seems to be the very thing that He is asking me to give up and seems impossible to happen. The story of how God asked abraham to sacrifice Isaac even though it contradicted God’s promise has really spoken to me…But this article is another of a few more confirmations that it IS darkest before the dawn and I Will continue to have faith in God’s promise and his faithfulness, no matter what obstacles are thrown my way. This is my assignment and no plan of the enemy can thwart it! God bless you.
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, thanks for leaving the note and I’m sorry it’s taken me a few days to get back to you. I’m sorry to hear of the trials you have been experiencing.
You have great faith and perseverence.
A thought – especially if this continues – one of our core values is prophetic accountability, meaning that no matter how strong the revelation is, it still needs to be confirmed, weighed up and tested by our spiritual oversight – wise leaders around our lives. In issues that are very close to our hearts, especially when it comes to relationships, this is all the more important. If what you believe is a word from God is not bearing good fruit, it may be a sign that you need to release the prophetic expectations. God is a redeemer, and is a God of the resurrection, so you don’t need to fear releasing them, and trusting Him. I share more about this here: https://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2011/08/23/dealing-with-prophetic-disappointment/
Hi Helen, thank you! Very interesting and informatice read! Does it follow that everyone has a prophetic destiny to be fulfilled or only some people have prophetic destinies? Romans 8 states the world is waiting for the revelation if the sons of GOD – and these sons share in CHRIST’s suffering so that they can share in his GLORY,i.e. so they can be co-heirs with CHRIST. Is the said suffering sort of a prerequisite for unleashing a prophetuc destiny? Many thanks
Hi FFemi, I would say not a prerequisite, but certainly a doorway that God uses. And I believe everyone has a prophetic destiny, but few choose to walk in God’s ways to enter into it.
Thanks Helen, for shedding some more light! GOD bless!
Hi Helen,
I suppose then that if we all choose to walk in GOD’s ways, we are guaranteed to share in HIS sufferings – thus passing through the doorway – to subsequently sharing in his GLORY (as such fulfilling prophetic destiny). The doorway you alluded to in your response, I suppose is a refining process – just as gold passes through the furnace in a refining process?