Prophecy: How to Birth God’s Promise for Your Life

There are times when all our Father requires of us, is to hold fast—to stand firmly on His prophetic promise and wait.

However, there comes a moment when He calls us to participate with Him in prayer and faith, in order to birth the new thing that He is doing.

It is time for His prophetic promise to be fulfilled.

‘God, Give Me that Nation’

Recently, my husband Malcolm and I were flying far above the red heartland of Australia, when I heard the Holy Spirit say:

‘You have been expecting the United States and other nations to fall into your lap like ripe plums. However, now is the time to wrestle them off Me.’

I immediately had an impression of small boxes, with lids springing open. I knew they represented prophecies from many years ago, that were opening up right now.

The prophecy the Spirit was referring to at that moment was spoken over me 19 years ago:

‘Don’t wait for me to give you the nations, ask of me the nations, that I may give nations to you as an inheritance… [1] Nations are going to come upon your heart and then you’re going to say, “God give me that nation”…

And God is going to say, “I’ll give you that nation if you wrestle that nation off Me.”

The Time has Come to Bring that Promise to Birth

The reason I am sharing this personal experience is that I believe that God is speaking to many of you in a similar way.

There may be some aspects of a prophetic word or promise for your life and ministry, that the Holy Spirit is bringing to your attention right now. And He is saying:

‘Now is the time to engage in passionate, fervent prayer. It is time to wrestle with Me concerning that prophecy, because the moment has come to bring that promise to birth.’

Wrestling for God’s Prophetic Promise

‘Wrestling’ is a reference to the story of Jacob, who relentlessly held on to God and would not let Him go—until God blessed him.

‘Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.’ (Gen 32:24)

In those hours of wrestling, Jacob’s desire for God’s blessing reached its peak. Jacob’s determination was so great, that he continued to hold on, in spite of God’s resistance and his own physical weakness.

• As the new day dawned, God gave Jacob the name ‘Israel’.

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Gen 32:28)

Wrestling with God marked the beginning of a new season.

Jacob began his life’s journey as Isaac’s son. He later moved to Mesopotamia, married, and for twenty long years, grew his own family within his father-in-law Laban’s tribe. (Gen 31:38, 41)

However, from this time onward, Jacob emerged as the father of a nation—newly named Israel.

God’s prophetic promise was born.

Wrestling in Passionate Prayer

This principle of wrestling in prayer before God, to birth His promises, is seen in many other places in Scripture.

• See Hannah—whose years of anguish as a barren wife culminated in one moment of heartfelt, passionate prayer before God. That prayer gave birth to her firstborn son, Samuel (1 Sam 1)

• Consider Elijah—who labored in prayer seven times, in order to give birth to the rain that would end years of drought in Israel. Refusing to accept ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ for an answer, Elijah continued in tenacious intercession, until the first signs of rain appeared in the sky (1 Kings 18:41-44)

• Jesus wrestled in prayer in Gethsemane. We receive a glimpse into His personal prayer life in those significant moments of encounter with the Father. At that time Jesus received strength before He faced the cross (Luke 22:39-45)

Ask, Seek, Knock—It’s Time to Make a Noise

On the Dreamliner, high over the red outback of central Australia, I turned to Jesus’ instruction concerning prayer.

‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ (Luke 11:9)

There is a continuity in the Greek present tense used in these verses: ‘Ask and keep on asking; seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking.’

There is continuity and yet, there is also a progression. The prayer that began passively, reaches its zenith in an aggressive pursuit of God.

You begin, by asking—and yet, the prayer remains unanswered. You are hungry, and so you seek. To seek is to be active, moving towards and looking for the answer.

• Finally, you begin to knock. To knock means ‘to rap’. You are now making a noise to gain attention.

Your desire has reached its fullness—and that need, expressed in fervent, wrestling prayer, will ultimately give birth to the promise of God.

For His time has come.

Notes:

[1] This prophecy contains a reference to Psalm 2:8, which reads, ‘Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.’

Related Posts:

Is it Time to Birth Your Prophetic Word in Prayer?

How has this message on how to birth God’s prophetic promise inspired you, or do you have a testimony to share? I would love to hear about it in the blog comments section below.

© 2016 Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

Enliven Ministries: in the David McCracken Ministries family

Helen Calder

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.