When I look back at the journey of my prophetic calling, there is one thing that stands out:
The times I have grown the most—the life-defining moments that have taken me to greater levels—have been mistakes and failures!
And interestingly, the failures that were the most painful, the ones I learned the most through, weren’t acts of wilful disobedience. They were decisions and actions that I made with good intentions, but because I lacked wisdom, had a character weakness, or had a gap in my understanding, I failed.
There are some graduations that our Father has for us, that can only be achieved through mistakes and failure.
And He will actually allow us to make mistakes—even engineer circumstances that may lead to our failure—because He has the bigger picture in mind. This is especially true of those who have a prophetic calling.
God can Turn Your Failure into an Upgrade
Peter is an example of someone who meant well, who loved Jesus, but he had a character weakness. His intentions were good, but he was prideful and trusted in his own strength. And Jesus allowed circumstances to expose his weakness. Remember He said to Peter:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32, NIV)
Jesus knew there was a demonic assignment against Peter; He knew failure was up ahead! And yet He allowed it to run its course.
Peter’s failure—and the restoration that came afterwards—marked a significant graduation in Peter’s life and ministry. Not only was he humbled and empowered, but God used him to help birth the church and transform nations.
It is our Father’s grace and kindness towards us, leading us towards repentance.
Our Father is seeing something that we don’t; a glorious vision of who He has called and created us to be.
God is molding and shaping us until we are formed into His likeness. As Isaiah wrote: ‘O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.’ (Is 64:8)
Some of the reasons God allows us to fail and make mistakes is because:
- We may have a blind spot or a character weakness—and God’s purpose in exposing it is to turn it to our greatest strength
- We lack wisdom—and failure is the fast-track to gaining that wisdom
- We are depending on our own strength or on something or someone other than God. Our Father is allowing circumstances to reveal the weakness of what we are leaning on in order that our life, work and ministry can be founded upon Jesus
7 Keys to Turning Your Failures into Favor
Today perhaps you can relate to this as you have regret about a mistake or a failure. But there is good news. You can cooperate with God to turn your failure into favor and a future that brings Him glory.
1. Own your mistakes—don’t give in to the temptation to shift the blame onto other people or circumstances outside of your control
2. Take time for restoration, and make whatever restitution is needed
3. Accept God’s forgiveness (and forgive yourself)
4. Learn and gain wisdom from the failure
5. Step into the upgrade your Father has for you
6. Release regret. Refuse to allow it!
7. From now on, see that failure as a marker of God’s graduation in your life
Related Posts:
Release Regret and Embrace Your New Season
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Hi Helen,
This resonates 100% with me and where I’m at in my journey with God at the moment. I started a degree in July last year which brought on some internal and external challenges. Last year I failed a test of personal integrity and this morning I received a low grade for an assignment that I expected to do better in. However I believe these mistakes and errors of judgement were part of a lesson to develop me further because'”I lacked wisdom, had a character weakness, and a gap in my understanding”. I have been given feedback and am supported on this journey by good leaders/teachers and so I can look forward to graduating with God’s grace.
Ian praying for you now. God’s grace is abundant towards you! You are still on track in spite of things that have happened, and that gives Father pleasure. Keep on going for it, great things are up ahead.
Thank you very much for the write up it has blessed me ,If there is a second chance with God I want it, I come to a point in my life that I think I have failed God, and that God is disappointed with me due to my mistakes and failures and what the stagnation I am experienceing is as a result of my character weakness,
And also because I lack wisdom.
Yes in my late twenties I senced one of the gifts of the holy spirit in my life, i am 30 plus but up till now I have not done anything as how to use this gift for the edification of the church.
Is being one failure of the other all this years.
Is God still working on me? Or is there something I have to do?
Hi Helen,
This is all so true. I was very upset about a failed marriage in my life… As you said I did it thinking it was good. A believer as Bible says, arranged marriage, trusting God and my parents to take the right decision for me. Prayed that God would shower his wisdom on my parents to lead me.
But still I failed somewhere. I can’t find where, can’t figure out how. And I have tried all that I can, prayed day n night. Yet…I m divorced.
That’s a very difficult thing to experience. there may have been mistakes along the way (and in relationships that goes both ways) but there does come a time to release the regrets, receive healing and move forward, I pray that you will receive His supernatural comfort and empowerment and be released to move forward
Thank you very much for this post which has moved me to write to you out of the pain of my own circumstances. You see the Lord has placed me on a faith walk but the environment that I am in my heart for this faith walk transformation, I did not want to be physically be(Jamaica) . This has brought me much frustration and pain as I struggle to regain my footing. I literally feel that I am in a holding cell waiting for that Pharoah moment from God where my earlier Canadian life which I had to leave behind will be restored including some of the prophetic and healing gifts that I was supposed to have. There are times during the intense battles within the spirit realm that I have failed to exercise faith and I have cried to God-How long? I have had my share of spiritual failures and I can therefore appreciate where you are coming from. Thank you so much for the blog, it blessed my heart. I will make a donation soon.
Hi Sandra, praying for you – these ‘dark nights of the soul’ to have an end where we see more fully why God has allowed the things He does and we see His greater purpose. I pray His hope and joy touches you today. There IS more up ahead for you and you are on track for your Divine appointment
I was so blessed reading this wonderful piece. I lost smt which was due to my mistake. I think am happy now knowing fully well God was teaching me smt. Am glad you sent me d mail.God bless you all.
Hi Vera, thanks and God bless you, too!
Hi Helen
I have had Peter’s failure on my heart these last two days. I feel God is ministering to me about my feelings about my marriage and memories of sensing from him direction in different ways many times to not proceed, and it was not his best for me, (and directing me to another more suitable person) but at the time I did not neccessarily recognise clearly it was God. I was doing very well at ignoring my intuition and probably his spirits communications. I knew something wasn’t right straight after we married. I had had all sorts of doubts even up until the wedding day. Now we have been married for 15 years with many problems. I have had so much grief as only recently I feel God has chosen to highlight the memories more clearly of all of this. I have had some sort of denial up until now probably to cope. We are both Christians but chalk and cheese it feels it almost every other way and life is stressful often. I have problems with the memories of the relationship I feel God was pointing to as it was a deeper, more accepting, and emotionally connecting love, which I now see was a healing gift for me from God and many other reasons it would have been easier and more suitable and exactly what I had prayed for and I feel the enemy stole from me and I allowed him too far too easily. There is great grief in my heart about all of this. Your article was definatley Gods blessed timing today and I breathed this sigh of relief seeing it’s topic…
Hi Naomi, praying for you now… Jesus is your Redeemer
Dear Hellen,
Thanks for allowing God to use you.
Many years back I,in two different occasions received confirmations from people who don’t even know me that God will use me to preach. I perceive God has graced me as a teacher of the work. Time has gone by and seems as if I am the one not doing something about what am called to do and as such feel I have failed because many years have passed.
Am worried.
Hi Evans, I believe it’s God’s purpose for us to be empowered, not helpless, in our calling. On one hand there is the time of waiting and this can certainly be years – I experienced ‘many years’ in preparation for the full manifestation of God’s call to preach, so I encourage you in that – a lapse of years does not mean you are disqualified, it just means God’s timing is closer. But just like Joseph, in our seasons of waiting, we can be developing the skills, serving where we are and preparing faithfully. And I pray you have the wisdom and keys to know what that means in your current situation.