Have you been questioning past prophetic words or visions?
Perhaps you have been holding on to a promise from God for a long time, but it has not come to pass the way you expected.
Today, God is inviting you into a place of liberty with Him.
“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?”
(Isaiah 43:18-19, NKJV)
Signpost Prophetic Words
There are times to continue contending for a prophetic word, even when the opposite is taking place.
Every true word from God goes through a season of testing and purifying—and Joseph’s story is a great example of this.
But there are also times to let go.
A prophetic word may have been a “signpost” word, and God used it to lead you in a certain direction.
But now, He has a new path for you to follow and new instructions for you.
The Day God Changed His Instructions
One day, God spoke to Moses about a change in direction.
“Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea, just as the Lord had instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time. “Then at last the Lord said to me, ‘You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north.” (Deut 2:1-2, NLT)
At one stage, that mountain was a prophetic destination.
But it was time to move on!
What if some of those people had resisted Moses’ new instructions? They could have complained, “But Moses, God said go to Mount Seir.”
And that was true.
Yet, it was not true for “now” and it can be like that for us!
God sent an earlier word to position us. But now, it is time to receive His new agenda.
We Needed to “Unhook” from Past Prophetic Words
Someone needs to know today that a past prophetic vision is no longer your assignment! You may have been grieving over it, but your Father is giving you fresh instructions.
My husband Malcolm and I were involved in a mission agency for around 16 years. We sacrificed a great deal in that season—and believed that calling was for life! But, our time with that organization came to a close unexpectedly in 2004.
At that time, and during the years since, there have been times we’ve needed to “unhook” from our past prophetic dreams of that time. These ran very deep for us.
We also had some prophetic words from that era that were left unfulfilled. But our call from Jesus was bigger than that season. Be assured that right now, your life’s calling is greater than any single season!
You Are Not Disempowered
The story of how Moses redirected the people from Mount Seir is a helpful reminder.
When we know God has planted us in a church or team, and we are in the place of His choosing, we can trust God’s oversight of our leaders.
Through the decades and transitions of life, I’ve learned this:
- My personal prophetic calling is not bound to a church or ministry, beyond the timing of God
When I believed that it was, and a leader of my church or ministry changed direction, it affected me deeply (and needlessly).
So, don’t buy into the lie that you have been disempowered by another person.
No one else can “torpedo” your God-given prophetic dream—and you can trust in God’s sovereignty regarding your calling.
Full of Power
Whenever and however a prophetic insight comes, it is not untouchable—it is adjustable!
And this is true, even when years have passed.
God’s instructions to you are not fragile, but full of power!
Paul wrote, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (I Thess 5:19-21 NKJV)
The Bible tells us to hold onto prophetic words that have been proven to be good and of the Holy Spirit.
That Greek word translated good, Kalos (Strong’s G2570), means excellent, eminent, genuine, approved.
The question could be—Is this prophetic insight “good” for right now?
Ask, “Is this a promise to carry into my next season?”
The Power of Surrender
Is something resonating with you as you read this? You are not being unfaithful by surrendering a past prophetic promise to God! Your Father is a God of resurrection and well able to cause it to spring to life.
Remember Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, a prophetic promise to God. Even when we head in the opposite direction of God’s commands, His grace is still available to us.
On the other hand, all of us have made mistakes in our past. If this has been troubling you, the story of Jonah will encourage you: “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (Jonah 3:1,2, NKJV)
Whatever has taken place that has affected your prophetic vision, yield to God now.
And lean in close.
Now, hear your Father say, “Beloved, I have new instructions for you to receive.”
Leave a Comment
Do you believe God is speaking to you about becoming free of past expectations? I’d love to hear from you, so scroll down to share your thoughts in the comments box below.
Can a “Soul Tie” Hold Us to Past Prophetic Words?
This is a question I’m currently exploring some answers to, so if you’re interested in this topic, let me know in the comments. And keep an eye out for the upcoming “Part 2” on this topic, as I share further about letting go of past prophetic words and visions.
This can now be found here: Tent Pegs: 5 Keys to Cut Soul Ties from Past Seasons
Related Posts:
Dealing with Prophetic Disappointment: Why is My Prophecy Unfulfilled?
4 Reasons Why the Opposite of Your Prophetic Word is Happening
Discover More in the Prophetic Guidance Master Class
Is the above article timely, or would you like to learn more on this topic?
In my Prophetic Guidance Master Class, I tackle some tough questions such as:
- How do faith and wisdom work together when following prophetic guidance?
- What extra care can I take when my prophetic insights are about relationships or emotional issues?
- When I’m faced with a closed door, what can I do?
- If my prophetic guidance is unclear, what actions should I take?
- What is God doing when there are delays and disappointments?
These are some of the questions I explore in my Prophetic Guidance Master Class. Plus, I’ve uploaded the PDF transcript of these ten lessons, so you can keep your own summary for reference.
You can find the Prophetic Guidance Master Class in the Enliven Prophetic School here.
Modules on the School currently include: “How to hear God’s voice”; “How to Begin and Grow in Prophecy”; “The Seer Gift: How to Grow in Pictures and Visions”; “Discernment and Prophetic Warnings” and the “Prophetic Guidance Master Class”.
© 2021 Helen Calder, Enliven Blog
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.
Kingdom Greetings sister Helen,
Thank you for your email and the encouragement. I truly appreciate your generosity. It has blessed me indeed. May God bless you and the ministry a thousand times more. Please keep my wife and I in your prayer. We are waiting on the Lord to bless us with children. We are at peace because we believe He will do it. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Thank you kindly.
Hi Helen,
It is interesting to know that prophecies can change! I am interested in the part 2.
God bless you,
Deborah
Dear Helen, thank you for the prophetic word you shared in here. I believe that God might be giving me a new direction, new command to bring me to His devine purpose. Though I believe for the new direction, I also take it into consideration that a day to God can be a decade even century or even my vision might still come to pass only in His way and set time. He says at His set time it shall happen, and also says though it tarries but it shall certainly come and will not delay (Habakkuk 2:3). I am looking forward to part 2, Helen, may God bless you.
You have put that very well, Zoleka! amen to that
Dear Ms. Helen,
Thank you for sharing your powerful ministry with us. This article has caused me to go back and review some things. My husband and I have had some powerful and intense prophetic words spoken over us in past years but unfortunately, my husband has been “spiritually fading” for quite some time now, becoming someone else. It’s very painful to see this happen with someone who was so strong in the Lord and used by God. Just a few years ago, the Lord spoke through a prophet to me directly to ”pick up the mantle”! I was quite shocked and taken aback. It’s been a challenge to obey this instruction from the Lord, especially as I ponder over and over again, the Words spoken over us years ago and wonder what happened? A couple weeks ago, we had another Word spoken to us about the Lord going to “pour out on our household and restore through all the years”. I eagerly await to see what the Lord will do. Thank you for your many words of encouragement and enlightenment, God has been using your ministry to speak to me for some time now and this is my first time to comment.
God bless you and your family!
I am about to weep….the vision was so vivid about 13 years ago. I didn’t know as much about “spiritual things” as I do today. I didn’t know anything about praying it through or even how it would happen. Yet, I am having a hard time letting it go. God is not a man that He should lie. Is there anything too hard for God? If He said it would come to pass, should not I believe it and trust Him even though it seems like it is impossible. Why would He show me something that I wasn’t seeking to see? Yes, the struggle to hold on to this has been difficult but I still BELIEVE. Help me LORD to see your plans for my life TODAY. God told me to TRUST Him and I do. Please pray for me that God will direct or redirect my path toward His promises.
This is so timely for me. I now know that God’s directing me to new calling! Thanks for the new insight and revelation. Can’t wait to read part 2.