(Part 1)

“And the Lord answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2: 2-3)

The prophetic ministry is growing more and more every day. Many believers are prophesying, either as Prophets called into the office of the prophet or believers with the gift of prophecy. Prophetically, they encourage, exhort and tell us God’s plan for us.

Unfortunately, it is not everyone that has been prophesied to that has seen the manifestation of the prophecies they received. Many prophecies have lingered for years. Most of those prophesied to have given up on them. Some even died without seeing the fulfilment of what was prophesied over them, even by seasoned Prophets. 

Is it because the prophecies were false? No! 

Whilst I do not dismiss the existence of false prophets and false prophecies which will never come to pass, it is important to state that true prophecies can also delay in manifesting or totally fail if we don’t play our role towards its manifestation. 

It is important for believers in Christ to understand that most personal prophecies are usually conditional. This means that when a prophecy is given to an individual, there might be a condition or conditions attached to it. Except the condition or conditions are met by the person to whom the prophecy was given, the prophecy will either suffer delay or be totally aborted. 

The Bible has record of people who received prophecies but died without seeing them fulfilled. For instance, God told Abraham that his children will be countless. However, Abraham did not live to see the countless children God told him about. 

“And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, this shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be.”(Genesis 15: 3-5)

Going by the above scripture, and the fact that Abraham did not see the uncountable children the Lord promised him before he passed on, one would be tempted to assume that God lied. However, God did not lie. We know this because Abraham’s descendants, including the Israelites, are all over the world. That shows that the prophecy which he received from God that he will be a father of nations did not fail, though he did not live to see its fulfilment.

In Abraham’s case, we see that there was a delay in the fulfilment of the prophecy he received. However, that delay was not caused by anything Abraham did wrong. It was according to God’s plan. 

Abraham’s case is an example that there are certain prophecies we may receive that will not manifest in our lifetime. For instance, Prophet Isaiah gave many prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. However, he did not live to witness their manifestations. Those prophecies manifested many years after the death of the prophet. 

However, this discussion is not about such prophecies. Rather, it is about when prophecies given to individuals (personal prophecy) delay in manifesting. What is the cause? That is our focus.  

Truth be told, prophetic words are good because, they come to encourage us when we are downcast and rebuke us when we go astray. Prophecy reveals God’s future plans for us. In other words, prophecy is a means God uses to direct our footsteps, so we can walk according to his plans for us. 

People get excited when a prophecy is given to them, especially if the prophecy speaks of a great future for the recipient. Unfortunately, the majority of those who receive such prophecies don’t see it manifest. After many years of waiting, they give up by concluding that the prophecy was false. 

Imagine receiving a prophetic word which says, “You are a great man of God. Many signs and wonders will follow your ministry. You will raise the dead, cast out demons, heal the sick and win many souls for Christ. The world will hear about you because the Lord has called you as a Prophet to the nations.”

As a human being, when you hear that, you will be excited, even as you expect the prophecy to manifest immediately. However, it has been 10, 15 or even 20 years since you first heard that prophecy, yet, none of those things prophesied has happened. Gradually, you start losing faith in the prophecy. You begin to wonder if the prophecy really came from God. That is because there has been a delay.

Assuming you are a young man or woman in your early 20s, maybe 25. You have graduated from the university and have a good job. The next plan is to get married and raise a family. You go to church and a prophecy says that you will soon get married. You are excited. Ten years down the line, you are still not married. You are now 35. You start wondering if the prophecy was real or false. That is because there has been a delay.

On the other hand, you have been married for many years without a child. Like Sarah and Abraham, you and your wife think you have become too old and no longer able to have a child. One day, a prophecy says, “you have waited for long to have your own child, but it has not happened. However, God says, “It is not late. I will surely give you children.” The funny thing is that you have been hearing this same prophecy since you were 30 years old. Now, you are well over 50 years old. You start wondering if it is really God speaking or the prophets have been speaking their minds to you. Doubt sets in because the prophecy has delayed.

The number one question here will be if those prophecies were true? Now, let’s assume that all the prophecies highlighted above are real. However, each of them has witnessed a delay in manifestation. The question is, “why?”

I will highlight a few reasons why personal prophecies delay and what we should do to avoid such. Join me in Part 2. God bless you. 

Source : “Truth be told” series

 Author:   Apostle Frank B. Ogbu

                  Head Pastor/Overseer

                  Champion Grace Eternal Ministries

                   Ayikai Doblo, Amasaman 

                   Accra, Ghana

Tel: +233 2470 16970

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