Have you ever been given a prophetic word that never came to pass? It can leave a lot of questions: Was the word false? Does God really speak this way? Can a word be accurate and from God — and yet not come to pass? How can we know when God has promised us something and when it was just the speaker’s nice idea?
Here are four things I believe we need to keep in mind whenever someone gives us a revelatory or prophetic word.
Seek confirmation from God
First of all, we need to hear from God for ourselves on a consistent basis. Depending on what we’re going through, this can be difficult. We can go through days or seasons of turmoil, when it’s very difficult to hear from God because we don’t have enough peace. But here’s the reason this is important: If we’re consistently hearing from God for ourselves, then what He has told us in our alone times with Him will confirm what we’re hearing from other people.
This doesn’t require high, clear, awesome revelation; we just need to go to God on a daily basis. Even if all we “hear” or sense is vague, and we’re not quite sure what He said or if He said anything, over time this builds up within us a fairly high level of confirmation. We will sense our spirits bearing witness to the word. It isn’t just our minds saying, Oh, I like that. That would be nice. Instead, it feels as if our spirits are saying, Yes! Yes!
Every time we receive a word, we should seek God for confirmation. Always. The confirmation may come beforehand, right afterward, in one clear moment or subtly over time. It may happen consecutively or be spread out over several days.
Distinguish between potential and established outcomes
Now, that being said, there may be times when we know a word has been confirmed, but it still doesn’t come to pass. The probable reason for this is that the word was about a potential outcome and not an established-by-God outcome. There’s a difference.
For example, let’s say that Alice is called to live in Africa as a missionary, but she chooses not to go. The potential is there, but she doesn’t step into it, so it doesn’t happen. Or perhaps she wants to go, but her husband doesn’t, and so the word doesn’t come to pass because of someone else’s choice. In some cases, a word that does or doesn’t come to pass may not have anything to do with the person who received it. It may be solely dependent on outside sources.
Revelatory words can be about something that has potential and is later realized, or they can be about something that God has already established. The latter is a high-level revelation about what God is going to do. He has chosen for such-and-such to happen. The choices involved have already been made; the cost has already been paid, and it’s going to happen. A revelatory word about something with potential isn’t a false word; it is simply an outcome that may or may not be realized.
This agrees with what Jesus said in Matthew 22:14: Many are called, but few are chosen. I think that statement is true of almost every potentiality in creation. Many things are called to come to pass, but few things are actually chosen to come to pass.
Distinguishing between a potential outcome and a chosen outcome can be difficult for revelatory people, especially if they don’t understand the dynamic or don’t have clarity or discernment. It can also be hard if they’re trying to sound more certain than they feel. God could be saying, “I am calling this to happen,” and the person assumes that means, “God says this is going to happen.”
Again, connecting this with the previous point, we need to pray about every word we receive, from anyone. We need to ask God, “Is this established? Or is this still just a possibility?” That dynamic is huge.
Recognize issues of timing and metaphor
Long before they come to pass, many prophecies seem like they’re never going to. Some of us wait months and years and then conclude all of those words must have been false. But then another 10 years go by, and we start realizing, “Wait a second. They’re all happening.”
Timing is vital. Revelatory words are often given without a clear sense of timing, and we tend to assume that if God said something today, it must be about today. But often, that is not the case. When we seek God for confirmation about a word, we should also seek confirmation about the timing.
Finally, a revelatory word can be so metaphoric that it seems to mean one thing but actually means something else. It was a good word, but we assumed it must have been false because the way it played out didn’t look the way we expected. That is often the case as well.
What can we do?
All of the above can be issues. In summation, we first need to be in the habit of spending time with God, because then, when someone gives us a genuine word from Him, we will have an internal witness.
Second, we should ask God if the word is about an established or potential outcome. Maybe we need to pray into it. Maybe we need to wait. Maybe we just need to know that it could happen, but it’s based on other people’s faith and choices.
Finally, there is also the issue of waiting for God’s perfect timing, as well as understanding the metaphor and being certain we really do know what He means.
At any given time, we could be dealing with one or several of these four issues. We could be in a season in which nothing seems to be working, and we’re tempted to think all our revelatory words are false. But that may not be the case. It could be that they just didn’t happen the way we expected them to happen. It could be that they haven’t happened yet.
If you’re in a season like that and feel discouraged, know that it won’t last forever. You will also go through seasons in which all the words you receive are right on. All the timing is right. Your understanding is right, and the words aren’t potential outcomes that could happen — they are established by God, and you are able to watch them unfold.
All these things require discernment, experience, patience and grace. We need to keep them in mind and seek God on them whenever we are given a prophetic word.
The What happens when a prophecy doesn’t come true? by Jim Driscoll, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
This is an excellent teaching, Jim. It convicted me regarding the responsibility of the person delivering the word as well as the one receiving it. It prompted me personally, to ask the Holy Spirit for an increased ability to hear more accurately His way to deliver a word to someone so that the potential versus the established outcome is more clearly understood in the word presented to them.
This is a very good point that you are bringing out and this really has helped me. Thank you for posting this.
this was/is a real encouragement.
there has been a prolific release in my life out of brokenness, streams of living water and a lot of dreams, visions- as well as real direction to run with the Lord. almost so that hearing so much leadership didnt quite know how to take the doors being blown off. a trusted Prophet said God was going to do it! the Lord was dialing the combination to unlock, no one expected what happened! so wonderfull and so upside down everything.
timing is one thing; im learning to trust i see several things quickly happening and different visions im not yet too sure of their timing .
my own discouragement is another not having better understanding and being in the midst of downright feirce warfare. seems the enemy on one side and almost like the church on the other! Our Kings Kingdom is advancing,
Jesus is Faithfull and ive repented and am repenting of any resentment for perhaps those i thought were more able to instruct than ive found. The lord is Beautifull and The Lord is Beautifull in His people. even in our Humanities. thank you!
Thanks for this prophetic Word. I am experiencing this situation in my life for the past 5 years and at times, I feel like given up. But today I know God gave you this prophecy to me to cheer up and to still believe in his plans for my life.
Thank you.
Thank you for these insightful words, especially distinguishing words that are established from those that are potential.
Good stuff, Jim. This is a huge question for a lot of people.
Very timely and excellent teaching.
A great teaching
Thanks now I understand why I haven’t seen things come to pass
Thank you. This article has helped me not give up on certain words spoken and able to have peace about those that didn’t or haven’t come to pass.
God’s timing is just so right. Thank you for doing what you do!
Thank you Jim! I love your powerful succinctness, especially the contrast between being called and being chosen. Good stuff.
I am so glad God is giving us clarity. So many years before, we didn’t have guidance in this area. Thank you, Jim.
It was encouraging to hear that there are times when it will be difficult to hear God. This is reassuring because it is easy to feel ashamed of not being able to hear God as clearly as others or even as clearly as we have at one point in the past. People need to know this is a normal part of growth and life and that we are suceptible to struggling to hear his voice clearly but like you said through discernment, experience, patience and grace we can get there and be great tools of God hearing and declaring the voice of God.
Thank you for this very practical yet insightful teaching. We are all learning to walk and talk like little children. Thank God for teachers like you who coach us as we walk this life until we’ll be perfected. God bless and reward you for teaching us till we’ll be established in the truth of God’s word. And thank God because He still speaks today and causes us to hear His voice.
Honest, very clear and precise. It’s a pointer to get closer and hear God for yourself.
Thank you for such profound truth.
Thanks for clairfying God’s timing on certain prophetic utterance that has been given by someone. Now I am sure that I am in the waiting period of God’s timing on the call that he has on my life
When giving a word that discerned is “potential” I say “It’s a Promise, not a guarantee.” This teaching is spot on! THANKS!
Great topic…thank you so much for the commonsense insight via the word. Sometimes such insight is not so common.
Thank you for this word of encouragement. It answered some questions that me and my family have been discussing this past week. It’s encouraging to know that God is clear in His ‘speech’ and doesn’t mumble when speaking His Word. Thank you for your obedience in what God has called you to do.
thanks alot may God grant you more. am in U.S through prophesy which was done in 2004 and it was now fulfilled in 2009 i had given and even called the pastor who did it a liar.
Thank you for your love for humanity . I understand that it is easier to give people a reason why they do or don’t see a prophecy come to pass in there life . I personally believe that one it could be time , and two God speaks faith filled words , and if the thing He speaks does not come to pass at all then God is the one telling the Truth and it was eather a false prophet who spoke , or someone did not use their faith to walk in the thing spoken in their life . And if you run around to every prophet seeking a word from God , you just might get a false prophet in there somewhere . Look God tells the truth . Look at the prophets background . You know from the Holy Spirit if that prophet should speak into your life at all . Also don’t go wanting something from God and then complain afterwords . Receive the prophet and receive the prophets reward . What is the prophets reward . The prohets reward is the ability to hear the voice of God . Do not follow the voice of the stranger . My people know my voice the Lord says . Come on people of God we must take responsability for our own actions . Quit trying to blame something or someone for the thing spoken not happening . There are to many excuses . Obey God if you know the word is from God , and put work to your faith . Go move mountains church of the Lord Jesus Christ ! Go do that thing the Lord said . Just do it !!!
Oh my goodness, a word in due season for me tonight. I had been pondering a word given to me a few weeks ago and in this article God has used you to help me see some things and definately seek God for myself and get confirmation and ask God about the details. Thank you very much. I’ve only read 2 articles from Sir the Water and have been very blessed both times. Praise God!!!
what Jim says is so true. this is also why as you and I must use a careful who we allow to prophesy over us too.
truly know there walk with is with our Lord.I have seen things God gave me to speak to others manifest in that moment, and other things next day and some manifest years later. As prophets and prophetess we have to listen carefully so we always speak the word God had for the individual, as well as sharing that word in the right season with the individual …so we as prophets and prophetess will not cause doubt, fear, loss of hope. Giving words to early can cause an individual to meditate on what we shared to occur in the future with them….they often forgetting the now word from God they are to focus on…. which leads to missed opportunities, or disregard heeding the word for protection. So we, as prophets and prophetess, are not out of the will of God through sharing the word God has for someone who does not operate in the prophetic gifts won’t act to soon on word given preventing confusion, distress, or panic, or harm to an individual by them reacting to soon on the word given to that individual. This is a powerful message that Jim shared for many people to know the power of words spoke over year lives does not always manifest at the moment, but can manifest years later. God Bless You Jim
Very Very Good Teaching! Explains potential and established Very Well.
I believe if God spoke it he will see it come to pass if obedience is involved on our part. I don’t see how The Lord would speak “potential” when he knows the end from the begining..He knows already if you will have what is spoken..If he tells you something and says it will be and he is working in our circumstances when we can’t see it in the situation, he is also working on people involved or situation to bring it into alignment..He KNOWS the END from the Beginning..Why would he tell you something if he knew it would not happen? We as flesh try to figure it all out and lean unto our own understanding and even in prophetic things. God is not a man that he should lie nor the son of man that he should repent..Hath he spoken it will he not do it? The question remains to me..If something was told me and it did not happen, it would have to be based on my own disobedience or lack of faith not on some]one elses choices..He would already know that person involved was not going to go along with that promise so why would he speak it?? makes not sense to me to …God is not flakey..man can be but NOT God..He either spoke it or he didn’t… You either believe him if he did speak it or you don’t… He either spoke it or it was from flesh..this is what we need to discern..Not saying potential verses promise..God would not speak a promise if he knew the other side of the situation would not coperate…He says ” IF you are obedient” in some of the scriptures…It is timing and obedience..even then he can still work it out in your favor..He is a big God..
that was a good word, very helpful
But I have a question How can we know if a word is a potential word or an established-by-God word? If there’s a difference can we know?
I believe we can at time but not at other times. The only way we will know is by our relationship with the Father.
The disciples did not always know how to take Jesus. I believe this was the case in
John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
58 This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
60 Many Disciples Turn Away Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
But there came a day when they understood.So I too believe that if we continual to walk with the Lord we will know how to take the prophetic word
I have seen different time when a prophet got key words ( what I think are Key but the prophet did not) wrong. One said new car ( to move out) when I saw it was new computer. Could it be God gives grace to prophets to get it right when prophesying to younger Christians But often not for us older ones?
I would love to hear your feedback on this.
Richard
@cheryl
that was a good word, very helpful
But I have a question How can we know if a word is a potential word or an established-by-God word? If there’s a difference can we know?
I believe we can at time but not at other times. The only way we will know is by our relationship with the Father.
The disciples did not always know how to take Jesus. I believe this was the case in
John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
58 This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
60 Many Disciples Turn Away Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
But there came a day when they understood.So I too believe that if we continual to walk with the Lord we will know how to take the prophetic word
I have seen different time when a prophet got key words ( what I think are Key but the prophet did not) wrong. One said new car ( to move out) when I saw it was new computer. Could it be God gives grace to prophets to get it right when prophesying to younger Christians But often not for us older ones?
I would love to hear your feedback on this.
Richard