A prophetic dispensation is a period of time in which a word of prophecy is alive and active. Every genuine prophetic declaration has a timeframe, and it also carries in it the ability to bring about what has been spoken by that prophecy. A prophetic declaration is that special word that reveals the heart, purpose and will of God for our lives per time and it is usually for our edification, exhortation, and comfort. Prophetic words are for our edification and not for our destruction. If you see people who are heading on the path of destruction, claiming they are following a prophetic declaration or a prophetic dispensation, that obviously is a lie from the pit of hell.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 says:

“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ² For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. ³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”

2 Peter 1:19-21 (KJV and AMP), the Bible says:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: ²⁰ Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay [close] attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and light breaks through the gloom and the morning star arises in your hearts. ²⁰ But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation, ²¹ for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

In the above Scriptures, there are a few things that apostle Peter made mention of for our consideration if we are going to maximize a prophetic declaration and dispensation.

The first thing he said is: we have a more, sure word of prophecy. The question then is: What makes the word of prophecy more sure? You know sometimes, when people want to convince you on a particular thing or matter, or to maybe invest in an idea or a business, they will say something like: “this thing is sure for me.”

Why should we take more importantly the words of prophecy than any other word? The very first thing that makes the word of prophecy more certain than any other word is its NATURE. The nature and source of every prophetic word and dispensation is from God, and the Scripture made us to understand that God cannot lie. The Bible says in Titus 1:2: “...in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began...”

Numbers 23:19 says:

“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

The second thing he said is: you do well to pay [close] attention to it. The reason why many believers don’t maximize their prophetic dispensation and declaration is that they don’t pay attention to it. Many times, some believers even mock the channel through which the word of prophecy came and so, they miss out on their prophetic word and dispensation. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 says:

¹⁵ And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

 

The third thing he said is: no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Many believers also are in the act of wrongfully interpreting prophetic declarations. No matter how brilliant or knowledgeable you may be, you don’t subject prophetic words to human calculations, you simply allow the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to give you an accurate interpretation of any prophetic declaration.

The fourth thing he said is: prophecy is not a product of human will but God. Every genuine and sincere prophetic words are a product of God. God allows prophecy so that we can at least, have an inkling about His plans, His purpose and His will for our lives per time. If you read Deuteronomy 18:18-21, the Bible says:

“I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. ¹⁹ And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. ²⁰ But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ ²¹ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— ²² when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

HINDRANCES TO THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS & DISPENSATIONS

(1) Doubt and Unbelief [2 Kings 7:1-2]

“Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” ² So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

(2) Ignorance of a Prophetic Dispensation [Luke 19:41-44]

All prophetic declarations have its dispensation, the time upon which it is meant to be fulfilled. If you are ignorant of that dispensation when it comes upon you, you will miss out in that season what that prophetic declaration is meant to accomplish in your life.

“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, ⁴² saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

(3) Ignorance of the will of God

Every genuine prophetic declaration is about God’s intention for your life and if you are the type who struggles with the will of God, you may miss out. Ephesians 5:15-17 says: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

(3) Wrongful Interpretation of prophecy

The Scripture we read earlier said no prophecy is of any private interpretation. If you don’t subject every prophecy to the word of God and examine it through the lenses of the Holy Spirit, you will wrongly interpret the prophecy and thereby missing out on what it is supposed to achieve in your life.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS

1 Timothy 1:18-20

“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, ¹⁹ having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, ²⁰ of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

Paul said: Wage a good warfare with the prophecies concerning your life. Don’t just write it down in your journals and forget it there. You are to fight with a good spiritual warfare with those prophecies. Now, when you are engaging in warfare, don’t forget you will require tools to fight with, right? Paul said the tools to fight in this kind of warfare is FAITH and A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

Prayer points:

1) Every word of prophecy that is hanging over my life and purpose begins to find expression in the mighty name of Jesus.

2) Lord, help me to be sensitive to divine timing and seasons in the mighty name of Jesus. Help me to know what to do and where to go at every critical juncture and phase of my life. 1 Chronicles 12:32 says: of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.

Thanks for the gift of your time, Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!
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