Protect Your Prophecy, Your Vision, Your Imagination
People and forces will try to desecrate and defile your future. Don't let them.
Note: For information purposes only. Not intended as personalized advice of any sort. Please consult a qualified professional.
The message in the fortune cookie read “You will soon win the approval of powerful and influential people.”
I received that in my spirit as a prophetic word over my life. This was no mere fortune in a cookie after dinner at my wife and mine’s favorite Mongolian restaurant. This was a sign from God. (Yes, God can deliver signs and wonders to us, even through a fortune cookie. He can use anything and anyone, even nonbelievers, to perform His perfect will.)
Our dinner companion, sitting across the table from my wife and me, was attempting to play the “Chinese Fortune Cookie Game”: They read their fortune, and ended it with the words “in bed.”
My wife read her fortune, and when she finished, our dinner companion promptly followed with the words “in bed.”
“What does yours say, James?” they asked.
I refused to answer.
“Oh c’mon!” they insisted.
“I’m not going to read it,” I said, standing firm.
“You’re no fun, James!” they exclaimed in frustration.
Still, I would not be moved by their protests. The Lord had given me a prophetic word concerning my future, and I felt in my spirit that I should keep it to myself.
Sometimes, when we listen for that still, small voice that is the Holy Spirit, instead of prompting us to share the words it brings forth to minister to others, it will tell us to remain silent, and say nothing. As believers, just as we trust in God to guide us in saying the right things, we must also trust Him to keep us from saying the wrong things.
Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. -Psalm 141:3 (NIV)
Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips. -Psalm 141:3 (NLT)
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]. -Psalm 141:3 (AMP)
LORD, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say. -Psalm 141:3 (NCV)
Help me, LORD, to keep my mouth shut and my lips sealed. -Psalm 141:3 (TLB)
God, give me grace to guard my lips from speaking what is wrong. -Psalm 141:3 (TPT)
Help me to guard my words whenever I say something. -Psalm 141:3 (CEV)
LORD, help me control what I say. Don’t let me say anything bad. -Psalm 141:3 (ERV)
Each of us, at some point in our lives, will receive a dream or a vision in our heart. It is something that builds a burning desire within us, and drives us to see it manifest. Often, though, we may find ourselves surrounded by people who simply don’t understand our dream.
Their failure to understand may come in the form of trying to protect us: “Are you sure that’s what you want to do with your life? I don’t know, it sounds pretty risky! You’d better play it safe, keep doing what you’re doing now.”
Worse, they may try to criticize us and put us down for it: “You can’t accomplish that dream! You’re not qualified, you don’t have the talent, you don’t have the skills. You’re crazy! You’re throwing your life away! You’re wasting your time! You’ll never make it! Here’s all the reasons why it won’t work…”
If they were meant to understand your dream, God would have placed it in their hearts, as well as yours. But He didn’t, and they don’t. The only “waste of time” is you trying to convince them otherwise. Don’t waste your time or your energy. Just keep moving forward, and keep working towards accomplishing your dream.
If you waste time and energy trying to convince others of the validity and soundness of your dream, of why it will work out, then you run the risk of them speaking negative words and curses, over both you and your dream. You risk that negativity and cursing infecting your spirit, and desecrating, defiling, even killing your dream.
Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. -Matthew 7:6 (NKJV)
You have to develop discernment with other people. If they demonstrate a pattern towards negativity, or if you feel an unease deep down in your spirit, then don’t put your dreams at risk of desecration and defilement. Just keep your peace, and remain silent.
That’s what I had to do with our dinner companion. Don’t get me wrong - at their core, they are a fundamentally good person, but they tend to be rather negative in their attitude, their words, and their outlook on life. Too often, even their humor can be at the expense of others, tearing others down to make themselves feel better. I saw that coming, if I shared what was written from that fortune cookie. Instead, I chose to keep silent, to keep my peace, and protect God’s prophetic sign for me from desecration and defilement.
Let me challenge and encourage you today to keep your peace, by learning to discern who to share your dream with, and who to keep silent with. If you do this, I believe and declare you will not only keep your dream safe from desecration and defilement, but you will also continue nurturing and caring for your dream. You will see that dream continue to grow, and you will eventually, very soon, see that dream come to pass!