Have You Lost Your Prophetic Edge?

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Prophetic Reset

Following Jesus is a lifestyle of constantly arranging and rearranging our lives around him and what he is doing.

As a new semester begins, ask Jesus what next step he wants you to take.

A prophetic reset is about aligning your life with what God is saying. Not simply returning to where you were, but moving forward into the future he has for you.

What Is a Prophetic Word?

A specific word from God that empowers you to create the future with him.

Specific: It speaks to your life, situation, and circumstances.
From God: Not from yourself, other people, or the world.
Empowering: A word of grace that enables you to do what you could not do on your own.

It may bring correction, revelation, encouragement, a command, provision, or a promise. It fills you with faith, hope, and courage to move forward with God.

Are We Listening?

Whoever you follow, you listen to. Whoever you listen to, you follow.

Our conversations can be full of what we think, want, and feel, or what other people say. Followers of Jesus should also be able to speak about what God is saying, the promises they are holding, and the words they are waiting on.

The question is not whether God is speaking. Are we listening, and are we willing to align with what he says?

Matthew 4:4

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4 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

John 8:47

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47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Isaiah 30:21

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21 And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

John 16:12-13

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12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.
13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

God's Voice Is Your Life

Just as your body needs bread every day, your soul needs the voice of God. His voice is fresh, nourishing, and satisfying.

If you belong to God, you hear him. Learn to discern his voice, tune in, and bring your life into agreement with what he says.

The Holy Spirit speaks, guides, and tells us what is to come. He can whisper because he is right here.

You were created to live with a prophetic edge: a life with clarity, sharpness, weight, and authority because you have aligned with the Spirit speaking within you.

John 5:19

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19 So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

John 8:28

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28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.

John 12:50

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50 And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”

Luke 6:40

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40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

A Culture That Values God's Voice

Jesus arranged his life around the Father: going where the Father was going, doing what the Father was doing, and saying what the Father was saying. As his disciples, this is the life he is training us to live.

Does the culture of your home value God's voice? Listen to the conversations in your marriage, family, and relationships. Are they only about what we think and what others recommend, or do we ask what God is saying?

John shared how he and Colleen have sought words from God for their children, each school year, major decisions, and church leadership. Those words have given them direction for parenting, praying, and moving into new seasons.

Listening to God will cost you something, but it will give you everything.

Proverbs 22:6

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6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Your Life Is Significant

Your life is so big, significant, and important that you need the voice of God to live it.

You are not just a businessperson, parent, teacher, student, or retiree. Your work, relationships, parenting, time, resources, and prayers matter.

How will you raise children, build a healthy marriage, choose relationships, or discern your future without God's wisdom?

Do not treat your life as too small to need his voice.

Revelation Before Action

We often want a word of action: Which option should I choose? What should I do?

God often offers a word of revelation: who we are and who he is.

He speaks about our identity, heart, character, attitudes, thoughts, and the lies we believe. He reveals his nature, goodness, and glory.

When we understand who we are and who he is, it becomes easier to know what to do. Do not bypass relationship just to get a decision.

John 17:3

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3 Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

Interactive Relationship

Eternal life is interactive relationship with God, now and forever.

Relationship includes communication: listening, speaking, hearing, and caring about what the other person has to say.

A personal relationship with Jesus values his voice. It is more than identifying with him or believing in him while leaving his voice out of everyday life.

1 Samuel 23:4

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4 Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

James 1:5

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5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

The Greatest Strategy

The greatest strategy of your life is the voice of God.

David repeatedly inquired of the Lord. His strategy was to ask God and do what God said, even when it differed from what he thought or what others recommended.

Asking God for wisdom honors him. Even when you do not immediately hear the answer you wanted, you have expressed that you value his counsel.

Make room to wait. Come as a servant ready to listen, not as someone demanding an immediate answer.

1 Samuel 3:9-10

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9 “Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Psalms 29:3-11

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3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace.

The Word of the Lord Came to You

Consider the weight of that statement: God's thought, wisdom, will, direction, and understanding entrusted to a person.

The Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer speaks. His voice is powerful and majestic. It breaks, shakes, exposes, strengthens, and brings peace.

What happens after his word comes to you? Do you embrace it, align with it, repent, and rejoice? Or do you ignore it, distance yourself, and look for another answer?

He is not merely one voice among many.

Genesis 1:3

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3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Mark 4:39

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39 Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.

Matthew 4:19

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19 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

John 11:43

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43 After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

Mark 5:36

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36 But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.”

Mark 5:34

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34 “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”

John 8:11

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11 “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”

Hebrews 3:15

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15 As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.”

Philippians 2:10-11

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10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A Heart That Receives

The God who spoke creation into being, stilled the storm, called disciples, raised Lazarus, healed, and forgave is speaking to you.

John emphasized that the human heart can resist the voice of God. We can harden ourselves against the very word that would bring life.

Will you receive his voice now with humility, surrender, trust, and hope?

One word from God changes everything.

2 Kings 6:1-7

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1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us.
2 Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha.
3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.
4 So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.
5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
6 “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.
7 “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.

The Lost Axe Head

A company of prophets needed more room. With Elisha, they went to the river to cut timber and build. As one man worked, his borrowed iron axe head fell into the water.

He cried out for help. Elisha asked where it had fallen, threw a stick into the water, and the iron floated. The man then had to reach out and take it.

John offered the axe head as a picture of the prophetic edge of God's voice: sharp, penetrating, weighty, and able to accomplish what a wooden handle cannot.

The handle must be shaped to fit the head. God's voice does not change to fit us. We change to fit it.

Hebrews 4:12

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12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Luke 4:32

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32 They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

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19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

Luke 12:48

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48 But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.

Mark 4:24

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24 He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.

Where Did You Lose It?

The axe was borrowed. John connected that detail to our lives: we belong to God, and we are accountable for how we live and respond to what he entrusts to us.

Where did you lose your prophetic edge?

When God asked you to do something and you disobeyed?
In a relationship or job you knew you should not pursue?
When activities began to crowd and overwhelm your life?
When you changed friendships or tried to keep up with everyone else?

Be honest about where it was lost.

Humility and Faith

In John's illustration, the wooden stick points to the cross of Jesus. Through the cross, Jesus can restore what was taken, redeem what was lost, and resurrect what has died.

Recovering your prophetic edge requires:

Humility: Acknowledge that it is missing and ask for help.
Faith: Reach out and take hold of what God restores.

Taking it back also means allowing your life to be shaped to fit his voice. The axe head is not what needs reshaping. The handle is.

1 Samuel 3:19

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19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

Ecclesiastes 10:10

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10 If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.

Working Without an Edge

Samuel kept his heart positioned to listen, and his words carried weight.

A dull axe requires more strength. Without the head at all, a wooden handle cannot do the work.

We can stay busy with religious activity and look as though we are building while avoiding the reality that we have lost our prophetic edge.

Just as you cannot build a house without an axe head, you cannot build your life without the voice of God.

Take Hold of It Again

You hear the voice of God when you fill your life with:

The Word of God
The Spirit of God
The people of God

This is how you reach out in faith and take the axe head back.

If you have lost your prophetic edge, it can be restored. If you have never had it, it is available. If it has become dull, it can be sharpened.

Make Room to Listen

Scripture: Begin filling your life with God's Word. John suggested joining the church reading plan, one chapter a day.
The Holy Spirit: Begin each day by inviting him in. A reminder where you start your morning can help you remember.
Godly relationships: Rearrange your life to join a circle, serve team, or healthy relationships where you meet regularly.

These steps require a willingness to let your life be shaped around God's voice.

Pause and Listen

Take at least one minute to listen.

What does the Holy Spirit want to say to you?
What is he stirring?
What is he drawing your attention toward?
Have you lost your prophetic edge, and do you want it back?

He is not far away. He is here, speaking, loving, and leading.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank you that you are the living Word and that you have come to speak to us.

May our hearts be pierced by your word. Meet us in our hardness so that we can receive what you want to say.

Thank you for offering peace and rest for our souls and our lives.

Speak, Lord, this week. In your name, amen.