The Three Types of Sight
There are three types of spiritual sights, viz: Hindsight, which helps us to understand history. By history I mean learning from what God has done in the past, including His dealings with men, both believers and non, to understand God’s patterns and mode of operation. For though God’s ways are past finding out, He is principled and some of His actions are actually predictable.
The second type of sight is insight, which the spiritual gifts of the words of wisdom, knowledge and discernment of Spirit exemplify, including revelation knowledge. This is a sight that God grants to help understand the prevailing situations and to proffer solutions to them. Sometimes the solutions could be drawn from history, but at other times God, who is unlimited in His ways and dynamic in His operations, could employ novel methods to administer solutions to these prevailing circumstances. I shall return in another article to describe each of the aforementioned gifts, including revelation knowledge in a more manner.
The third type of sight is foresight. This is the type of sight that peers into the future, understands what it holds and through this knowledge is able to guide our actions to either accomplish this future or avert its fulfilment. They often display God’s design for the future, and in our context, God’s design for our lives. This type of sight is handled by prophecies, dreams and visions. So, one can receive God’s plan for one’s life through the above means.
One of the mistakes some Christians make is to think that because a prophecy has gone out on their behalf concerning what God wants to do with them, it means that it must surely come to pass no matter what they do. They feel that prophecies, dreams and visions can’t be appropriated, but just come to pass without input from the recipient. This thought or conviction is predicated on the fact that God does not lie and so whatever He says must be fulfilled irrespective of how the recipient acts in regard to the prophecy given.
I’d like to underline three points here:
1. When God says something good concerning you, it means that He has purposed to do that. He has the necessary resources to accomplish His will for your life no matter the prevailing circumstances. No demon or man can successfully withstand that good thing from being fulfilled in your life. But do you know who can stop God’s hand from fulfilling the prophecy? You. Yes, you can frustrate God’s plan for your life. A simple instance is when you allow sin to come between you and God; God’s hand becomes short that He cannot bring to pass what He has said concerning you – ask Eli’s sons. (Isaiah 59:1-2; 1 Samuel 2:30).
2. Most times, God does not see us as we are but as he wants us to become according to His predetermined plan (Jeremiah 1:5). When God gives you a promise through dreams, visions or prophecies, it is not that He doesn’t know nor understand your present limiting situations, but He chooses to order your steps towards His plan for your life. After all, he is God and those limiting factors do not limit Him or His plans for you.
3. You might be in sin when the prophecy was given or when you saw the dream, but it doesn’t mean that you should remain in sin, nor does it mean that the prophecy will still be fulfilled even if you remain in sin. You need to grow into the prophecy God has made for you. You are not helping God; you are simply showing God that you’re interested in what he has said concerning you(Galatians 1:15-16). You may not be it when it was given but you can and should become the person to fulfil it. You were not the ‘right person’ for the future that was promised, now work to become the right person that will fulfil it.
The Book of Proverbs 12:27 says, “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.” What you have received in the form of prophecy, dream or vision can be likened to a game you caught in hunting. But the game is raw and can’t be eaten all at once. You need to prepare some parts for immediate consumption and preserve the rest for the days ahead, or else it will putrefy and waste. You have caught some prophecies and it’s time to go home to roast and preserve them for manifestation.
How to Fulfil God’s Prophecies in Your Life
Below are a few tips on how to roast your game, that is, how to preserve the prophecies you have received from God until they are fulfilled.
1. Remain attached to God who gave the promise.
He was the one that made the promise, and He is surely the One that will fulfil it. God remains the best guarantee that the rosy and flowery tomorrow will come to pass. Therefore, detaching yourself from Him is as good as nullifying what He has said. At the age of 99, God appeared to Abram and asked him to remain perfect as a prerequisite for the manifestation of the covenant they had reached many years ago (Genesis 17:1-14). When you pull away from God, you pull away from what he has said concerning you. Remain attached to him and he will bring the prophecies to pass.
2. Believe the promise.
What you don’t have faith for you’ll hardly receive. One of the things God hates is unbelief. When you don’t believe that God can accomplish what he has designed, God feels belittled. The book of Hebrews 11 tells us that you must believe that God is and that he rewards those who diligently seek him. So, without faith in God’s ability to fulfil those dreams, visions and prophecies, you will likely miss them. Believe that He that has promised is able to fulfil what He said. As one Pastor said, faith is a hook that plucks God’s ripe blessings.
3. Be faithful in the little you’re doing until the much is granted.
Despising the little because of what you have been told is a sure way of not getting there. The little of today prepares you for the plenty of tomorrow. As the scriptures say, whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might.
4. Learn the lives and times of the people whom God made similar prophecies and brought them to pass.
As I said previously, God is principled as well as dynamic. The pattern of God’s operations in the past remains the same and His dealings with individuals still vary. For instance, if you have received a prophecy concerning your future as a prophet, the right thing is to study the lives and times of the Biblical prophets to see how they walked with God and how God spoke to them. Certain experiences you see will remain the same while others will be customised to you. Learn from these people and prepare for the prophesied future.
5. Hold on to that promise through thick and thin.
God’s promise doesn’t guarantee a smooth sail to the promised land, but he promises deliverance and His continual presence (Isaiah 43:1-2). There will be many steppingstones along the way, things from satan and his cohorts to derail your path. But never transform those steppingstones into limiting mountains. See every trial, temptation and trouble as part of the process. Hold on to God and the promised future through the storm, raging sea or the wilderness.
6. Never forget what God has said as the days go by.
There is always a waiting period between the promise and its accomplishment. While waiting, constantly remind God of the prophecies, dreams and visions given. That action shows that you appreciate the glorious future he has promised, and the more you appreciate it, the more promise unfolds.
Remember: Not all dreams will be achieved. Not all visions will be accomplished. Not all prophecies will come to pass. Not because God is incapable, but because the man to whom they were given didn’t do his part to become the right person to achieve the dreams, accomplish the visions or fulfil the prophecies.
