About three years before Caleb was born, God gave me a picture that I will never forget. It was a seemingly ordinary Sunday morning, the kind where my responsibilities had me moving quickly from one classroom to another, ensuring everything was in place before the service began. At the time, I was serving in the children’s department of my church, and part of my role was to check in with my team of teachers, ensuring they had what they needed to welcome and teach their students well.
That morning, after making my rounds and greeting the teachers in the ten to eleven-year-old class, I paused at their table, where the sign-in folder was lying open. I can’t recall what caught my attention on those pages, maybe a name or the neat way the register had been prepared, but as my eyes lingered until I suddenly felt a gentle nudge in my spirit: Look up.
The moment I lifted my eyes, I saw two siblings approaching the doorway, hand in hand. It was clear they were close in age, a brother and sister, walking side by side. As they came closer, the little girl leaned her head wearily against her brother’s shoulder, sadness written all over her face. He didn’t shrug her off. Instead, he allowed her to rest there for a moment before tenderly raising her head, kissing her forehead, and pulling her into a hug. Without a word, he then turned to walk towards the adjoining classroom for the 12–13-year-olds, leaving his sister to walk into mine alone.
I watched her move slowly toward the table, shoulders still heavy with sorrow, as she reached for the pen to sign her name in the very register I had just been staring at. My teachers were still in the middle of their morning pow wow, so I stepped forward to attend to her myself. “Why are you sad?” I asked. She looked up and replied simply, “My brother turned 12 on Friday, so he has moved to the next class. I don’t like being away from him, so I’m sad.”
I can’t remember what words I offered to comfort her, but I will never forget what happened next. In that quiet, ordinary classroom, the Holy Spirit whispered, “Take a snapshot and store this moment in your heart.” I did just that, imprinting the image of those two siblings, hand in hand, bonded and inseparable, deep in my spirit. And then, as quickly as it came, the moment passed. I moved on with the day, never realising how weighty that picture would become in my journey.
Within the next two years, I would walk through two pregnancies, both ending in loss. Each loss left scars I didn’t yet know how to name. Then came a third pregnancy, this time with Caleb, marked by complications and labelled “high-risk.” The joy of expecting a child was overshadowed by fear, and with every medical milestone, the dream of having more than one child felt like it was slipping further away.
It would have been easier to surrender to fear, to accept one child as “enough” and silence the longing for the picture God had shown me. But deep inside, I knew the image He had given me, the siblings, side by side, was more than a passing thought. It was a prophetic word, an illustration, a promise that demanded a response from me. God had gone through what felt like so much trouble to give me that picture long before I even understood its significance. And so, I found myself faced with a choice: would fear have the final say, or would I respond in faith and allow God’s word to shape my story?
You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; So, light will shine on your ways. ~ Job 22:28 NKJV
“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” ~ Luke 6:45 NLT
I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ~ Psalm 27:13 AMP
When God speaks a prophetic word into our lives, it often ignites a spark of excitement and expectation. We may see glimpses of what He has promised and feel as though everything is lining up perfectly. But soon after, opposition comes. The word begins to attract resistance, and instead of walking boldly in it, we sometimes shrink back. We start to ask, “Did I really hear God?” We ask others, and their cautious responses feed our doubts. Before long, we may find ourselves setting aside the very word God gave to anchor us. What we must remember is this: God doesn’t give us His word just to inform us; He gives it to arm us. His word is never meant to be a piece of inspirational information; it’s a weapon, a shield, and a lamp for our path. That means His word places a demand on us for a response.
I’ve learned through experience that when I’m in difficulty and I run to God, hoping He’ll repeat Himself or change what He said, He often speaks about something completely different. It used to frustrate me. “God, can we talk about the storm I’m in right now?” But He remained unmoved by my chaos and focused instead on what was next on His agenda for me. Over time, I’ve realised this is His way of showing me that my present is already secure in Him. If God is already speaking about the future, it’s proof that what I’m facing now is already taken care of. That perspective is meant to bring me peace, not agitation. It’s a reminder that when God speaks, it’s as good as done.
The key is in our response; it matters. We respond to God’s word not only with our prayers and obedience but also with our words. We don’t just speak empty phrases; we speak what we believe. And when belief fills our words, our decisions align with them, and heaven moves. Here are five reminders to encourage you as you respond to the visionary words God is speaking over your life:
Carry the Word Right
The very areas where God gives us a word are often the ones where we face the greatest resistance. Why? Because there’s a war over what God intends to birth through you. His word is your weapon to wield during that opposition. But if you treat it casually, if you fail to esteem it, guard it, or stand on it, you lay down your weapon. And when you lay it down, the enemy gains ground. Carry the word as though it were a treasure. Guard it fiercely. Use it boldly. It’s not just a promise to admire; it’s a weapon to fight with.
Stop Questioning God
There’s a difference between seeking God for clarity and questioning Him out of unbelief. Clarity flows from a posture of trust: “Lord, help me see what You’re saying more clearly.” Questioning flows from doubt: “Lord, are You sure You know what You’re doing?” One posture invites revelation, the other resists it. Which posture are you holding right now? Remember, God is not intimidated by your questions, but He is honoured by your trust. To respond well, choose to lean into trust, even when your understanding is incomplete.
Embrace the Storms
If life were free of storms, you would never grow into the person God is shaping you to be. What you call a storm, God calls a training ground. What you see as resistance, He sees as refinement. He doesn’t view the storm as the end of you; He sees it as the growth of you. Instead of labelling every trial as a disaster, learn to pause and ask, “Lord, what is this?” Call the storm what God calls it, and you will find strength to embrace it… even when it’s hard.
Let Go of Guilt
Self-awareness is a gift. It keeps us humble and constantly mindful of God’s mercy. But guilt is not the same as godly awareness. Guilt is a tool of the enemy, designed to make you disqualify yourself from what God has already qualified you for. Guilt whispers, “You’re not worthy.” Grace declares, “The blood of Jesus has made you worthy.” Refuse to let guilt drag you out of the race and rob you of your word. Learn to repent quickly, rise again, and keep walking in the freedom Christ has secured for you.
Stop Killing the Vision
Sometimes, without realising it, our choices suffocate the very vision God placed in our hearts. We allow distractions, compromises, or even laziness to slowly choke it out. Other times, we settle for mediocrity, accepting less than God’s standard because the world says it’s “good enough.” But God hasn’t called you to “good enough.” He’s called you to His standard, His abundance, and His excellence. Take an honest inventory of your life. Are your habits cultivating the vision, or are they killing it? Submit the grey areas to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to search your heart. Then, take ownership and steward the word with intentionality. Don’t live on autopilot, live awake, aligned, and actively cultivating the vision of God for your life.
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Sight alone can’t inspire faith, but faith in God gives you true sight. Faith feeds your response to His word. God created the entire world with His words. Do you not think He has much to accomplish in and through your life with His words over you? Esteem His words. Believe them. Stop questioning them. When opposition comes, let it become a training ground. When guilt tries to creep in, declare the freedom Jesus purchased for you. Guard the vision and cultivate it with diligence.
My prayer for you is this: May you rise to respond with bold faith to every word God has spoken over your life. And as you do, may His kingdom be established through you in every place He has called you to influence.
