When God has given a prophetic promise, how are we to respond? Are we to wait for Him to bring it about in His divine timing, or are we to war for that which He has promised to see it speedily brought forth?

This is not really a trick question. Hopefully you will agree that the answer is—both! Scripture gives clear direction that we are to wait for the Lord and to war for His promises. But sometimes walking this out can be harder than it at first appears. So while both are important, today I want to emphasize the importance of contending for the promises of God and fighting the good fight of faith—both personally and corporately.

“This command I commit to you, my son Timothy, according to the prophecies that were previously given to you, that by them you might fight a good fight” (1 Tim. 1:18).

I call you to fight! When it comes to prophetic promises, hearing God’s voice and responding to God’s voice are two necessary and interdependent aspects of seeing them come to pass. In other words, there is the promise revealed, and then there is the promise fulfilled. We are called the fight the good fight in a battle called spiritual warfare. God is moved by faith and by people who take action (Dan. 11:32). This is an important part of contending for the promised word to bring it into actual reality.

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