Over the weekend I had two people share with me their contemplation over words they had received from me many years ago. I want to say I am encouraged when someone tells me they are standing on a word. Not necessarily my word, but any word they might have received. Why? Because I often think the world is a fickle place when it comes to words and the idea of “That was great! Can I have another?” Too often they would be better served getting a fortune cookie. So, as I said when someone tells me a word they are holding on I am impressed.

I thinks words of destiny or prophetic words. That is not just said because I am prophetic, but because they can shape destiny.

I think most people want to hear from God. I also think that we might have gone through a glut of words that some might have perceived as “too much” and so the brakes went on The community of believers can be like that. “I want more revelation. I want the next best thing.” I am not denigrating the body, just observing the need to be appeased and recognizing the greater need for maturity to come into play.

Sometimes a word or a teaching can be like a bomb thrown into a crowd. People will be hurt by the blast. But they will be hurt by the “running away” as well. And finally, there is the potential for guilt and discouragement to come. Do I think we should not teach? No! And neither do I think we ought to stop prophesying.

Perhaps the greatest difficulty is a we spend a lot of time “trying” things out with our community and there is a place for that, but the world needs words too. So while “words with friends” is awesome, “words with strangers” is cool too!

Over the last few weekends I have received two words that have stuck out to me. The fact they come from friends make them precious to me. It helps that they are timely as well. Sometimes a fresh word is all it takes to restore hope.

Let us not get bored with words but let us see they are clearly part of the functioning body.