Proverbs 25:11 says, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."  Accepting the comfort and edification available through prophecy can heal a broken heart. As Graham Cooke writes, "Hurts, wounds, rejections, and emotional trauma are a part of our lives, both before and after salvation.  The Good News is that we serve a God who is committed to our healing at every level (physical, mental, emotional).  The goal of God is wholeness of life and fullness of the Spirit."  Prophecy is a wonderful part of that healing and renewing process.  Prophecy brings us, by direct verbal communication, into contact with God's real perspective on our lives and current situations.

When we ponder how the God of all creation cares enough to send a personal message from His heart, no matter what the function of the prophecy, it causes us to stop and think about what our individual value to Him must be! Receiving His word brings a new appreciation of God's deep love and care for us.  It reminds us of our position with Him.

When we receive God's word we often get a clearer understanding of where He is leading us. Knowing where we are headed causes us to focus more intently on the plans and goals God has for us. New excitement and vision are often direct results of the prophetic word that brings us direction. 

The revelation that comes through prophecy will often open up new insights and inspire deeper understanding of mysteries in the Bible.  Paul says that we can gain "knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets" (Eph. 3:4-5).  Prophecy will often serve as a catalyst for understanding biblical truths that we have not seen or understood before.

God delights in confirming His message to us. He will often use prophecy to say something to us that we may have heard in some other form.

God does not want us ensnared by our own sin or by schemes of the devil.  Prophecy, delivered in love, can often warn us that our own sin will result in calamity and despair down the road if we do not repent and turn to God.  Prophecy can also warn us of traps the enemy has set for us.

All salvation is a result of hearing the voice of the Lord on some level. Yet there are times when the Lord clearly speaks. Graham Cooke writes, "Prophecy can uncover past history which needs to be amended. It can provide an agenda for repentance, restitution, and revival."

There are methods of operation and administration that God is revealing to the Church that will burst us forth into new practices and new strategies that will work for the 21st centuries.

The Lord can reveal what the problem is, what the root is, and/or give a prophetic word to unlock the strategy that the person needs to move forward in God's plan for their life.

When we know the will of God in a certain area, we have great fuel for our prayer lives. God's will is made known to us through the prophetic. That knowledge gives us basis for ongoing prayer to see His will done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Prophecy can provide us with the strategy we need to war against the enemy who strives to keep God's plans from manifesting in our lives. 

Prophecy can change things. When our spirits receive a word from the Lord, we know that there is hope, that there is a way to see that prophetic word fulfilled.