Revelatory Gifts #3: Winning the Prize – Tree of Life Ministries

Photo by alexlmx

Sat 31 October 2009

My son’s youth group hosted Halloween parties at the houses of various church members. I was asked to operate a game booth at one of these houses.

Several games were set up in the garage and driveway for the children, including a lollipop game with two grand prizes of training wheeled bicycles. I operated a game in the garage.

A couple with a little girl about four years old entered the garage. The INSTANT I laid eyes on them, I KNEW the little girl would win one of the bicycles. She was the perfect size to fit the bicycle too.

Since I had received that prophetic Word of Knowledge, I purposely pointed out the lollipop game to the parents when they stopped at my booth. I emphasized the simplicity of the game of chance and the bicycle prize—the child had to pick a lollipop out of a stand and the one with the colored dot at the end of the stick won the game. I urged the parents to make sure they stopped at the lollipop game. They assured me that they would.

I kept my eyes on this family as they went through all the games in the garage and finally arrived at the lollipop game in the driveway. Sure enough, the little girl won one of the bicycles!

A similar experience happened to me decades earlier in 1993: I was playing a friendly game of BINGO with a group of local women. Every woman brought a little prize. The winner of every round of Bingo got to pick an unclaimed prize or “steal” one that had already been claimed. There was one prize that everyone wanted—an adorable stuffed bunny with long black eyelashes. I really wanted to win that bunny for my little daughters.

During the middle of the last round I suddenly KNEW BEYOND A SHADOW OF DOUBT that I was going to win BINGO and claim the stuffed bunny. And sure enough I did.

Some may wonder why God would bother to give someone a prophecy about something so seemingly insignificant as winning a prize. Maybe the parents would not have bothered to stop and play the lollipop game if I had not urged them to, and God knew winning the prize would bless their family. There could be many reasons, including training me to hear His voice and have confidence in the experience.

Consider the vision Jesus had of Nathaniel before they had ever met in person:

“As they approached, Jesus said, ‘Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.’

“’How do you know about me?’ Nathanael asked.

“Jesus replied, ‘I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.’

“Then Nathanael exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel (John 1:47-49!’”

A Word of Knowledge, whether received in a dream or awake, is a witness of God’s Presence and power. Sometimes we are meant to share the Word with the person it is about, but sometimes we are not told to share it directly with the person. Instead, God is giving us information so we know how He wants us to minister to someone.

The Holy Spirit also speaks to us about things that are important to us because God loves us. He doesn’t wait for issues of great significance or only something of a spiritual nature to speak to us. He is our daily companion, our daily bread, meaning He is our life-sustaining nourishment.

Tree of Life Ministries at www.tolm.blog