before we begin...

I should make it clear that these are three different prophetic words, given by three different people. These were recorded on tape (which I have). They were not transcribed, but the day that I received them, I listened to the audio tape several times, and wrote what I heard from my perspective. This is not a transcription, even though I do have the audio tape for verification.

The first prophet saw a vision of me going into a hidden place, to do the Lord's work. After a while, I was taken out of hiding, and everyone saw what had been done. He said that it was like I was in a pit, a huge pit, with a giant cover over it, that I was alone in the darkness. He said that the Lord had taken the cover off, and lifted me out of there, for everyone to see.

He gave me a scripture, John 21:15-17 (this is the NIV translation).

John 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed My lambs."
21:16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of My sheep."
21:17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed My sheep."

After Simon Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus forgave him. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and told Peter to "tend My lambs." This scripture is obviously relevant to me, because I, too, denied Christ. I lived for myself, and ignored the Lord. Further, it has been prophecied over me (since before my birth) that I would lead many people to the Lord. This prophet felt it was intended for him to read this passage to me, substituting my name for Peter's, with me giving the answer. Obviously the Lord has forgiven me, and He wanted me to know that He still has a plan for me. He also mentioned that my past is as far from me as the east is from the west.

The second prophet read to me Isaiah 61:1 (this is the NIV again).

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Just before the second prophet gave me this word, he prayed for me. Almost the first line of his prayer was that my life "would not be cut short one day". It seems that everything I went through over the last decade has made my heart soft for the brokenhearted; my experience has made me empathetic for the downtrodden. This prophet also said the "the Lord's not wanting to fill a stadium and have you speak to them yet". Again, this word obviously states that He has a great work in store for me, and that I will be speaking to the multitudes.

The third prophet saw a vision of me wrapped in great wings. She read to me Psalms 91:1-4 (NIV again here).

Psalms 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
91:2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
91:3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

At first this prophet thought that I was protected by an angel, until she read the passage that the Lord had given her. She then felt that the Lord was covering and protecting me in His own wings. The implication here is that the work He is preparing me to do is so important that He has His hand on me directly; and that I was "in a safe place". This prophet mentioned one other thing...

She had no way of knowing this, but before I denied the Lord, I struggled with one issue over all others: being like everyone else. I was afraid that because I'm different, that I'm not as good. I knew that I couldn't go through life trying to live up to a particular lifestyle, and that I couldn't pretend to be a clone of everone else. I've always known that I was different from everyone else in more ways than I know even now, and I was afraid that I couldn't properly fit into God's family unless I was like everyone else. It's important to note that these were the very words going through my head for years before my descension into the pit. So this woman I've never seen before says to me, "He's not holding up a certain lifestyle... to you, the He doesn't want you to be a clone." The words that she spoke to me were the exact words I'd spoken to the Lord a decade before. The Lord wanted to set my mind at ease about something that had troubled me for years, that I am special, and chosen, that it's good that I'm different.

All three prophecies were very powerful, and very personal. The words I was given were not a generic bunch. They were not muddled or cloudy, like a worldly astrologer or "psychic". Obviously God wanted me to receive a powerful, very specific word.   I did.   *grin*