What is a divine appointment?

Response

When someone mentions a divine appointment, they are likely talking about an extraordinary event in a believer’s life or a significant spiritual encounter with another person. The timing, purpose, and outcome of the experience appear to be orchestrated by God rather than mere chance or coincidence.

Some may refer to a divine appointment as a “God moment.” These seemingly rare occurrences are often significant milestones or turning points in our journey of faith as we develop in knowledge, understanding, wisdom, discernment, and in our capacity to minister to others. These encounters may leave us with a strong conviction that we are carrying out the “good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” «For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.», (Ephesians 2:10). In Acts 8:26–40, Philip experiences an unmistakable divine appointment when an angel of the Lord instructs him to share the gospel with an Ethiopian eunuch who happens to be reading Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah.

Another notable divine appointment takes place in Acts 10. The Lord clearly communicates to Peter and Cornelius beforehand through separate revelations that they will play crucial roles in a significant encounter where God bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers for the first time. However, in most cases, the true reality and importance of these divine appointments are only realized in hindsight.

In Acts 12:6–11, Peter suddenly comprehends that his escape from prison, which he thought was a dream, has actually occurred «And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”».

ws. », (Acts 12:11). Frequently, hours, days, and sometimes even years go by before we finally realize that God has been working in our past, delivering us from evil through various divine appointments. In Joseph’s experience, a significant portion of his life had passed before he fully understood that his brothers’ betrayal and selling him into slavery had been a divine appointment: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” «But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. », (Genesis 50:20, NLT).

God is always working to fulfill His sovereign purposes in our lives: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son. . . . And having chosen them, he called them to come to him” (Romans 8:28-30;NLT). The Lord is ever close to us (Jeremiah 23:23;Psalm 139:7-12), continually advancing our life’s assigned mission in countless divine appointments, whether we perceive them or not (Philippians 2:13;Ephesians 1:11).

We must avoid becoming overly fixated on dramatic divine appointments, searching for them at every corner. Our sinful nature may tempt us to seek signs and validations from individuals who make us feel especially cherished by God and significant in His kingdom. Numerous impostors and even heretics will saBy catering to our desires, we may hear what we want, but it may not align with the truth (2 Timothy 4:3-4). A strong spiritual focus is rooted in God’s Word and led by His truth. If we solely seek extraordinary and sensational moments, we might overlook the more significant reality of God’s consistent, daily provision and involvement in our lives through the advocacy of His Son and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27, 34;Hebrews 7:25). It is better to allow God to reveal these encounters in His perfect timing as He deems appropriate. We cannot rush them; we can only rely on God’s sovereign design and act in accordance with His intentions.

Similar to Joseph enduring his challenging circumstances, we may not always perceive God’s hidden work in our lives. However, all believers can be certain that, at every moment of each day, God is orchestrating “everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” «in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: », (Ephesians 1:11). God’s intention for every follower is sanctification—a continual process of being conformed to the likeness and character of Jesus Christ (see Romans 8:29;see Romans 15:16;Ephesians 1:4-11;John 17:17;2 Corinthians 3:18).

The most significant divine appointment in our lives is the glorious day we encounter Jesus Christ. It is the moment when we heed God’s call to approach Him, turn from our sins, and receive salvation (John 6:44;Hebrews 3:8). Just as the wo

When a man encounters Jesus at the well, we surrender our lives to Him and drink from God’s eternal fountain of living water (John 4:7-38). From that moment on, we abide in Jesus, remaining in Him and bearing much fruit “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”, (John 15:5). Every day and every moment in our relationship with Jesus is a divine appointment “This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”, (Psalm 118:24), all leading to the culminating moment when we stand before God’s throne in His eternal kingdom and worship Him forever (Revelation 20:11-13;21:3-4;Revelation 22:3-5).