Before God does a thing in your life, He’ll often show you a glimpse—just enough to stir your spirit and stretch your faith.
God is not a God of confusion. He is a God of patterns, purpose, and preparation. And one of His divine patterns is this: He reveals before He releases. He will whisper something to your heart, give you a dream, a word, or a burden long before you see the full manifestation. Why? Because He works from the inside out. Transformation doesn’t begin with the miracle—it begins with a vision.
If you’ve been sensing something is coming—something big, holy, and life-altering—you’re not crazy, and you’re not imagining it. You’re likely in the stage where God is showing before He does. But how do you recognize it? And what do you do with what He shows you?
Let’s explore what it looks like when God starts revealing things before they happen—and how to align yourself for the fulfillment.
1. God Gives a Word Before He Makes a Way
Throughout Scripture, God speaks before He moves.
✓ He told Noah to build the ark before the first drop of rain.
✓ He told Abraham he would father nations before he had a single child.
✓ He gave Joseph dreams of rulership before he was thrown into a pit.
✓ He sent angels to Mary before Jesus was born.
God’s pattern is this: first the word, then the waiting, then the wonder.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
So when God shows you something, it’s not fantasy—it’s forewarning. It’s your clue to start preparing, praying, and positioning.
2. What God Shows You Will Often Stretch You
God rarely shows you things that make you comfortable. Instead, He shows you what will require faith.
✓ A business you feel unqualified to run
✓ A ministry that feels too big for your current stage
✓ A shift you didn’t ask for but can’t ignore
✓ A burden to serve, build, or birth something new
If the vision intimidates you, it’s probably from God.
If it feels too big for your resources, it’s just right for His glory.
3. God Often Reveals Through Repetition
Pay attention to what keeps coming back to you—again and again.
✓ A Scripture that jumps out in multiple places
✓ A word or phrase that keeps showing up
✓ A dream that won’t leave you
✓ A tug in your heart that keeps intensifying
Repetition is one of God’s favorite ways to confirm and highlight.
What you keep seeing may be the very thing He’s trying to get you to see clearly—before He brings it to pass.
4. He’ll Begin to Stir Your Environment
God doesn’t just speak in your spirit—He starts shifting things around you.
✓ People start speaking what you’ve been sensing
✓ Old connections begin to fall away
✓ Unexpected doors start to open
✓ Your appetite for certain things begins to shift
It may look like loss, but it’s really alignment. He’s making room for what’s coming.
5. What He Shows You Will Conflict With What You Currently See
God’s previews often clash with your current circumstances.
✓ You see overflow—but you’re still in lack
✓ You see impact—but you’re hidden
✓ You see freedom—but you’re still wrestling internally
✓ You see movement—but feel stuck in delay
Don’t cancel the preview because of current pressure. That contradiction is where faith is forged.
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
God shows it to you before He brings it to pass—so your belief precedes the blessing.
6. He Prepares Your Spirit Before He Shifts Your Season
Before God changes your surroundings, He prepares your perspective.
✓ He’ll stir hunger for something greater
✓ He’ll wean you off distractions
✓ He’ll deepen your prayer life
✓ He’ll rewire your thinking
This is why some people miss what’s coming—because they don’t lean into what God is doing internally first.
7. When God Shows You, Your Job Is to Steward It
When God reveals something, you’re not supposed to just get excited—you’re supposed to get intentional.
✓ Write it down
✓ Pray into it
✓ Fast for direction
✓ Start preparing in practical ways
✓ Guard it from premature exposure
You don’t have to announce it to the world. Just begin building in the spirit. Noah built privately long before the rain proved him right.
8. Don’t Confuse the Preview With the Promise
What God shows you is often a seed—not the full picture.
✓ It will grow over time
✓ It may look different than expected
✓ It will require pruning
✓ It may go through delays, battles, and testing
But what He starts, He finishes.
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it…”
Don’t walk away because it didn’t happen quickly. Trust what He showed you more than what you see right now.
Final Thoughts: God Will Show It Before He Does It
When God gives you a glimpse, He’s not teasing you—He’s trusting you.
He’s saying:
“This is what I’m preparing you for.”
“This is why I’m shifting you.”
“This is what’s coming, so stay ready.”
“This is the promise—now let your faith meet it.”
So don’t ignore the dreams, the whispers, the Scriptures that keep echoing.
Don’t overlook the nudges and confirmations.
Don’t second-guess what keeps burning in your spirit.
Because when God is about to move, He often starts by showing you what’s next—before it ever hits the surface.
Your job is to believe, prepare, and stay in position.
What He’s showing you is real.
And if He’s showing it—it means He’s already begun.