Many of us have dreams and goals that we are working hard to achieve and make them come to fruition. Many times we focus on the start and finish and try to take time to enjoy the process, which is great. BUT how have you prepared before you started? Planning is great but preparation is even better.
prep·a·ra·tion (noun)
ˌprepəˈrāSH(ə)n
- the action or process of making ready or being made ready for use or consideration.
“the preparation of a draft contract”
Many of us are waiting on prayers to be answered or for a prophetic word to come to pass and are wondering what the holdup is. Let’s consider that the reason if hasn’t happened is because we haven’t prepared for it. I remember a friend explaining to me how she had ordered a new bedroom set for her son but had to delay delivery because he had not yet gotten rid of the old set. So because she wasn’t prepared she had to pay extra to reschedule. How much have you paid extra for because you weren’t prepared? See many of us want God to bless us in many areas but have yet to make room to receive them. What if all it took was an act of Faith on your part to open up the floodgates from heaven? Is your basket ready to receive the fruits of your labor? If God has told that your ministry or business is called internationally why have you not applied for a passport yet or even purchased a set of luggage? Learned a new language?
I remember a FB friend posting how a couple years ago she decided to learn French for some reason. She knew she wanted to travel and teach abroad. Fast Forward to Jan 2017 she receives a Job offer to teach in Paris for a year. Had she not prepared herself 2 years prior it’s possible that this door would have never opened for her? God has something planned for you, and if you’re not living in the fulfillment of His plan for you, then now is the season of preparation. Rest assured, you’re not alone. We all go through times like this. The Bible tells us that even Jesus needed time to grow and increase in wisdom, stature and in years before He was ready to make a global impact through His three-year ministry (Luke 2:52).
I encourage you to make room for your blessings. Maybe it’s going back to school and finishing up that degree, maybe its learning a new language, or maybe it’s just simply cleaning out your closet of old things. Maybe you can be bold and get that brand new luggage set or you can do like me and start purchasing items for your new office that you are trusting God to bless you with. I have color schemes picked out and items for my desk already. So trust and believe that when it’s time to move into my future office I will be prepared to set up and open immediately. Do something bold and watch how God moves.
Here are some tips on Harness the Power of Preparation
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Plant Your Seeds in the Ground
You position yourself to receive God’s blessings by planting your seeds in the ground. A seed, for purposes of this devotion, is information you garner in preparation for your harvest. For example, if you’re believing God to become a millionaire, you ought to plant seeds of knowledge in the ground by educating yourself on how to obtain the wealth you’re believing God for. If you’re believing God for a house, your seeds might include researching the housing market and finding out what credit score is needed to get approved for a mortgage loan. This is how you begin preparing for your blessing. Whatever you’re believing God for, plant seeds in the ground for the harvest you’re expecting.
2. Tend to Your Seeds and Water Them
Once you’ve planted seeds of information in the ground, like a gardener, you must then tend to your seeds by watering them. Watering encourages growth and is done in expectation of a harvest. Gardeners understand this principle because they water their seeds periodically despite the fact of not seeing a harvest. They understand their consistency will yield them a harvest in due season.
3. Remember to Be Patient
As you’re watering your seeds, remember to keep in mind your expected harvest. You want to remind yourself daily why you’re doing a particular task. I say this because there will be times you question whether or not your actions are fruitful. You don’t see the work God is doing beneath the surface, so you get discouraged. Remember, we plant seeds in the ground in expectation of a harvest, but it is God who determines when we will yield our harvest.
Remember this: If you stay ready then you never have to get ready