One morning the Lord dropped this thought into my spirit. Personal preparation leads to a place where we will see the corporate expression of His love. ‘Why’? I asked. He told me; ‘because personal preparation is a heart-felt invitation that the Lord simply cannot resist responding to’. In essence this is the story of the life of Jesus ! Think about it ; His personal time was spent in worship, prayer, soaking, learning to hear and being obedient to the voice of the Father (a heart-felt expression by Jesus). An intimate relationship with the Father was formed and valued above everything . So when the time came for Jesus to walk in the public eye (corporate time) the Father showed up with power and glory ! The mountain top, public experiences were preceded by personal preparation, dedication and relationship building (of course the world would have had Him otherwise occupied) ! It’s was the same for King David as we learnt on Day 9 (1 Sam 30). You will recall, despite extreme circumstances, he took time out (away from the crowd), settled his heart and mind through worship, soaking and prayer. It was then that he enquired of the Lord, and received His encouraging response ! David exemplified personal preparation and had a record of being obedient to the voice of the Father (a heart felt expression from David). The key to seeing the power, glory and victory in the corporate, as shown in this record, is I believe the Lord’s response to the personal preparation of David’s ! Both Jesus and David understood and demonstrated the importance of preparation in their relationship with the Father. It was the key to seeing the Lords glory falling and victory over the enemy time after time. They both knew through experience and their relationship that it was a crucial step in fulfilling their call (identity) and achieving their destiny ! So my question is this ; could our own preparation lead us to the same level of encounters and expressions of God’s glory over the enemy as Jesus and David saw ? If so that would allow us to step into our true identity in Christ and all we were created for. I think the answer is yes ! It all comes down to us making a choice and following it with heart-felt commitment and action.
So here is your Challenge today.
1. Ask the Lord how He would have you adapt, change or differ your personal time with Him ?
2. Start moving your prayer from obligation to lifestyle and extending your time with Him beyond your quiet time into every moment of your day and night.
3. Spend the first 10 minutes when you wake (before getting up) and the last 10 minutes (before you go to sleep) dreaming with the Lord. Maybe say this prayer ; ‘Father I open my heart, mind and spirit to You to reveal to me what’s on Your mind and in Your heart’. Amen
Let’s pray
Father I thank You for the thought and revelation that has led us to an amazing conclusion and invitation today. Help us Lord to be people that value preparation to the point it becomes a lifestyle and that through our heart-felt expression, we will see your full manifest presence (your Glory) wherever we go. Amen
