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Preparation Comes Before Manifestation
Main Scripture — Proverbs 24:27 (KJV)
“Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.”
There are many things in life that require preparation.
Before a farmer expects a harvest, he prepares the soil.
Before a student takes an examination, he prepares by studying.
Before an athlete enters competition, he prepares by training.
Before a builder puts up a house, there must be plans and a foundation.
Before a preacher stands to preach, there should be prayer, study, and preparation.
Even Jesus taught us the importance of preparation.
Luke 14:28 (KJV)
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”
God is a God of preparation.
God prepared Noah before the flood.
God prepared Joseph before the famine.
God prepared Moses before the Exodus.
God prepared Joshua before Canaan.
God prepared David before the throne.
God prepared Esther before she approached the king.
Jesus prepared His disciples before Pentecost.
And God is still preparing His people today.
But here is something we need to understand:
Preparation doesn't always feel like preparation while you're going through it.
Sometimes preparation feels like waiting.
Sometimes it feels like correction.
Sometimes it feels like pressure.
Sometimes it feels like a closed door.
Sometimes it feels like you're being overlooked.
Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening.
But God may be saying:
“I'm not denying you. I'm developing you.”
So today I want to preach one word:
PREPARE!
Because you don't want to start getting ready after your opportunity arrives.
You want to be ready when it comes.
P — PRAY BEFORE YOU PROCEED
Preparation begins with prayer.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV)
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Before making the decision—pray.
Before accepting the opportunity—pray.
Before starting the relationship—pray.
Before beginning the ministry—pray.
Before making the investment—pray.
Before responding in anger—pray.
Prayer invites God into the preparation.
Jesus demonstrated this.
Before choosing the twelve apostles, Jesus spent the night in prayer.
Luke 6:12–13 (KJV)
“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;”
Jesus prayed before He chose.
“Don't let your feet take you somewhere your prayers haven't prepared you to go.”
Before you proceed—
PRAY!
R — REMOVE WHAT WILL HINDER YOU
Preparation sometimes requires removal.
Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…”
Notice Scripture mentions both weight and sin.
Everything hindering you may not necessarily be sinful.
Some things are simply too heavy to carry into your next season.
God may be saying:
Remove the bitterness.
Remove the unforgiveness.
Remove the unnecessary distractions.
Remove destructive habits.
Remove pride.
Remove relationships that continually pull you away from God.
Illustration
Before an airplane takes off, weight matters. There is a limit to what it can safely carry.
And sometimes we are asking God to take us higher while insisting on carrying everything with us.
Preaching Line
“Some things weren't bad for where you were, but they're too heavy for where God is taking you.”
Preparation asks:
“WHAT DO I NEED TO LEAVE BEHIND?”
E — EXAMINE YOURSELF
Before we examine everybody else, preparation requires us to examine ourselves.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…”
David prayed:
Psalm 139:23–24 (KJV)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Preparation requires honest self-examination.
How is my prayer life?
How is my attitude?
How am I treating people?
Am I holding unforgiveness?
Am I living what I'm preaching?
Am I growing spiritually?
Can God correct me?
Don't always pray:
“Lord, change them.”
Sometimes preparation requires:
“LORD, CHANGE ME!”
Preaching Line
“You cannot prepare what you refuse to examine.”
P — POSITION YOURSELF FOR GOD'S PURPOSE
There are times when God has already promised something, but we must position ourselves appropriately.
Think about the widow in 2 Kings 4.
Elisha told her to borrow empty vessels.
She gathered them before the oil multiplied.
The vessels were preparation.
Or consider the Shunammite woman.
2 Kings 4:10 (KJV)
“Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall…”
She prepared a room today without knowing what God would do tomorrow.
Sometimes faith means making room before you see anything happening.
Noah built before rain.
Joseph stored before famine.
The wise virgins carried oil before the midnight cry.
Preaching Line
“Faith doesn't only believe God will do something—faith gets ready for what it believes God will do.”
Ask yourself:
Am I positioned for what I've been praying for?
A — ACCEPT GOD'S PROCESS
This may be the hardest part of preparation.
We want God's promise.
But we don't always want God's process.
Joseph dreamed about leadership.
But between the dream and the palace came:
A pit.
Slavery.
False accusation.
Prison.
Waiting.
Joseph could not see it at the time, but God was developing him.
James 1:3–4 (KJV)
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
God's process may involve:
Waiting.
Correction.
Serving.
Learning.
Disappointment.
Closed doors.
Small assignments.
And difficult seasons.
Remember our Potter's House message:
The clay cannot become the vessel while refusing the Potter's hands.
“Don't ask God for the finished product while resisting the process He uses to produce it.”
Tell somebody:
“TRUST THE PROCESS!”
R — REMAIN READY
It isn't enough to get ready.
You've got to stay ready.
Jesus taught this through the five wise and five foolish virgins.
Matthew 25:10 (KJV)
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage…”
Notice those words:
“THEY THAT WERE READY.”
All ten had lamps.
All ten were waiting.
All ten became sleepy.
But only five had prepared adequately.
When the midnight cry came, there wasn't time to start preparing.
The opportunity had arrived.
Church, there are some things you cannot wait until the last minute to prepare for.
Don't wait for trouble to start praying.
Don't wait for temptation to learn Scripture.
Don't wait until your family is in crisis to start building relationships.
Don't wait for the door to open to develop your gift.
Preaching Line
“If you stay ready, you don't have to scramble to get ready when God opens the door.”
E — EXPECT GOD TO MOVE
Preparation should produce expectation.
Psalm 5:3 (KJV)
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
David prayed—and then looked up.
That's expectation.
Elijah told his servant to look toward the sea because he was expecting rain.
Eventually the servant saw a little cloud.
1 Kings 18:44 (KJV)
“Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.”
Elijah didn't need a big cloud.
He knew a little evidence was enough when God had spoken.
Application
If you're praying, expect God to hear you.
If you're planting, expect a harvest in God's timing.
If you're preparing, expect God to use the preparation according to His will.
If God told you to build the room, build it.
If God told you to gather the vessels, gather them.
If God told you to prepare the ark,
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