PREPERATION BY PRAYER

II Chronicles 12:14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

To my fellow reader, I briefly mentioned before (previous blog: Glory by Sanctification) about preparing your heart and your spirit before the Lord. I want to write more about preparation and why it is key to walk successfully in the ways of the Lord, the ways of His Kingdom.

As we read in the first verse given out of II Chronicles 12, we read that King Rehoboam, who was the 4th ruler over Judah, did evil because he prepared not his heart. We see in verses 1 and 13 of the same chapter that he had no problem strengthening himself, but he lacked in preparing his heart before God.

To prepare your heart before the Lord is to be in fellowship with Him. To maintain a lifestyle of daily communion with Him, to be in fervent prayer. This is the first and important step in preparation that can not be overlooked. Usually when one prepares for something, it’s because they know of an outcome that will result that influences one to prepare. Like how God called Noah to build an ark in preparation of preserving life from the flood. When you take time to prepare your heart and build on your relationship with the Lord you are preserving your life and resisting the enemy, resisting evil in any way. There are so many other men and women of God mentioned in the Bible that experienced divine favor from the Lord, but they first prepared themselves for it.

This is a simple lesson to learn, but it’s very foundational. It’s needed today because there are many in the church that have no problem strengthening themselves, in “their” own “self” ministry, “self” kingdom building, and in result have found it easy to do evil before God, all because there was no preparation to seek the Lord. I don’t say this to condemn, but to encourage all of our hearts to seek our Father and prepare our heart, His spirit within to transform and renew our lives.

Mathew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We can see this example of preparation when Jesus told Peter and John to prepare for the Passover. Luke 22:8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. Jesus could have literally prepared for the meal, but it would have made no sense, because spiritually, Jesus was the meal! As the disciples got ready to celebrate the fact that God by His grace saved Israel (hundreds of years prior) from the angel, commissioned to kill anyone who’s door post was not covered by pure and unblemished lambs blood. The disciples had to prepare themselves to partake of this covenant with the Lord. They had to prepare because Jesus’ time on the cross was about to come. The disciples heart had to first be prepared to receive it that when they saw Jesus on the cross and then resurrected, they know in fact a new covenant has been established now with all man kind who would believe, receive, and even prepare his heart, by means of repentance for the new citizenship he was to be apart of, which is a citizen of the Kingdom.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

When you prepare by prayer, we ought to speak to the Holy Spirit. Acknowledge the living spirit of God within us. For those who do not have the Holy Spirit, they just simply will not experience a supernatural life or a life of relationship with Christ. In every relationship you need some way of communication. That is one of the many reason why the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit. Not to speak in all zealousness when in front of people on Sunday mornings, but to be reminded of the Lord’s ways, allow His nature to be developed within us. That the world can see some aspect of Christ made manifested through our lives. However; this comes by preparation, by maintaining your heart before the Lord and actually acknowledging the Holy Spirit within to guide you and to even cause you to speak the will of God.

There are too many who speak just by religious ideas and opinions, but don’t live a life in prayer and communication with the Holy Spirit. There is a lack of preparation in their hearts to seek the Lord. It takes two in a relationship, and the Lord is always there waiting, willing, and ready; but the question is…are you? The bible says that God will never leave you or forsake you, but we are capable of forsaking God when we don’t prepare our hearts to seek Him.

When we don’t seek God by means of preparation, we give into selfishness, foolishness, that is unprofitable and disobedient works, false understanding of faith, held in captivity by the enemy, and so forth. With a prepared heart to seek the Lord comes; victory, peace, love, righteousness, and etc. (James 3:17)

The Gospels give many accounts of when Christ was praying in preperation to do that which God commanded and sent Him to do. Christ exemplifies a prepared lifestyle. Ever since He was twelve and sat in the temple, to going into the wilderness to be tempted all the way until he was found preparing in the garden of Gethsemane to endure the cross and lay his life down as the ultimate sin offering for all mankind. He prepared to do such great and specific endeavors that was to specifically bring salvation from death to all mankind who recieve it.

II Chronicles 35:4-6 (4)And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. (5)And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites. (6) So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Christ is calling us today to prepare ourselves in the House of our Father, which is to be a house of prayer (Matthew 21:12-13). To prepare ourselves according to the writings and wisdom in the unchanging Word of God. To prepare to stand as a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9) in the holy place of prayer according to the identity we have within Christ and His Kingdom (Romans 8:15). We are called to partake of Christ, for through Him alone we have been passed over from death unto life, so that we may be sanctified until we receive glorification, to receive the promise, at His return. (Romans 12:1-2)

I encourage you my fellow reader, to prepare your heart daily to seek the Lord. God wants to bless you with everything that is divine of His nature and power, but you must be prepared for it. If God promised you something specific, then prepare for it. Begin to seek God ought for His will and His Kingdom to be established within your life, so that you may impart it to others. If you’re praying and believing God for a revival, a might outpouring within your community, state, nation…then prepare for it. Prepare yourself to not only receive, but to be able to give. There is a dying world outside of the Kingdom and they will remain dying unless God's people takes the time daily to prepare themselves in prayer.

II Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God Bless