We have all been there: the subtle art of praying for something, knowing good and well we are not ready to change for whatever we are praying for. We know how powerful God is and he does work in mysterious ways, but we also forget the first steps required for our prayers has to reflect our actions. You can’t pray for a better job if you’re not grateful for the one you have now. You can’t pray for your future spouse to appear if you’re still busy playing in the devil’s playground. You can’t pray for growth if you have a problem leaving a few people behind. Sometimes we say unspoken prayers because we think it’s what God wants to hear, not realizing that he knows our heart, the lies, the scars, and everything else we are hiding from the world. The right approach is to be honest that you’re not proud of who you are, and be sincere about changing. Cry out to him that you can’t do this alone! When we take matters in our own hands, our judgement becomes cloudy and our discernment is thrown off track. We second guess ourselves. We over think on things and make scenarios up in our head. We can’t help it. Then we turn around and pray for an escape. The prayer is meaningless if you’re still worrying about the things you need to let go. It’s meaningless if you’re still going to do things your way. Accepting growth will be new. Because it’s new, you will have no idea where to start! That’s when God steps in! The uneasiness and fear comes about not knowing what to expect. It’s brave surrendering and solely focusing on God for all your needs , especially when you feel like you have nothing to offer him, but you also know he still has your back no matter what. You have to be careful about praying for something you’re not spiritually and mentally prepared for. Sometimes God teaches us a lesson just to remind us who is in charge and to make us humble again. He might bless you with a prayer you spoke in existence loosely, and you might lose that blessing because you didn’t prepare before you prayed for it. Death is the power of the tongue. Be careful what you speak in existence if you’re not ready and willing for the preparation, purpose, and the sacrifices it takes to make that prayer a reality. If you know you’re not about the life you’re praying for yet, simply ask God for direction. This comes back to the honesty phase. Admit in a prayer that you have no idea what you’re supposed to be doing and you need him to guide you to the right path. God is a healer. I promise that prayer will get answered  quick, which will lead to other answers for future prayers.

‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” – Revelation 3:3

Here are five ways I prepare for a big blessing I am ready to receive:

1.) FASTING

People don’t fast enough. They miss the significance and meaning of fasting. This is a sacrifice you’re making to God to show him that you’re serious and you’re focused on him. Whatever takes up most of your time, eliminate it for a while and replace it with God. You will notice the changes in your life quickly.

When I weep and fast,
    I must endure scorn; – Psalm 69:10

2.) PREPARATION

This step is different from fasting. You need to start preparing during the fasting. This may require you eliminating some things holding you back, eliminating people who don’t fit your vision, and also changing your mindset (and sometimes scenery). In order to move forward and get ready for a new season, you must prepare even for the unknown. How do you do that? You pray about it! Ask for direction!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. -Psalm 23:5

3.) SACRIFICE

A SINCERE prayer will never go in vain. For a prayer to be successful, sacrifice of some sort will be necessary! There is no way around it, there won’t be any shortcuts, and there won’t be the option of what you want to sacrifice. Get out the mindset that you can control everything in your season. Because you can’t. That is God’s job, not yours. What you have to sacrifice will be revealed to you by God. In the right moment, you will know exactly what you have to free yourself from. When you are obedient, sacrifice will still be hard, BUT you avoid a lot of things the enemy will bring your way.

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. – Luke 9:24

4.) SHIFT

In order to see results from God, it requires you to move too. Start aligning things to go in your favor. Sweep in front of your door, and start being the person that is required to all your unanswered prayers. If you remain stagnant, your prayers will keep hanging over your head like a cloud that never goes away. God will not say YES until you do!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.– 2 Peter 3:9 

5.) ACCEPTANCE/HUMBLENESS

This is probably the hardest step of all. Let’s say you did all 4 of the above wholeheartedly… and the result is you not receiving  the prayer you asked for. At this point, you might be disappointed, sad, depressed, or even angry at God. The most important lesson I learned in life is God will never take something from you that he didn’t plan to replace with something BIGGER AND BETTER. If your prayer wasn’t answered and he showed you signs why,  that just means he has something better and bigger than what you were praying for. All of your hard work and transitioning wasn’t for nothing. It didn’t go unnoticed by him. I can’t count how many times I prayed for something and I wanted to give it back as soon as I received it. It’s because I was not the same person I was when I asked for it. Because of growth and revelations, I realized I was selling myself short and I should be praying bigger than the things I was asking for. When you’re growing uncomfortable with purpose, you learn more about what you desire. You master the art of accepting that everything and everyone will not be for you, and that’s okay! When you trust him, you also have to trust his decisions. He always knows what’s best for you. Always.

 

Until next time,

Zip.