God, help us to always be prepared for every battle that may come our way. May we be filled with Your Word, Your anointing and Your peace as we walk forth into victory after victory.

Although it has been over seventeen years ago, I still remember the day as if it were yesterday. I was driving my daughter to the hospital to have my first grandchild. I stepped out of the vehicle to walk into the hallway when the Lord spoke these words to me, “You are going into this on borrowed faith.” I knew in that moment I was about to face something I was not prepared for. Thankfully, God in His faithfulness, brought us through—but it was not pleasant.

During that time, life and ministry had become so busy I had not taken time to be vigilant in the Word of God nor in my quiet times with the Lord. It is never God’s plan for us to enter a battle unprepared. He has given us everything we need to remain prepared. He knows what is ahead and has given us all we need to remain in a state of preparedness—the rest is up to us.

In January 2020; God began to speak one word to me. “Prepare!” He said this word to me over and over again. At the time, I could not have imagined the journey that lay ahead for all of us. No one had heard of Covid and all that it would bring. Yet, God knew, and He was urging me to prepare. Looking back, I wish I had prayed more into what He was saying, if I had, I would have prepared differently.

We see the key to this truth in 1 Kings 19:6-8. Concerning Elijah, the Word of God says, “He looked around and saw some bread baking on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the Angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you.” So, he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God” (NLT).

God was telling Elijah to prepare. He knew the journey ahead of him, even if Elijah didn’t. It was God’s plan for him to walk through it victoriously. God instructed Elijah to do two things:

Eat Bread: Jesus is our bread, our daily nourishment.

Drink Water: This is the water of the Word of God.

These two things were needed for him to triumphantly walk through the long journey ahead. It is the same for us. To be prepared and equipped for the battles ahead, we must partake of Jesus and His Word daily.

But there is one more thing we need. Oil.

Then the Kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ (Mt 25: 1-12, NKJV)

To be a prepared people, we must be like the five wise virgins. We must daily spend time in the anointing of God, the manifest presence of God. We must partake of the Holy Spirit of God to ensure we have ample supply of the precious oil of God in our lives. Otherwise, our lamps will not be burning brightly when it really matters.

This is not always easy. As it was in the season of my first grandchild, life can become busy and often chaotic. It becomes difficult to set aside time with God. Most of us have experienced this in the past few years. Trying to remain spiritually steadfast in our nation today is a challenge to be sure. Subsequently, many are weary and discouraged.

In Daniel 7:25, we read that satan will attempt to weary the saints. We are seeing this Scripture come to pass across our land today. Weariness in the Body of Christ is at an all-time high. It is satan’s hope that we become too weary to prepare for the day of battle, and therefore may be overcome. This is NOT God’s plan for us.

Recently, I, along with many others, have been sensing there is a “journey” ahead of us. One that in the natural may not be fun. However, as children of God, it doesn’t have to destroy or diminish us. Frankly, it doesn’t even have the power to move us off our stand of faith, if we won’t allow it to. God always has a plan for His people. A plan to prosper and protect His people.

Yes, I believe God is shaking our nation. However, if we are IN CHRIST, filled with His Word and spending time with Him, this shaking will not move us. God prepared Elijah, He prepare Noah, He prepared Joseph and He will do the same for us today. He has not changed.

Spend time in His presence. Fill yourself with His peace and His anointing. Remember, our part is to shine amid darkness. While there has never been more darkness in our nation than we are seeing today, it is also a time we can shine even more brightly as children of the Most High God.

I believe we are, once again, in a time of preparation. God, in His faithfulness, is giving us time to prepare for the journey ahead. Are we using that time wisely?

Remember, if we wait for the day of battle to prepare, we are too late. Now is the time to prepare for the path ahead. No trained military person would ever walk into a battle unprepared. Neither should we. May we all learn to be ready in every season. May we keep the Word of God in our heart and in our mouth. May the anointing of God in our life increase day by day and in the day of battle, may we arise and shine victoriously!
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS

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