Preparing Our Hearts
“consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”- Joshua 3:5
God showed up in such an incredible way this past month on our campus. If you read our last post, you’ve heard all about Unite, the lives that were changed, and the miracles that happened! While it’s easy to let that stuff distract you, we don’t want to overlook the ways that God showed up before any of this even happened. Preparing your heart for a God-sized move is essential as it transforms your mindset to possess what God has promised.
So what does it actually mean to “prepare our heart?”
The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 paints a perfect picture of the importance of the condition of our heart. If you’re a farmer, you plant a seed and expect to reap something that is even bigger than that seed. However, this can only happen if there is good soil. In the same way, our hearts can only be used by God if our soil is softened. When the Word of God is planted in a good heart, good things will be produced in that person’s life. We have to allow God to plant a seed and produce a harvest from within our hearts.
A season of preparation is more often than not also a season of waiting. There is a waiting period where God is not only preparing our hearts, but also preparing the situation. Nehemiah sets an example of a man who was responsive to the calling God placed on his life; but, also patient enough to wait for God’s timing in the situation. God placed the calling on Nehemiah’s life to travel back to rebuild the walls and temple of Jerusalem, but only with the king’s blessing. Nehemiah 1:4 says, “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” In chapter two, Nehemiah then approaches the king and gives him wine; but, it is significant to recognize that this happened five months after the events in chapter one took place. Nehemiah prayed and waited for five months with the same heart that he had on day one when God initially burdened his heart. Coming to the king with such a large request during this time period was no small task. The usual response in a situation like this would’ve been to kill Nehemiah; but, because of his sympathetic heart and months of prayer, the king was enthusiastic about supporting his venture. If Nehemiah did not take the time to allow God to go before him and prepare the situation, he never would have gotten the king’s blessing and the revival that followed wouldn’t have occurred. When God gives you a vision, don’t run ahead of Him, sit in prayer.
We’ve seen all of this play out firsthand in our own lives. Recently we met a group of ladies who were saved in the Jesus Movement that began praying for the city of Tallahassee 30 years ago! These women experienced a revival of their own and were desperate to see it happen again for our generation. They showed us what it means to be devoted to prayer wholeheartedly, to continually and steadfastly pray without ceasing (Colossians 4:2-6). Our hearts have been on fire for our city for a few months, yet they have been praying for the same thing for 30 years! In addition to this, God united so many of us across different ministries all for the same mission. Many of us had never met before, yet God was individually preparing our hearts for such a time as this. We all recognized this and in God’s timing, were able to be the hands and feet of the Lord to carry out His work.
When we allow God to prepare our hearts, we allow Him to make our hearts firm and stable in alignment with His word. Preparing your heart is not a one-time occurrence but an ongoing process. We have to be consistent in interaction with God through prayer and time in His Word. We must let our own selfish desires die and approach God with humility, allowing him to pour out His wisdom on us.
Join us this week as we continue to prepare our hearts and focus on aligning our lives to the will of God.
