I pray these words are not in vain. That whatever eyes gaze upon this post, may that soul finds the peace and assurance they need to endure and persevere in this season.

Amen.

Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

2 Samuel 5:12

A few months ago, I was thinking. You know how that goes; I can get pretty deep, pretty quickly. And I began to ask the Lord, “when will it be my time?” My time in terms of doing what God has created me to do. To start walking in my “calling,” as we call it. The Lord didn’t give me a direct answer, but He gave me an answer nonetheless. The Lord didn't say when the time will come, but He did tell me this: “Prepare.”

“Preparation Before Action”

Many times, we want to be used by God: we want to be the one to preach; the one to lead worship; the ones to lead the flock. We desire to be earthen vessels, who bring Heaven to Earth. The issue many times isn’t that it’s impossible to do these signs and wonders, but that it’s impossible to do these signs and wonders if we fail to prepare and get equipped for the possible.

“When you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.”

“He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.”

Proverbs 10:5 NKJV

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler. Provides her supplies in the summer,

And gathers her food in the harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8 NKJV

We want to preach, but we barely know the Word from which we must draw our source. We want to lead worship, but we don’t know how to lead people into the intimacy of worship, from the intimacy, we should already have with the Father. We want to lead the flock, but we fail to submit to the authority in our own lives—if we even have authority. We want to administer deliverance to others, but we, ourselves, are failing to know what the Lord is saying in our own lives.

“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

James 1:4

Before we can receive the “mantle,” we have to first submit ourselves to the grooming and cultivation of the Lord. We need to allow the Lord to shape and mold our character before He can place us in a position to impact the world. God isn’t going to throw us to the wolves without preparing us for the battle. The question is “Are we ready to die to our desires of being used, and ready to focus and embrace all that God has in store for us in the process?”

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

If you said “yes,” be ready to enter a place of refining and maturing. But how does one prepare to be used by God? The answer is simple. The same way we maintain our walk with the Lord; through a consistent and intentional relationship with Him. Many times, we think that there are shortcuts to success and greatness. But both are really found in being consistent, faithful and available. Our faithfulness and consistency in prayer, worship, and reading of the Word are the key acts that will not only sustain us in our walk but also help us mature into someone God can use for His people. Yielding our desires and plans to God is pivotal for us to be available for God, as it positions us for God to empower and work through us. There are no “5 Things You Can Do To Become A Super Sayian Christian Overnight.” If someone is selling you this, they are indirectly setting you up for failure. We can’t avoid the preparation or process, and expect to finesse when we get to our destination.

If the desire to be used has been placed in your heart, please realize that God is calling you to a place of maturity and inviting you to step into being intentional with your walk; that is where the keys to be used lies—in the secret place. This is the place that God prepares His disciples to go out and influence their calling.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

So let’s cease to have itching ears when we hear the call of the Lord, but prepare our hearts for the process leading to the destination.