READ: Proverbs 6:6-11, Proverbs 30:25
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. :- Proverbs 24:27
Preparation is an art that can be learned. There are skills, experiences, and the discipline you need to learn in order to be prepared for your mission.
Jesus was the best example of someone who prepared for His mission. He prepared Himself for thirty years and ministered for only three years. Preparation is time consuming and that is why people try to avoid it. Quality preparation takes time!
All through the Bible, we are told to prepare for things and to make ourselves ready. You even need to prepare to meet God. “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).
Let God impress upon your heart the need for you to make great preparations for your ministry. You need to prepare for your preaching ministry. You need to prepare for your apostolic ministry, where you will be planting and building churches.
You need to prepare for your prophetic ministry, where you will be speaking the Word of the Lord. Without studying history, you will not be a good prophet. Remember: that which has been is that which shall be!
You need to prepare for your pastoral ministry. There are many complex situations that will arise when you stay with one group of people for many years. There will be hurts and offences, there will be betrayals, there will be disloyalty, there will be departures, there will be growth and there will be financial increase. There will be marriages, there will be broken relationships, there will be divorces, there will be deaths, there will be tragedies, there will be victories, there will be joy and there will be sorrow.
Every good leader and warrior needs to prepare for all these.