None of the great moves of God in Scripture happened to people who were caught off guard. Long before the flood, before the famine, before the Spirit fell at Pentecost, someone was quietly getting ready.

Noah and Joseph Prepared While No One Else Believed

God warned Noah of a flood that had never happened before, and by faith Noah built an ark to save his household, even while the world around him carried on as usual. Years later, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and spent seven years storing grain nobody else thought they needed. When the famine came, what others meant for harm, God used to save many lives. In both stories, the preparation looked unnecessary right up until the moment it was not.

Readiness Cannot Be Borrowed

Jesus told a parable about ten virgins waiting for a bridegroom. Five brought extra oil for their lamps. Five did not. When the call finally came at midnight, the unprepared ones asked to borrow oil from the others, but readiness cannot be transferred at the last minute. Jesus ended the story with a warning to keep watch, because we do not know the day or the hour. That is not meant to create fear. It is meant to create daily faithfulness.

Prayer Is Preparation Too

Before the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the disciples spent days together, devoted to prayer with one accord. They were not idle while they waited. Their preparation was prayer, unity, and obedience, and when the promised Spirit came, they were ready to receive Him and immediately began preaching with power.

Preparation is not a lack of faith. It is what faith looks like before the answer arrives. Whatever you are believing God for, let this be the season you get your lamp filled, your heart postured, and your prayer life ready, because readiness always precedes the move of God.

-Terrence Burton