Fola Komolafe

Also, no one ever pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would break them. The wine would spill out, and the wineskins would be ruined. You always put new wine into new wineskins. Luke 5:37-38 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

 I remember being in the Girls Guide and our motto was ‘Be Prepared.’ At the time I did not fully understand what it meant being quite young but as I have grown up I have come to realise the importance of preparation for the things we desire to do well and to be successful at. People prepare for exams so that they can pass and do well. People prepare for job interviews, house moves and so many things because they aspire for success and don’t want to miss out. I believe that as Christians we also need to be prepared for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives and walk with God for this season and this day in which we live. It is usually said that success comes when preparation meets opportunity.

I know our lives can be busy, however we need to prayerfully and intentionally focus on the most important aspect of our life which is our spiritual well-being and development, that is giving God every opportunity to move through us as He wills for His glory. The bible says in 2 Timothy 2:3-5  that, ‘you and I must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ because no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.’ You may be thinking that you are not in a warfare but the truth is that you are because as long as there are things opposing you, your walk in Christ and the accomplishment of all the good that God wants to do in you then it is a kind of warfare. There is an opposition called the devil trying to stop you, however Jesus defeated him for you and me. 1 John 3:8 says, ‘The Son of God came for this: to destroy the devil’s work.’

I believe that God is looking for renewed minds that will accept a fresh outpouring and release of the Holy Spirit in this season of life and time. He wants us to experience His Holy Spirit in such a fresh and amazing way as has not been seen before — the church doing things that can only be attributed to God Almighty. But you and I need to be prepared. Prepare yourself, be expectant for greater manifestations of God today and everyday of your life. Yearn for it, pray for it, prepare for it and believe God for it to happen. The bible says the prophets of old yearned for today, we also yearn for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our world today before the coming of the Lord. The bible says in Haggai 2:9 that, ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.

In an article by Michael Banks on why preparation is important for your success, he said, “Preparation is a seed that should be sown on a daily basis. It may take time and pain but the reward is sure…think of preparation as a mustard seed. When you plant the seed, it takes few years to become a tree.” He went on to say that, “What bothers me most is not the numerous opportunities that are created daily but the few prepared minds. You see, opportunity is a present occurrence while preparation is how you spent your time in the past”

So I encourage you today to take steps on a daily basis by being full of the Holy Spirit and staying intently in the word of God to be prepared for God’s outpouring because it will definitely happen.