Being Prepared for What God May Choose
to do In/Through You This Year

Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Ephesians 1:4 - Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

Ephesians 1:9-11 - He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

I Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.

Romans 8:28-29 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 Corinthians 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

I. Being Prepared Spiritually -- the Example of Daniel

A. The way the Lord used him

1. to have incredible influence on a secular king

2. by the Lord showing His power in the midst of unspeakable trial

Daniel 6:5 - Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:7-8 - “All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.”

B. The way Daniel prepared

Daniel 6:10 - Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.

C. The implications to you and me

1. Are you sure you know Christ?

2. Have you demonstrated your faith in Christ publicly?

3. Do you have a Bible study plan in place?

4. Do you have a prayer plan in place?

5. Do you have an accountability partner/group?

6. Are you a member of a church?

7. Should you sign up for Intro to Faith?

8. Should you sign up for another FCI class?

II. Being Prepared Relationally – The Example of Hannah

A. The way the Lord used her – the mother of Samuel

1 Chronicles 11:3 - So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel.

B. The way Hannah prepared

1. by responding well to the sinful treatment of others

a. Elkanah

Matthew 19:4-6 - And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Matthew 19:8-9 - He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

b. Peninnah

1 Samuel 1:6 - Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.

c. Eli

1 Samuel 1:14 - Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

2. By crying out to God with emotional authenticity

1 Samuel 1:10 - She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.

C. The implications to you and me

Ephesians 4:26-27 - Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

III. Being Prepared Organizationally – the Example of Nehemiah

A. How the Lord used him

Nehemiah 6:15-16 - So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

B. The way Nehemiah prepared

C. The implications to you and me

1. Have you (and your spouse) prepared your annual budget?

2. Have you reviewed your retirement plan and communicated with your spouse?

3. Have you reviewed your college savings fund and communicated with your children?

4. Have you established savings accounts for other long term purchases?

5. Have you reviewed your life and disability insurance and discussed it as a couple/family?

6. Have you updated your family balance sheet?

7. Have you updated your “gone to heaven” file?

a. Full names(s)

b. Will

c. Social security number(s)

d. Tax information

e. Family balance sheet

f. Medical and Life Insurance information

g. Retirement plan/funds

h. Credit card information

i. Decisions/preferences about funeral home, grave plots