“Being prepared” can mean several things. First, it means starting every day by praying to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives as I described briefly in parts two and three. Christ in his last hours with His disciples (John chapters 13-17) told them that they, the branches, must remain attached to him, the vine, if their lives would be able to produce fruit that will last (John 15:5, 16). “Abide in me and I in you” (John 15:4) is the key to withstanding the trials we face in life and leading a fruitful life. In the same discourse where he made these statements he said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus’ victory over trials becomes our victory through the indwelling of the Spirit. Being prepared to face your trials each day must begin with an earnest prayer for His Spirit.
Second, being prepared means putting on the “full armor of God” (Ephesians 6: 10-17) to take your stand against the enemy. If you, like me, face a protracted battle with an evil, relentless, and merciless disease, you need to be prepared to fight many battles where the enemy will use discouragement, depression, fear, debilitating physical ailments, and many other weapons. Do not go unprepared when you go into battle.
We have all had experiences where we need to be prepared to deal with unwelcome news, including potentially highly stressful ones involving medical conditions. Having Bible promises to claim during these times is not just a way to reduce stress, it avails you of all the resources of heaven on your behalf. One that I have claimed many times has been 1 Corinthians 10:13. Paraphrasing it from the Amplified Bible, it tells me that nothing I am going through is the first time God has ever seen this problem. God is going to be faithful to His compassionate nature and can be trusted to not let you be subjected to a trial beyond your ability to escape (endure) it with His help. He will provide the way to get successfully through that difficulty.
