During a recent corporate prayer meeting, I received a powerful message from the Lord. He said, “This is the season you have been praying for.”  I was initially overjoyed because I have been praying for some very specific things over the past several seasons and I knew this was the Lord confirming that the answers to those prayers are coming.

As I continued to pray into this word, I heard the Lord ask me this question, “Are you prepared for what you’ve been praying for?” I wanted to initially answer with an enthusiastic yes but God wasn’t asking the question because He didn’t know the answer. Over the next several days, I continued to pray and seek the Lord about this word and I knew that this word was not just for me, my family, and our ministry. This word is for many in the body of Christ in this season. This is your season of advancement, but are you prepared for it?

I believe God is looking for those who can steward and handle the anticipated blessings they have been praying for in their personal lives, churches, ministries, and businesses. In this season, preparation is key. God is a good and wise Father and He longs to answer our prayers but He will never entrust us with anything until He knows we have the capacity, structure, and the right people around us to manage the overflow He wants to release in every aspect of our lives.

The Lord gave me a prophetic word for 2024 at the end of 2023 about how the upcoming year would be a foundational year for many people. I believe God is establishing critical infrastructure in many believers’ lives in 2024 that they can build upon in the years to come. The responsibility to properly steward what we believe for in our prayers is crucial.

To avoid the pitfall of being ill-equipped despite answered prayers will require us to be prepared for what we have prayed for. When God releases abundance into our lives we need to safeguard ourselves from arrogance by becoming ones who are truly humble. This is one reason why the spiritual discipline of fasting and prayer because it keeps our hearts and minds clear of the fog of the natural and allows us to be firmly rooted in who we are in God.

I was reminded of several scriptures when I received this word from the Lord. The first one is Mark 11:24. It says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” I love how simple this scripture is – ask, believe, receive. What tangible steps would you take if you really believed you would receive what you have been praying for? The truth is many times we think we are waiting on God when really He is waiting for us to step out in faith. This is your season to put faith into action. This is your season to advance!

The other scripture I was reminded of was John 15:7 which says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” When we abide in God’s words, whether that be His written word or the prophetic words He has spoken over our lives, our desires will become His desires. Then when we pray, we will pray with pure hearts and great faith and then see those prayers answered. The best thing you could do in this season of preparation would be to fill your heart and mind with God’s word. 

In this season, belief is a vital component that will help you to move beyond prayer to take tangible steps in faith. This is your season of advancement don’t let it pass you by! As we pray for breakthroughs and abundance, let’s align our beliefs with tangible steps that will prepare us to steward well what is about to unfold. This is your season of advancement—get ready for it!