05. Cost of Preparation

There is a cost involved in preparation. Ask an athlete, and he will tell you the pain and muscle strain during exercise. Likewise, do you want to experience God in a new dimension the following year? You must pay the price for this experience. Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:8, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ Every cause has a cost." Did you see that? He counted his qualifications and identity as nothing so that he won't miss out on God's ultimate for his life. Would you? 

Real Christianity will cost you something. Yes, some people want to hold on to the way it used to be before they met Christ and still gain Christ. No, it would cost you something. The amazing lady called Ruth paid a heavy price by leaving her country and her family to follow the God of Israel. She wasn't enlisted in Jesus' genealogy because of her complexion or eloquence but because she passed the test of divine experience. 

For instance, the power of God that is witnessed every Sunday in the Karuna Sadan ministry and many ministries around the world is a result of hours of preparation. Some people have to be in church early to clean the auditorium; the choir has to dedicate time to rehearse for their ministration. I have to prayerfully prepare my message, not to mention the people that pay the price in intercession and fasting throughout the week.

If you pay the price now, you can avoid the pain later. If you want a deeper walk with God, you will have to prepare and to prepare; you will need to pay the price. When you pay the price, there is a reward. There is always a story behind the glory. People see success, people see crowds, the awards, but behind all that, there is a price, and there is a cost involved. You need to understand this truth so that you will not only survive but also thrive in the challenging times that will come upon the world.

In John chapter 12, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, broke an expensive flask at the feet of Jesus and wiped it with her hair. People around felt that was a waste, and Jesus responded in John 12:7, "Don't stop her. It was right for her to save this perfume for today—the day for me to be prepared for burial." She paid the price to prepare for Jesus' burial which is vital to His glorification. The Bible says the oil was expensive, meaning it was at a cost, but the aim was to prepare for a glorious period in Jesus' life and ministry. Everyone enjoyed the fragrance, but Mary had to pay the price.

Just as God has great things ahead for you in the New Year, the devil also has plans to oppose them. So you need to pray ahead to dislodge the opposition. The Bible says in Luke 4:1-2, "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days, He ate nothing, and afterwards, when they had ended, He was hungry." And in verse 14, the Bible says, "Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region." He went to fast and pray for forty days to prepare for His global assignment. Prayer and fasting are major ingredients of preparation and a price you need to pay. Take time out these latter days of the year to seek God's face in prayer and fasting, so you can receive direction and marching orders in the coming year. We, as a church, always embark on a 21-day fast to prepare for the coming New Year; why not join us? 

God instructed in Exodus 19:10-11, "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." They were waiting to experience divine presence, but God told them to not just wait passively, but to clean up. You need to purge yourself of every filth in your life. The New Year may be like this year if you fail to stand before God in purity. It takes holiness to see God. So, pray to God and turn from any evil way. Open a new chapter of holiness in the New Year.

Preparation for a great experience may cost you some friends. You know yourself more than I do. You know those that corrupted your walk with God this year; it's time to separate from them. The race of life demands an individual approach, so don't let anyone hold you back. 

Do you think your skill can take you far in the New Year, or you may need to take some courses relevant to your field? Knowledge, they say, is power, and ideas rule the world. So, go for knowledge. Put up for that certification so you can be positioned for the opportunities in the next year. 

These are just some of the areas that you need to prepare and take steps as we approach the New Year. Yes, it isn't easy, but it is worth it. Pay the price today and fly in the New Year.