PRIVATE PREPARATION DETERMINES PUBLIC PERFORMANCE PT1

MEMORY VERSE: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 13, Ps 15-16, Prov 27,2 Thes 1

BIBLE STUDIES: Matthew 14:22-33

In our bible studies is a story we all know. After Jesus had fed five thousand men not counting women and children, He constrained His disciples to get into a ship, to go before Him, while He sent the multitudes away. When everyone had left, He went to a mountain to pray. Later in the evening, he came down from the mountain and began to walk on water towards his disciples.

Water spiritually signifies challenges or trials. Isaiah 43:2 says when you pass through waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. The water and river referred to in this passage are challenges and trials. I believe the Lord is telling someone that the challenge you are going through will not sweep over you because He is with you, Amen. When you study this story you will notice that before Jesus Christ actually walked on water that night, He had first spent quality time in prayer. He had first prepared Himself spiritually. He had first suspended the laws of gravity in his prayer closet before going out in the open to walk on water. The athletes and sportsmen we see during Olympic don’t just turn up without preparing in the private. They practice for years and years for activity that lasts for only an hour or less. Many of us want to take over the world, to do that you need to first take over the spiritual world in your prayer closet.

I remember a particular incident when my boss wanted to sack one of the very hardworking staffs in my team because he made a mistake. I was called into the office and told that Mr. ‘A’ needs to go. In all honesty I could not defend this man because he was a guilty of a gross misconduct. While she was advising me on how to go about the dismissal, a colleague of mine came in to check something with her. As she was speaking to this colleague, I quickly used that opportunity to mumbled some words and pray in tongues for around a minute or two. After attending to this colleague, she looked at me and said it seems you don’t want us to sack this man and I said yes. She said ‘ok then, let’s give him a warning’. The Lord’s name be praised that this man escaped the sack that afternoon. I know that’s a very good testimony and I pray that such testimony’s and many more will happen through you In Jesus name but do you know that before going to work that morning , I had spent at least an hour speaking in tongues ? Before starting that day by the special grace of God, I had spent nothing less than ninety minutes with the Most High. For the world to see the glory of God in your life in the public, you need to spend quality time with Him in the private. 

KEYWORD: If you don’t prepare in the private the enemy will disgrace you in the public.