Prayers for Preparation Here

Currently I am at my Grandmother's house for a second Christmas, soon to move to another state to see another side of the family. As a college student, I am aware and very much thankful for the abundance of a house and home that is well established. It may feel meager to some, but it is overflowing with the abundance of the Lord's blessing. Partaking in this, good company and simply being able to rest is good, good for the soul. It also makes everything else seem really, really far away.

Often, when things feel really far away our tendency is to pray for preparation so we can be more prepared when the time comes. While this is an important thing to make sure to do, it's also something that people get hung up on--they never get past it. Things like saying "prepare my heart and the heart of those I will be with" is a common phrase. From my experience though, when either I have said it or somebody else has, neither of us has meditated on the meaning, or really thought about the significance of phrases like such. This happens in other prayers too--missing the deeper meaning, the soul-communion with the Spirit part.

With preparation prayers often prayed all the way up to the event, we seem to forget about the execution of what we are actually praying for. The majority of the time, this is the part that counts the most, the doing part--the part that others see. The scary part. The part where our weaknesses and source of our strength is brought to light. Asking for the Lord to be your strength is key, because when are you ever going to be fully prepared for something that God is doing except by His Grace? This time of prayer for the execution is so, so important, because what are we doing we are doing for the Lord's glory right?

Overall, praying for preparation is not bad, just make sure you pray for other things too.

Much of this post is written with next semester in mind, but I think as much as I will pray for preparation, I will also pray for the Lord's transformation of myself and my mind, as well as for my strength to come only from Him.

"Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31