INTRODUCTION 

Do you ever feel stuck, like no matter how hard you try, you just cannot get ahead? Stress builds, frustration rises, and life becomes one long cycle of survival. One principle can shift how we handle those moments: preparation.

Think about international travel. You cannot board a plane without proper documents. If you want to buy a house, you must prepare your finances. In the same way, when it comes to hearing from God, we do not wander into His presence. We prepare to meet with Him.

In Exodus 19, the Israelites arrived at the base of Mount Sinai after a long journey through the wilderness. Mount Sinai was not a new place to Moses. Before he was a leader, he lived there in obscurity for forty years after fleeing Egypt. What was once a place of hiding became the place of encounter. God brought him back to the same mountain not in shame but in purpose.

Before God revealed Himself to the people, He told Moses to remind them of His faithfulness. It is hard to expect something from someone you barely remember. When we forget what God has done, we lose confidence in what He can do next. But when we rehearse His goodness, we keep His character and capability at the forefront of our hearts.

Moses then stood between God and the people as a mediator. He delivered God’s words to them and carried their response back to Him. He consecrated them, setting them apart for what God was about to do. Today, Jesus fills that role for us. He is our Mediator. Everything God desires to say is revealed through Christ, and everything we needed to be made right with God has already been fulfilled through Him.

So how do we prepare to hear from God? It begins with remembrance. It continues with consecration, a willingness to set ourselves apart. And it is marked by reverence, approaching God with honor and awareness. When you prepare to meet with God, you will not only hear His voice. You will be transformed by it.

GETTING STARTED

  1. Are you the type of person who plans ahead or likes to wait until the last minute?
  2. How do you personally recognize the voice or prompting of God?

LET’S GET PERSONAL

  1. When was the last time you felt confident that you heard God speak to you, and what kind of posture or preparation led up to that moment?
  2. What distractions, habits, or attitudes might be keeping you from being fully available to hear from God right now?
  3. If preparation begins with remembrance, what past moment of God’s faithfulness do you need to bring back to the front of your mind today?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

  1. What’s one small thing you could do this week to prepare your heart to hear from God?
  2. Pray and ask God to remind you of His past faithfulness so you can trust Him for what’s ahead.
  3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Exodus 19:3-11; Exodus 15; Leviticus 8-9; Hebrews 1:1-3; Galatians 3:24; Galatians 3:9-10; 1 Timothy 2:5; Jude 1:5.

RENEW YOUR MIND 

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. ‘

Galatians 6:1