By: Karen Polich

We place such value on being prepared. We plan everything from vacations to what we are going to have for dinner. We plan our careers, our weddings, our lives. We plan for excellence. The question is do we really prepare?

The best athletes work tirelessly to be ready for any situation the game throws at them. They know what they need to do to be ready, to build on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. We celebrate their success, but never see the endless hours they put into the preparation before the big moment. They always come prepared,  leave nothing on the table, and give everything they have.

That is how we should approach our Lord when given the opportunity to share in The Lord’s Supper. We should be ready to offer everything we are, everything we have. Do we prepare for this in the same way we prepare for the things that occur in our daily lives? Do we prepare with the best we have?

Pastor Michael Cook shared what it means to be prepared spiritually. Our preparation is truly an act of faith. Each small action leads up to something that impacts the days ahead. God has placed us here to be extraordinary. We are here to touch lives. We should be pursuing Him with everything. Pastor Cook shared how we can be prepared.

Six areas we need to look at when it comes to preparing ourselves.
1. Surrender Yielding to God in surrender is the beginning point in approaching Him. We are each unworthy, but made worthy in Christ. (Matthew 16:24-25)
2. Know Him We need to really know Him. Matthew 22:37 says, “Jesus replied; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind.”
3. Attitude Many times we drag cultural influences into our worship. We think about our rights, what we like or don’t like. Our attitudes and thoughts should be one of a servant. (Romans 12:2)
4. Words/Communication How clean is our communication? Not just our words, but every way we communicate in this fast paced world. Are we ready to account for every empty word? (Matthew 12:36)
5. Relationships The relationship we have with our Lord and with others matters. We should love the unlovable and be willing to restore what is broken. (John 13:34-35)
6. Search our hearts We need to search our hearts for the sins laid out biblically, but also for the sins of omission. The sins we commit because of something we have been called by God to do that we don’t. (Luke 6:46)

Preparation can bring us closer to God. We have every opportunity to prepare ourselves in everything we do. If we are simply willing, we can prepare ourselves to come before our Lord with great reverence and intimacy.

He is waiting. Are you prepared to approach Him?