Have you ever felt like God put a desire to do something great in your heart? You may have overcome addiction, and you want to set up a program that will help set other people free. Or maybe you have a passion for preaching the word of God. While you can serve God now, you feel like you are miles away from fulfilling the big dream God gave you for your life. What can you do in the meantime, and how can you see that dream come true?

God is passionate about justice and mercy and wants all people to come to know Him. If you desire those same things, you are representing God's heart!

Nehemiah, a prophet of the Old Testament, wanted the same things. He loved God and wanted to see the kingdom of Jerusalem restored to its former glory as a testimony of God’s power and faithfulness.

When he heard the news that Jerusalem's walls were in ruin, he wept. He wanted to do something about it immediately, but that wasn’t God’s plan.

Four months from when Nehemiah heard the news about the walls of Jerusalem to when he could ask the king for permission to go fix them. While waiting, Nehemiah prayed, asking God to give him favor with the king. He also prepared a plan to ensure he could accomplish his task.

When the king asked Nehemiah why he was sad, Nehemiah was prepared to ask for permission to go and act on his request. Without this preparation, Nehemiah would have been unable to respond to the king’s favor in a way that expedited his goal.

Often, when we wait for God to open a door, he is waiting for us to be prepared.

In 1 Samuel we see David tending flocks of sheep before he was a king. There, he learned how to love God and serve him when no one was watching. God also gave him the responsibility of keeping sheep safe and remaining physically ready to protect them. When he was made king, he utilized his preparation in both of those areas to defeat Israel’s enemies and lead the country spiritually.

By following God’s instructions, David sowed valuable seeds into his future and qualified himself for the promotion to king.

What area of your life are you waiting for God to open a door? And what are you doing to be prepared when that day comes? Take some time to consider these three areas:

Preparing your skill: What skills will it take to accomplish what God wants you to do? What books, courses, or mentors could help you develop that skill?

Preparing your path: What are your goals, and what path can you take to ensure you accomplish them when God opens the door? As you pray about your plan, seek wisdom from spiritual and natural sources.

Preparing your heart: What sins or weaknesses is God revealing in you right now? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you in these areas and produce spiritual maturity?

Preparation is a process that you have to do with God. When you try to accomplish God’s will on your own, you focus more on what you are doing than on who you are becoming. God’s will for your life is to see you accomplish his plans for you. But God is also looking for you to become the person He designed you to be.

Don’t get weary in well doing. Stay in the center of God’s will and He will fulfill His Word to you!