Prepare to be Battle Ready
At the time of writing this, there are 81 days left of this year, 2026, and I believe that this time is critical in preparing ourselves for what is yet to come. We sense that 3 months, 3 years and the year 2030 are significant time frames.
Different people prepare differently. Some people put their clothes out the night before, prepare 4 days’ worth of food in the fridge and have meal plans at the ready. Some people know what is coming but don’t make decisions in time, and some just don’t prepare at all. When you prepare well, you are ready for the upcoming season or circumstance.
Proverbs 6:6 says, ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!’ Ants prepare in one season for the next, and the Lord encourages us to do the same.
Our preparation is not just for ourselves, but so that we can be useful in the hands of the Father to ready others and serve the purposes of God’s kingdom.
My application for us today is to set ourselves for the rest of the year.
Isaiah 54:2-3 says, ‘Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.’
If we set ourselves for the next 81 days it will have long lasting impact on years, places and generations to come.
Let’s prepare to be battle ready, with the expectation of growth, enlargement, and boldness.
In 2 Timothy 2:3-7, Paul writes:
‘Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.’
Firstly, we are soldiers untangled from civilian life. Don’t get entangled in civilian affairs-don’t get so engrossed in the world around us.
Secondly, we are athletes who look towards an eternal prize, and thirdly, we are like hard working farmers. Farmers embrace seasons, sow seed and watch harvest come.
These metaphors help us understand how to live now.
Application
As we set ourselves for the rest of the year, these applications will prepare us to become battle ready:
1) Consecration – Be set apart for the Lord and His kingdom values.
2) Read the Bible – This is spiritual food for us.
3) Prayer posture – Posturing towards the Lord will shift environments and develop intimacy.
4) Combined with fasting - This will accelerate everything.
5) Rooted in community – Have good accountability, friendship. You can go further together.
Apply these for the rest of this year and you will begin January 2027 in a place of strength and wakefulness, accelerating to a new place in God both personally and corporately.
- Taken from Pastor Steve’s message.
Next Steps
- Catch up with the message here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuMXkW0gcLg
- Join a Home Church: https://www.allnations.org.uk/homechurch
- Join our Prayer Hub: https://www.allnations.org.uk/prayer