“Not being tense but ready. Not thinking but not dreaming. Not being set but flexible. Liberation from the uneasy sense of confinement. It is being wholly and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come.” – Bruce Lee
 
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)

What does it mean to you to be alert and ready?
What does it mean to you that the time is now?

I share today’s message because I believe it contains a prophetic word for each of us. I’ve mentioned before that each Tuesday afternoon Virginia Morton facilitates a prayer conference for Marching Through Culpeper and that our team is praying and working to have this Civil War novel turned into a TV mini-series and major motion picture to heal deep wounds of our nation.

I’ve also mentioned before that each week Virginia begins our prayer call by sharing a key word and relevant scriptures. On April 15, Virginia told our team the two key words the LORD gave her for that meeting were “alert” and “ready.” Virginia told us we need to be alert and ready. She explained that the dictionary says “alert” means being watchful and vigilantly ready. She then went on to share these 5 scriptures:

1 Cor 16:13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Col 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

John 4:34-35 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

Luke 12:37,38,40 “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants… Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Virginia then began praying. First Virginia praised and thanked God, which is the protocol for entering His presence. Then she prayed, “Father, we want to be spiritually alert for what You are sending us each day. The time is now. We are not going to continue to wait for the harvest. Rather, we are going to listen to what Jesus tells us, namely that the harvest is ready.”

Virginia’s message resonated very positively with my spirit and the spirits of everyone else on the phone call. It spurred me into action and in the next two days I had my web team design a new website and blog for Marching Through Culpeper to help Virginia communicate her messages to the world. The time is now.

Later in our call, Bob Sims told our team “The root of all awakening is the family.” He commented about my devotional sent earlier that morning about American Idol titled “Shout to the LORD.” Bob said when we use the arts (e.g. music, movies, paintings, books, etc) to share about Jesus, young people will listen. They won’t listen to just our words or talking. Bob prayed that the LORD will bring the generations back together. Shortly after that, Kay Dunkley shared some phenomenal stories of how God is using her to unite 3 generations of a very influential family with its original pre-Civil War home near Virginia Tech.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, we praise You as the God of vigilance, not missing anything that’s going on. Thank You for Your warning to be alert and ready. Help each of us to understand and apply that to our lives. May we step into action as You reveal Your next steps to us. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
www.PrayCulpeper.org: A Light to the World – major updates to this website were made this past weekend, including new content, photo gallery, and blog

Blessings to be alert and ready for what God is about to do!