How do I prepare for life’s challenges?

Genesis 14:14-16When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. . . . Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

Genesis 41:14Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.

How can you be wise at a moment’s notice? The key is to prepare yourself by developing wisdom over time. You can’t always anticipate what might happen in a given day, but when you are prepared spiritually—when you have developed wisdom—you know the right things to do in God’s eyes. This gives you the courage to act swiftly and decisively when necessary because you have a wellspring of wisdom to draw upon.

Numbers 27:15-20Then Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him.”

Nehemiah 1:10-11“The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

Nehemiah 2:1-8Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Then I was terrified, but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request. I also said to the king, “If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah. And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.

Anticipating what may be ahead will often reveal what needs to be done before the moment arrives. Nehemiah prayerfully developed a plan dependent on the king’s approval and funding. He gave God plenty of room to make his sovereignty clear in the circumstances.

Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

James 1:12-15God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

The best time to prepare for temptation is before it presses in on you. Train yourself in the quieter times so that you will have the spiritual wisdom, strength, and commitment to honor God in the face of intense desires and temptation.

Genesis 39:6-23So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. . . .

Joshua 3:5Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”

2 Timothy 2:21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

Purity—a desire to keep your heart as clean as possible from sin—prepares your heart to be filled with God’s wisdom and guidance so that you can serve him and be involved in the work he is doing around you. In cases like the one Joseph faced, trouble is waiting no matter what choice you make, but making the choice that honors God will eventually lead to a good result.

Ephesians 6:10-11Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

James 4:7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Prepare for spiritual conflict by “putting on” the defenses that God has given you—truth, righteousness, knowledge of the Scriptures, faith, assurance of salvation, and prayer. These are not just resources and weapons; they are reminders of God’s very energizing presence and power.

1 Chronicles 9:22-33In all, there were 212 gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed according to the genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men. These gatekeepers and their descendants, by their divisions, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the Lord when that house was a tent. The gatekeepers were stationed on all four sides—east, west, north, and south. . . .They would spend the night around the house of God, since it was their duty to guard it and to open the gates every morning. . . .But it was the priests who blended the spices. . . . Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread used in the offerings. And some members of the clan of Kohath were in charge of preparing the bread to be set on the table each Sabbath day. The musicians, all prominent Levites, lived at the Temple. They were exempt from other responsibilities since they were on duty at all hours.

Mark 11:25“When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

1 Corinthians 11:27-28So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

2 Corinthians 13:5-7Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority. We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.

We must prepare for worship by getting our hearts right with God. We must do all we can to remove distractions, missing components, and obstacles to our worship.

Colossians 4:2-5Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

1 Peter 3:15You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

Always be prepared to explain what you believe about your faith in Jesus and why it is important to you. Depend on the Lord each time you speak. Then your witness will have the greatest impact.

Luke 21:12-15“You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!”

Prepare to defend your faith. When attacks against your faith come, rely on the Holy Spirit to help you speak with authority and courage. If the Holy Spirit spoke to you today, would you hear him and recognize his voice? Take the time each day to stay in touch with the Spirit so you will be familiar with his voice and ready to respond to what he tells you.