Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” (Mt 24:42-44)
Jesus taught quite consistently about a great number of issues. One of the things that he said with much consistency and urgency was to be prepared.
From the time we are very young, we learn the value of preparation.
We learn to prepare ourselves in the academics. Homework and quizzes and tests help to keep our intellect honed.
We learn to prepare ourselves physically. Running and jumping and playing all sorts of outdoor games when we are young help us to be coordinated.
We prepare ourselves when we go on vacation. Failing to pack all the essentials may create all sorts of difficulties.
We learn to prepare ourselves spiritually as well. We discover that prayer can keep us focused on the Lord and can even have a calming effect upon us.
However, we often do not apply our spiritual lessons to the same degree that we apply other lessons in life.
We should.
Because, no matter how prepared we become intellectually or physically, those will not have us ready for eternity.
Spiritual preparation, however, will.
FAITH ACTION: There are many things you will do today that require your attention and preparation. Put as much energy into your prayer time today as you put into other parts of your life.