Process of renewal –– holy discontentment + preparation (in secret) + contending (in prayer) + holy patterns + remnant == a region renewed in the spirit of God

1 Sam 17:20-23 /// 31-40

How to Prepare in Secret in Order to Walk in the Promises of God in Your Life.

1 - You must take out the lions and bears with God in your private life before you can take down the giants with God in your public one. Before you're ever going to win visible battles, you must take ownership of the invisible ones. So often we know the giants we are up against in the obvious ways, but we disregard the lions and bears feeding on the areas of our souls in the non-obvious ways. You must understand that it is the battles we learn to fight when no one is watching that allow us to emerge victorious in faith when people are watching.

2 - We prepare in secret so when the time comes we aren’t tempted to be someone else other than who God called us uniquely to be. Before David was knocking down a giant he was deciding if he believed in the skill of the sling shot over the strength of the king's sword and armor. Oftentimes the reason we're not taking down giants is because we are using everyone else’s strategy to win, uncomfortable and not confident in the gifts our Father has given us. Preparation is about understanding who God has uniquely called me to be, and being willing to look foolish if it means I walk out in the faith I have God is with me. If you lose yourself, you lose it all.

3 - You can hide in the baggage, or head to the battle. Proper preparation is when you handle the baggage before it affects the battle. So often we bring baggage to the battles, not realizing that the gift of fighting the lions and bears when no one is watching is having the skills needed to defeat the giants when everyone is. Preparation is the healthy ownership of my healing journey and gift development that can only be done in the deep cultivation of a life in God. You have to own what's around you in order to win at what's ahead of you