WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.960 created me a clean heart, O God, and renew a 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:07.759 steadfast spirit within me. You know the purpose 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.140 you have placed upon my life. You know the doors 00:00:11.140 --> 00:00:14.460 ahead of me. You know the responsibilities I 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:17.719 have not yet seen. You know the weight of what 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:22.120 you intend to entrust to me. So today, I am not 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.719 simply asking you to increase my gift. I am asking 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:29.320 you to prepare me to carry it. Before you increase 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:32.820 my influence, increase my character. Before you 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:37.020 enlarge my territory, enlarge my capacity. Before 00:00:37.020 --> 00:00:40.399 you increase my authority, deepen my humility. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:44.640 Before you increase my resources, teach me stewardship. 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:48.159 Before you increase my visibility, strengthen 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:52.119 my private life. Before you give me greater access, 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:55.939 strengthen my self control. God do not allow 00:00:55.939 --> 00:00:59.200 my gift to take me somewhere my character cannot 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:03.579 sustain me. Holy Spirit search me. If there is 00:01:03.579 --> 00:01:07.019 pride in me, expose it. If there is insecurity 00:01:07.019 --> 00:01:10.799 in me, heal it. If there is jealousy in me, remove 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:14.799 it. If there is an appetite capable of compromising 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:18.400 my purpose, strengthen my discipline. If there 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.620 is anger that could become dangerous when combined 00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:25.739 with authority, refine my reactions. If I depend 00:01:25.739 --> 00:01:29.739 too much upon people's approval, bring my identity 00:01:29.739 --> 00:01:33.659 back to you. If there is anything growing privately 00:01:33.659 --> 00:01:36.920 that could one day destroy publicly what you 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:40.459 have entrusted to me, deal with it now. I would 00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:43.780 rather be corrected in preparation than destroyed 00:01:43.780 --> 00:01:47.739 after promotion. I would rather be refined before 00:01:47.739 --> 00:01:51.560 the door opens than enter a place I am not prepared 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:57.180 to sustain. Lord, protect me from confusing gifting 00:01:57.180 --> 00:02:01.019 with maturity. Protect me from believing that 00:02:01.019 --> 00:02:04.420 because you are using me, there is nothing left 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:08.039 in me that needs transformation. Protect me from 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:11.740 confusing mercy with approval. Samson still had 00:02:11.740 --> 00:02:14.539 strength while his boundaries were weakening. 00:02:14.629 --> 00:02:18.710 Saul had authority while insecurity was growing. 00:02:19.250 --> 00:02:22.330 Peter loved Jesus but discovered that passion 00:02:22.330 --> 00:02:26.650 alone could not sustain him. David carried anointing 00:02:26.650 --> 00:02:29.710 yet still needed repentance and a clean heart. 00:02:30.169 --> 00:02:33.750 Their lives remind me, I need you continually. 00:02:34.289 --> 00:02:37.669 So keep me dependent upon the Holy Spirit. When 00:02:37.669 --> 00:02:41.289 you correct me, let me receive correction. When 00:02:41.289 --> 00:02:45.210 you expose me, let me surrender. When you warn 00:02:45.210 --> 00:02:49.449 me, let me listen. When you tell me no, let me 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:53.629 obey. When you require waiting, give me patience. 00:02:54.069 --> 00:02:57.210 And when you place me in seasons where nobody 00:02:57.210 --> 00:03:01.449 sees what you are doing, teach me to value preparation 00:03:01.449 --> 00:03:06.129 more than recognition. God, if the door must 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:09.909 remain closed while you develop me, prepare me. 00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:13.030 If I must wait while you strengthen my character, 00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:17.430 Prepare me. If the fire must expose something 00:03:17.430 --> 00:03:21.030 that cannot accompany my purpose, refine me. 00:03:22.129 --> 00:03:25.030 If something must leave my life before you can 00:03:25.030 --> 00:03:28.469 entrust me with greater responsibility, give 00:03:28.469 --> 00:03:32.550 me courage to release it. I do not want success 00:03:32.550 --> 00:03:36.710 that destroys my relationship with you. I do 00:03:36.710 --> 00:03:40.539 not want influence that destroys my family. I 00:03:40.539 --> 00:03:44.300 do not want authority that feeds my pride. I 00:03:44.300 --> 00:03:47.080 do not want a platform that becomes greater than 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:51.020 my character. I do not want an opportunity that 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:54.800 my private life cannot sustain. I want what you 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:58.000 have for me, but I also want to become capable 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:03.240 of carrying it. Therefore, I declare, my character 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.639 will grow with my calling. My humility will grow 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:10.000 with my influence. My wisdom will grow with my 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:13.460 authority. My discipline will grow with my access. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:17.319 My stewardship will grow with my resources. My 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:20.240 dependence upon God will grow with my success. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:23.500 I declare that my gift will not become greater 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:26.240 than the character supporting it. My private 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.560 life will not become the enemy of my public assignment. 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:33.079 My appetite will not sabotage my anointing. My 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:35.899 insecurity will not govern my leadership. My 00:04:35.899 --> 00:04:39.000 pride will not destroy what humility helped me 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.500 build. By the help of the Holy Spirit, I will 00:04:42.500 --> 00:04:45.560 become capable of carrying the weight of purpose. 00:04:45.980 --> 00:04:49.439 God, prepare the vessel. Strengthen the structure. 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:53.600 Purify my motives. Develop my character. Teach 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:57.360 me restraint. deep in my obedience. And if I 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:00.399 am asking you for something I am not yet prepared 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.459 to carry, prepare me before you give it to me. 00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:07.459 I will not despise the waiting. I will not despise 00:05:07.459 --> 00:05:10.579 the correction. I will not despise the hidden 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:14.300 season. I will not despise the fire. Because 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:17.379 perhaps what I have called delay has actually 00:05:17.379 --> 00:05:20.339 been preparation. Perhaps what I have called 00:05:20.339 --> 00:05:23.910 restriction has actually been protection. Perhaps 00:05:23.910 --> 00:05:26.490 you have been preparing me for something heavier 00:05:26.490 --> 00:05:30.410 than I realized. So God, when the opportunity 00:05:30.410 --> 00:05:34.209 comes, let my character be ready. When the door 00:05:34.209 --> 00:05:38.470 opens, let my character be ready. When the influence 00:05:38.470 --> 00:05:42.310 increases, let my character be ready. When the 00:05:42.310 --> 00:05:46.350 responsibility arrives, let me be ready. I am 00:05:46.350 --> 00:05:50.069 being prepared. I am being strengthened. I am 00:05:50.069 --> 00:05:54.139 being humbled. I am being disciplined. I am being 00:05:54.139 --> 00:05:58.720 refined for a purpose. In the name of Jesus Christ, 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:01.860 Amen. You are not alone.