Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

MATTHEW 25:1-4

“Your meeting with God demands that you clean up.”

Miracles, breakthroughs, promotions and turnarounds happen when opportunity meets preparation. Encounters are not to the available or the participant, but to the prepared. Just like passing an exam is not for the writer of the exam, but for the prepared. Success is determined in the place of preparation, not in the exam hall. It does not matter how serious the candidate may look on the day of the examination, if he or she failed in the place of preparation, failure is imminent. The foolish virgins failed in the place of preparation; they had no oil for their lamps but the wise ones got themselves well prepared in readiness for their encounter (Matthew 25:1-4).

One way you need to get prepared for your encounter with God is by sanctifying yourself. What does it mean?

• It means to set yourself apart. Cleanse yourself from all defilement and filthiness.
• It is to purify yourself.
• It is to be prepared to meet with the Holy and Righteous one.

Your preparation in the place of sanctification is so fundamental to having your desired encounters. It is being properly dressed spiritually for the occasion. In Matthew 22, there is a parable JESUS used to give an illustration about the Kingdom of Heaven. It was a marriage feast in honour of a prince. The king sent his servants to the city to bring in the invited guests but they would not come and so the invitation was open to all and sundry. Then, when the king came in to see the guests who accepted to attend, there was a man who was not properly dressed for the feast and the king asked his servants to cast him out. What was his offence? He was not wearing the right garment; he did not sanctify himself; he did not prepare well for the feast. But was he invited? The answer is yes; since he was not sanctified, he got humiliated – Matthew 22:9-13.

If cleaning up and purifying one’s self is a requirement for appearing before a king who is a mere mortal being, how much more God, Who is the Creator of the entire Universe? I.W.C is your meeting place with God and that you are going to meet Him is enough for you to clean up, sanctify yourself in a fast and abstain from all defilements.

Just Do It

• Sanctify your heart. Purge it of unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, pride, idols, covetousness, etc.
• Sanctify your thoughts. When any wrong thought comes, resist it.  Speak out to stop your mind from thinking the wrong thoughts – Philippians 4:8
• Sanctify your body from all defilements. Break clean and put off all garments of fornication, adultery, sexual pervasion and the eating of anything offered to idols – 1 Samuel 21:1-5, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
• Sanctify your words. Prepare for life changing encounters by cleansing yourself of defiling utterances, carnal words, impure words. Put away vain words from your mouth – Matthew 15:11.

Prayers

1. Father, grant me the grace to sanctify myself for I.W.C and beyond, in the Name of JESUS.
2. Oh God, let every stronghold designed to keep me perpetually defiled, break in the Name of JESUS.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

OLD TESTAMENT: ESTHER 4 – 6