Instant People

A few days ago, when I was getting ready for work, God spoke to me and said “Be instant." Immediately I began referencing that word in my mind and I knew it referred to both prayer and preaching. Take a look at what I found!

If we read Romans 12, it tells us a whole list of things that are our “reasonable service” unto God and continuing “instant in prayer” is one of them. I referenced the Greek translation of the word and here’s what I found!

to adhere to one, be his adherent, to be devoted or constant to one
to be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing
to continue all the time in a place
to persevere and not to faint
to show one's self courageous for
to be in constant readiness for one, wait on constantly

According to this we must be adhered to or in the Stacey Blubaugh translation, "glued" to prayer, devoted to it. We must give our attention to prayer, ready always to speak God’s will into every situation, a person’s life and the earth. We cannot remit it, delay in it, postpone it…it’s always necessary, all the time, in every place! We must persevere…undertake prayer regardless of counter-influences, opposition, or discouragement. And the one I like best is to be constantly ready…looking for every opportunity to pray…waiting for the next victim of prayer…soon to become victorious over whatever they are facing through Christ Jesus! Amen to that!

And then, 2 Timothy 4:2 instructs this way….Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Now “in season” here doesn’t mean winter, spring, summer, fall…or even season as referring to seed, time and harvest. In the Greek, it means seasonably, opportunely and when the opportunity occurs. And “out of season”, of course would refer to lack of opportunity.

And preaching is simply this, to proclaim, in an authority that must be listened to and obeyed and to proclaim openly something that has been done! To state the truth and matters pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ to the public. And the public simply refers to people…so wherever there are people, that’s where you make a statement for Christ. A sermon can consist of only a few words and be just as effective…John 14:5 & 6 says … "how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”


So do it! Be instant…ready, having already spent time with the Lord, in prayer & in the Word, so that if there is opportunity…you know God’s heart and if there is a lack of opportunity, you are still ready!

Here are some quotes for you:
~"Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity." Henry Hartman
~“Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.” Orison Swett Marden quotes
~“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Alva Edison
~“I will prepare and some day my chance will come." Abraham Lincoln
~"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.” Alexander Graham Bell
~“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” Whitney M. Young, Jr.