Last month I traveled to Houston for a weekend of rest, relaxation, and celebration of my birthday. If you know me, you know that food is my love language, and Houston is a city known for good food. A few of my mentees wanted to take me away for a couple of days to rest, enjoy some great food, and celebrate. And that was my plan, to rest, eat good food and enjoy even better company.

I had no plans to preach.

There are several ministries in Houston where I have previously ministered, so on Sunday morning, I considered attending one of those churches.

Around 8:30 that Sunday morning, I reached out to one of my sisters in the Gospel about visiting her church, and in approximately twenty minutes, my phone rang. She asked me a question I wasn't expecting, "Do you have a word?" And, I answered, "Yes."

To be completely transparent, when I said yes, I said it by faith.

Church started at 11:00 a.m., and I had not traveled to Houston with the expectation of preaching. I did not have a prepared sermon waiting in my notes. I am not one of those preachers who keeps a sermon ready just in case somebody unexpectedly hands me a microphone.

There was no time for me to go on a fast.

There was no time for hours of study.

There was no time for an extended period of preparation.

What I did have was the opportunity to lean into prayer and ask the Holy Spirit, “What are You saying to this church?” As I began praying, a Scripture dropped into my spirit, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:44, KJV

Be ye also ready.

As those words settled in my spirit, I realized that the message God was giving me wasn’t just about a word for this congregation. The Lord was speaking to me about spiritual readiness.

I did not have time that morning to develop spiritual disciplines.I had to rely on disciplines that had already been developed. I had to draw from what I had already been practicing. A consistent prayer life. Time spent studying the Word. Praying in the Holy Ghost. And learning to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit.

That morning taught me something I believe the Church needs to understand: You cannot prepare for a moment in the moment.

There are some things that must already be in you before the assignment comes. This is not only about preaching. This principle applies to every believer.

You may never be called unexpectedly to a pulpit, but there will be moments when God requires something from you without giving you advance notice.

Someone may need prayer.

Someone may need wisdom.

Someone may need encouragement.

Your family may enter a crisis.

God may tell you to move.

God may tell you to give.

God may tell you to speak.

God may open a door you have been praying about for years, and suddenly you discover that the opportunity has arrived.

Will you be ready?

Be Ye Also Ready

Jesus' words in Matthew 24 are both simple and sobering. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:44, KJV

There is one word in that verse that deserves our attention, “therefore.” Whenever we encounter the word therefore in Scripture, we should ask what preceded it. Jesus did not suddenly announce, "Be ye also ready," without context.

Matthew 24 records an extensive conversation between Jesus and His disciples concerning His coming and the end of the age. The disciples asked Him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Matthew 24:3, KJV

Jesus responded by warning them about deception, false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, betrayal, false prophets, increasing iniquity, and the love of many growing cold.

Then Jesus repeatedly brought their attention back to readiness.He said, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."Matthew 24:42, KJV

Then, he said, "Therefore be ye also ready."

Jesus was not giving His disciples signs so they could become consumed with predicting a date for His return. He was preparing them to remain faithful.

Every generation seems to have people who become so preoccupied with determining when Jesus will return that they overlook His command concerning how we should live until He returns.

Jesus did not tell us to figure out the date. He told us to be ready.

And, there is a difference between getting ready and being ready. To get ready suggests that preparation can begin once you know something is about to happen.

To be ready means preparation has already taken place. This means we should live a lifestyle of preparation.

That Sunday morning in Houston brought this Scripture alive for me in a new way.

The invitation came unexpectedly. The assignment came quickly. And my response was to be ready. That is spiritual readiness.

Readiness Is Built Before the Assignment Comes

As I reflect on that Sunday morning, I realize that my readiness was not developed in that moment. It was the result of spiritual disciplines that had been cultivated over time. The assignment didn't make me ready. It revealed what had already been developed in me.

I believe many believers make the mistake of thinking they will prepare once God gives them an opportunity.

When the door opens, then I'll become disciplined.

When God gives me the ministry, then I'll study.

When God gives me the platform, then I'll pray.

When God gives me the business, then I'll become responsible.

When God gives me the marriage, then I'll work on my character.

When God gives me more, then I'll become a better steward.

Throughout Scripture, we see that God often prepares us long before He reveals where He is taking us.

David did not learn courage when Goliath appeared. Long before there was Goliath, there was a lion and a bear.

There were sheep he had to protect.

There were lonely fields where nobody was watching.

What looked insignificant was preparation.

Joseph did not suddenly develop integrity when Pharaoh promoted him. His character had been tested in Potiphar's house and in prison.

Esther did not walk into the king's presence without preparation. There was a process before there was a moment.

The disciples did not meet Jesus one day and preach at Pentecost the next. They walked with Him. They listened to Him. They watched Him. They were corrected by Him. They learned from Him. Then Jesus instructed them to wait until they were endued with power from on high.

God prepares His people before He positions them.

We must stop despising the seasons that feel hidden because the hidden season may be the preparation for the public assignment.

The prayer nobody sees matters.

The Bible study nobody applauds matters.

The obedience that never gets posted matters.

The discipline to seek God when there is no crisis matters.

The private life matters.

Because eventually there will be a moment when what has been cultivated privately will be required publicly.

You cannot prepare for a moment in the moment.

The assignment may arrive unexpectedly, but your preparation should not.

The Difference Between the Wise and Foolish Virgins

Immediately after Jesus teaches about watchfulness and readiness in Matthew 24, He gives us the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25. The placement of this parable is important.

Jesus has just said, "Be ready." Then He gives His listeners a picture of what happens when some are ready and others are not. "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." Matthew 25:1, KJV

Before looking at their differences, let’s consider what they had in common. There were ten virgins.

All ten had lamps.

All ten went out to meet the bridegroom.

All ten expected him to come.

And according to verse 5, when the bridegroom delayed, all ten slumbered and slept. Outwardly, they looked remarkably similar.

Yet Jesus tells us, "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish." Matthew 25:2, KJV

What separated the wise from the foolish?

Preparation.

The foolish took their lamps, but they took no oil with them.

The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

The wise knew the bridegroom was coming. What they did not know was when he would arrive. Because they were certain of his coming but uncertain of the timing, they made sure they had what they needed to remain ready, even if the wait was longer than expected.

The foolish did not prepare for the unknown.

Spiritual maturity prepares us to remain faithful even when God's timing does not match our expectations.

Anybody can be excited when the promise is announced, but the question is whether you can remain prepared while you wait.

Anybody can start with oil, but can you maintain the oil in the midst of delay?

Anybody can shout over a prophetic word, but can you remain faithful when the fulfillment takes longer than you expected?

The delay did not determine who was wise and who was foolish. It exposed the level of preparation each one had made before the bridegroom arrived. In the same way, my unexpected assignment in Houston did not prepare me for the moment. It revealed the preparation that had already taken place.

The midnight cry did not make five virgins foolish and five wise. It revealed who was prepared before the cry came.

The Midnight Cry

Matthew 25:6 says, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."

Midnight is an inconvenient time. It is not the time most people expect activity. . It is dark. Most people are asleep. And, according to this parable, all of the virgins are sleeping.. Then suddenly the cry came, “The bridegroom is coming!” There was no additional time to prepare. There was no advance warning that the bridegroom would arrive the next day, giving them additional time to prepare.

The announcement was, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." When the call came, there was no time left for preparation. They had to be ready to respond immediately.

This is exactly what Jesus had been teaching. Be ready because you do not know the hour. The wise virgins did not become ready when the cry came; they were already ready. The foolish suddenly realized that what they had was insufficient. Their lamps were out.

Then they turned to the wise and said, "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out." Matthew 25:8, KJV

But the wise could not give them what they, too, needed. And this brings us to the next lesson.

Some Things Cannot Be Borrowed

There are some things in our spiritual lives that cannot be borrowed from someone else. You cannot borrow somebody else's prayer life.

You cannot borrow somebody else's intimacy with God.

You cannot borrow somebody else's knowledge of Scripture.

You cannot borrow somebody else's spiritual maturity.

You cannot borrow somebody else's history with God.

Your pastor cannot have a relationship with God for you.

Your spouse cannot pray enough to replace your own prayer life.

Your parents' faith cannot substitute for your own walk with Jesus.

You can learn from other people.

You can receive wisdom from them.

You can sit under sound teaching.

You can be strengthened by the testimony of another believer. We need the Body of Christ. But there is still a personal responsibility attached to discipleship. There are some things you must cultivate for yourself. The foolish virgins discovered this too late.

They went to buy oil, but while they were gone, the bridegroom came. Matthew 25:10 says, "And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut."

Those words should sober every believer. They that were ready went in.

Not those who intended to get ready.

Not those who planned to get ready.

Not those who knew they should be ready.

Those who were ready.

Good intentions are not spiritual disciplines.

A desire to pray is not prayer.

Planning to study Scripture is not studying Scripture.

Knowing that we need to obey God is not obedience.

At some point, intention must become discipline.

Spiritual Disciplines Are Developed Before the Crisis

That Sunday morning in Houston, I could not create years of spiritual discipline in ninety minutes. I had to draw from what had already been cultivated. And, this is why spiritual disciplines matter.

Sometimes when people hear the word discipline, they think of legalism or rigid religious behavior. That is not what I mean. Spiritual disciplines are the practices that continually position our hearts toward God.

They do not earn God's love. They help us remain sensitive to the God who already loves us. Discipline creates consistency.

And consistency prepares us for moments we cannot predict.

There are several disciplines I believe are essential if we are going to live ready.

Develop a Habit of Prayer

Prayer should not be something we begin only when something goes wrong. Relationship with God is cultivated through prayer.

Jesus modeled a consistent prayer life. Luke 5:16 says, "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."

Jesus regularly withdrew from crowds to commune with the Father. If Jesus prioritized prayer, how much more should we?

Daniel had such an established prayer life that when a law was passed making his prayer illegal, he did not have to decide what he was going to do. Daniel 6:10 tells us that he prayed three times a day, "as he did aforetime." In other words, the crisis did not create Daniel's prayer life, it revealed it.

There it is again. When trouble came, Daniel fell back on a discipline that was already established.

Crisis is not the time to begin building a prayer life.

We should already know the way to the secret place.

We should already know how to call on God.

We should already know how to sit quietly in His presence.

We should already know how to pray when nobody is watching.

Prayer prepares us.

Develop a Habit of Studying the Word

We also need a consistent relationship with Scripture. Psalm 119:105 declares, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

We are living in a generation filled with voices.

Social media has a voice.

Culture has a voice.

Politics has a voice.

Entertainment has a voice.

Our emotions have a voice.

Other people have voices.

If we are not grounded in Scripture, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from opinion.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus repeatedly responded: "It is written." The Word was already in Him. He did not have to search for truth when temptation came. He knew the truth.

That is why studying Scripture cannot be reserved for Sunday morning. We need the Word in us before deception comes. Before temptation comes. Before offense comes. Before disappointment comes. Before the unexpected assignment comes.

A Bible sitting on a table cannot renew your mind. The Word must be read. Studied. Meditated upon. Applied. Obeyed. We must hide it in our hearts.

Develop a Habit of Praying in the Holy Ghost

Jude 20 instructs us, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."

Paul also tells us in Ephesians 6:18 to pray, "always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."

Praying in the Holy Spirit is part of the believer's spiritual life.

There are moments when we do not know what to pray. There are moments when our understanding is limited. There are moments when the Holy Spirit must help our infirmities, as Paul explains in Romans 8:26.

We need to cultivate sensitivity to the Spirit before the pressure comes.

That Sunday morning, I needed more than information. I needed revelation.

I needed to know what the Holy Spirit wanted to say to that particular congregation at that particular moment.

That requires dependence.

It requires listening.

It requires sensitivity.

And sensitivity is cultivated through relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Develop a Habit of Obedience

Readiness also requires obedience. It does us little good to hear God if we have no intention of obeying Him. Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Hearing and following belong together.

Sometimes we keep asking God for another word when we have not obeyed the last word He gave us. We want greater revelation, but God is still waiting on obedience.

Every act of obedience teaches us something about the character of God. Every time we follow His lead, we become more familiar with His ways.

Every time we ignore His voice, we risk becoming less sensitive to it.

Living ready means developing a heart that can say yes before we know everything the yes will require.

The Last Days Demand Spiritual Readiness

There is another reason this message matters. We are living in serious times. Paul warned Timothy, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." 2 Timothy 3:1, KJV

Paul continues, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy..." 2 Timothy 3:2, KJV

He goes on to describe a generation marked by moral disorder, betrayal, pride, pleasure seeking, and even a "form of godliness" that denies its power. These are sobering words.

Yet I do not believe the Church should read 2 Timothy 3 and become afraid.

Because Scripture gives us another picture of the last days. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood and quoted the prophet Joel, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." Acts 2:17, KJV

Do you see the tension?

Perilous times.

And...

An outpouring of the Spirit.

Actually the out pour of the Spirit occurs before the perilous times. Both are descriptions connected to the last days.

We cannot focus only on the peril and forget the promise. Yes, Scripture warns of deception.

But Scripture also promises an outpouring. Yes, darkness will increase. But God has not abandoned His Church. Yes, we must be discerning. But we should also be expectant. We are not called to hide in fear. We are called to live ready. The conditions around us make spiritual readiness more important, not less.

Hearing the Voice of God in the Last Days

If there has ever been a time when believers need to recognize the voice of God, it is now.

Jesus warned in Matthew 24, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Matthew 24:4, KJV

Deception was one of the first things Jesus mentioned when His disciples asked Him about the end of the age.

That should get our attention.If deception is increasing, discernment must increase. And discernment is developed through intimacy with God and knowledge of His Word.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27, KJV

Jesus does not present hearing His voice as something reserved only for prophets, apostles, pastors, or preachers.

His sheep hear His voice.

That means every believer needs to develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. But we must also understand something.

The voice of God will never contradict the Word of God.

The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture. He will not lead us contrary to what He has already spoken. This is why prayer and the Word must work together.

The Word gives us truth.

Prayer develops intimacy.

The Holy Spirit gives us guidance.

Obedience keeps our hearts responsive.

These disciplines work together to prepare us.

There are too many voices competing for our attention for believers to remain spiritually undisciplined.

We cannot afford to live entirely dependent upon someone else telling us what God is saying.

There will be moments when you need to hear Him for yourself.

That Sunday morning in Houston was one of those moments for me. I could have searched through old sermon notes. I could have chosen something I had preached before. But that was not what I needed. I needed to know, Holy Spirit, what are You saying now?

And I believe that question should become part of the prayer life of every believer.

Lord, what are You saying? What are You saying about my family? What are You saying about this decision? What are You saying about this season? What are You saying through Your Word? What are You requiring of me? Am I listening?

Readiness Is a Lifestyle

The more I have reflected on that weekend, the more convinced I have become that readiness is not an event. Readiness is a lifestyle.

We cannot live spiritually careless lives and expect to become spiritually sharp the moment an emergency arises.

We cannot continually ignore God's voice and assume we will recognize it perfectly when we desperately need direction.

We cannot neglect Scripture and expect discernment to appear automatically when deception comes.

We cannot neglect prayer and expect intimacy to materialize in crisis.

The wise virgins prepared before midnight.

Daniel prayed before the decree.

David worshiped before Goliath.

Jesus prayed before Calvary.

The disciples waited before Pentecost.

Preparation precedes the moment.

This is why what you do every day matters.

Your daily prayer matters.

Your daily study matters.

Your worship matters.

Your obedience matters.

Your private disciplines matter.

You may not understand what God is preparing you for.

That does not make the preparation unnecessary.

There are seasons when God is developing something in you before He reveals where you will need it.

Do not despise those seasons.

Stay in prayer.

Stay in the Word.

Stay sensitive.

Stay obedient.

Stay full.

Be ready.

The Assignment Does Not Create Readiness, It Reveals It

I went to Houston planning to rest.

I went planning to eat.

I went planning to enjoy time with people I love.

I did not know that Sunday morning would include an unexpected preaching assignment. But God knew.

That is what makes this lesson so personal for me.

God knew before I packed my bags.

God knew before I arrived in Houston.

God knew before I sent the message asking about visiting church.

God knew before my phone rang.

The assignment was unexpected to me.

It was not unexpected to God.

And that makes me wonder how many things God is preparing us for right now that we know nothing about.

Maybe the prayer life you are developing is preparing you to intercede for someone you have not met yet.

Maybe the Scripture you are studying today will become the Word you need in a crisis tomorrow.

Maybe the season that feels hidden is developing the character you will need when the door opens.

Maybe the discipline God is requiring of you now is preparing you for an assignment you cannot yet see.

Do not wait for the opportunity to begin preparing.

Do not wait for the crisis to begin praying.

Do not wait for deception to begin studying.

Do not wait until you desperately need direction to learn the voice of God.

Live ready.

Do You Have a Word?

I keep returning to the question I was asked that Sunday morning, "Do you have a word?"

At the time, it was a preacher asking another preacher if she could minister that morning.

But the question has become much bigger to me. Church, do you have a Word in you?

Not merely a sermon. The Word.

Is there enough Scripture in you to sustain you when life becomes difficult?

Is there enough prayer in your life to keep you anchored when everything around you changes?

Have you spent enough time with the Holy Spirit to recognize His leading when He interrupts your plans?

If someone needed you to pray today, would you be ready?

If God told you to move today, would you be ready?

If He told you to speak, would you be ready?

If He told you to be silent, would you be ready?

If He opened the door you have been praying for, would your character be ready to walk through it?

And ultimately, if Jesus returned, would you be ready?

That is the real message.

Jesus said, "Therefore be ye also ready."

Not get ready. Be ready.

The assignment may come at 8:50 on a Sunday morning.

The crisis may come without warning.

The opportunity may arrive sooner than expected.

And our Lord will return at an hour we do not know.

So pray now.

Study now.

Obey now.

Develop intimacy with the Holy Spirit now.

Build the disciplines now.

Keep oil in your vessel now.

Because when the midnight cry comes, there will not be time to develop what should have already been cultivated.

That Sunday morning, someone asked me, "Do you have a word?" By faith, I answered, "Yes."

My prayer is that we would become a Church that lives so close to God, remains so grounded in His Word, and stays so sensitive to His Spirit that whenever He calls upon us, our lives have already prepared our answer.

Yes, Lord. I'm ready.

Reflect & Respond

Take some time with the Lord and honestly consider these questions:

1. If God interrupted my plans today with an unexpected assignment, would I be spiritually ready?

2. Have I developed a consistent prayer life, or do I primarily pray when I need something?

3. Am I consistently studying God's Word, or am I depending mostly on what other people teach me?

4. How sensitive am I to the voice of the Holy Spirit?

5. Is there something God has already instructed me to do that I have delayed obeying?

6. What spiritual discipline needs greater consistency in my life?

7. Am I preparing only for what I expect, or am I allowing God to prepare me for what I cannot yet see?

8. If the midnight cry came today, would I be ready?

Spend some time this week reading Matthew 24:1–51 and Matthew 25:1–13. Do not rush through the passages. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what Jesus is teaching about watchfulness, preparation, faithfulness, and readiness.

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About the Author

Elder Christie Dobbins is an ordained minister, Bible teacher, author, speaker, and founder of Christie Dobbins Ministries and Closing the Gap™, a ministry committed to equipping believers through sound biblical teaching, prayer, discipleship, and leadership development. Her passion is helping believers deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, grow in spiritual maturity, and apply the Word of God to everyday life.

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BE YE ALSO READY!

The Daily Disciplines That Prepare Us for God's Unexpected Assignments

Written by: Elder Christie Dobbins

Published: August 24, 2026

Reading Time: 20–25 minutes

Category: Bible Studies

Primary Scriptures: Matthew 24:42–44; Matthew 25:1–13; 2 Timothy 3:1–5; Acts 2:17; John 10:27 (KJV)

Table Of Contents

An Unexpected Assignment