You Feel Ready—But Are You Set?

There's a difference between wanting and being positioned.

Another day, another what? Word.

You can’t measure your readiness for something based solely on how much you want it.

So often we assume that because we long for something deeply, we must be ready to receive it. However, there’s a difference between wanting something and being equipped to carry it out. Readiness is not emotional; it’s not just about passion or excitement. It’s about capacity, discipline, and timing. And more often than not, the preparation required to sustain the thing we desire happens long before the door opens, usually in silence, behind the scenes, and often without applause.

You see, God sees beyond our longing; He looks for the maturity to sustain what we’re asking for. Before He gives the “go,” He checks whether we’ve been properly positioned. It’s kind of like a race. A runner doesn't just take off; there’s a sequence: “On your mark, get set, go.” Just before the signal to run, there’s a moment of stillness. You must take your position, fix your posture, and then move. The start of the race requires alignment, intention, and composure—it’s not rushed. In the same way, before stepping into what’s next, God often calls us to position ourselves, to be set apart, and to submit to His process of preparation. The “go” is coming, but the question is: have you let God get you set?

This lesson hit me personally not long ago. At the end of May, I decided I wanted to start running and set a goal to complete a 5K by the end of the summer. The desire was there, but I rushed into it without preparing properly. I didn’t stretch. I didn’t warm up. I didn’t get fitted for shoes that were designed for running. I thought I was ready. I thought I could jump into it, but my knees had other plans… or so it seems. Not long after starting, I was sidelined with a really bad case of runner’s knee. What was supposed to be the beginning of something exciting turned into two weeks of recovery, painful to the point that walking up and down stairs or even bending my knee became a struggle. To be honest, it’s made me hesitant to run again, not because I don’t still want it (I do), but because now I know what it feels like to move ahead unprepared.

As I sat in that discomfort, both physical and spiritual, it reminded me that desire alone isn’t enough. And the more I reflected, the more I saw that truth in Hannah’s story, too.

She didn’t just desire a child. She cried out, prayed fervently, and poured her soul before the Lord for a son. What if, though, her season of waiting wasn’t only about longing, but about divine preparation? Samuel didn’t have an ordinary calling—he was a prophet chosen by God, and his assignment required a mother who knew how to intercede, surrender, and dedicate him fully. Perhaps Hannah’s delay wasn’t a denial but the time needed to shape her into the kind of mother Samuel’s calling would require. Her breakthrough was tied to purpose, not just desire.

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

1 Samuel 1:27-28 [NIV]

Both my experience and Hannah’s story tell us that desire alone isn’t enough. Without preparation, even a good thing can leave you hurting or misused. In the same way, when we rush into what we think we’re ready for without letting God stretch us, strengthen us, and equip us, what was meant to build us can break us. Sometimes delay isn’t punishment, it’s protection. It’s God saying, “Let Me prepare you so you don’t collapse under what you’re asking for.” Because when the door finally opens or the opportunity comes, you won’t just be excited, you’ll be ready and prepared to walk in fully, without fear.

So maybe the real question isn't, “Am I ready for it?”

Maybe the better question is, “Have I allowed God to prepare me for it?”

And there’s no harm if the answer is no. Some of us aren’t honest enough with ourselves to admit that. We say we’re ready, but deep down, we know we haven’t done the work or surrendered enough to be trusted with the weight of what we’re asking for. Then we wonder why certain doors haven’t opened or why certain prayers seem unanswered. Sometimes God withholds not to punish us, but to protect us. His “not yet” is mercy. His “no” is wisdom. And when His “go” finally comes, it will not require striving. It will require obedience.

Until next time, for another day, another word!

With love,

Eunice

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
- Benjamin Franklin