When is the Right Time?

Posted on April 8, 2010 Updated on September 23, 2010

When is the right time? This is the question we ask ourselves with every decision that we make. When is the right time to get married? When is the right time to start taking care of my health? When is the right time to develop deeper relationships? When is the right time to complete the education I need for ministry? When is the right time to start a new ministry?

In discussing this question, there are two types of people:

· Those that wait for the right time.

· Those that make the time right.

Those that wait for the right time never find it! They are the type of individuals that are constantly in a holding pattern in life. They are waiting for things to get better and become more favorable. Have you ever noticed that things never become more favorable in their lives? They wait for things to get better until they reach the autumn of their lives and then say “When I was younger, I could have done it!” This type of individual has bought a lie from the pit of hell. This same lie keeps millions from entering the Kingdom today: “I will wait until things are right to accept Jesus!” The Word tells us that “now” is the day of salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2)

Here is How to Make the Time Right

Right here I could go into all kinds of personal development, organizational and productivity techniques that could help. To be truthful, that is not the first answer. Those are things that you do AFTER you make the time right, not before. I am sure you either think that I am off my rocker or just wondering where in the world I am coming from. Here is the answer:

When prompted by the Holy Spirit!

Just like when someone accepts the LORD, they are prompted by the Holy Spirit. With the prompting comes the anointing to move forward. Once we begin to move in obedience, the Holy Spirit looses an anointing to get it done. Only after we obey the prompting of the LORD do all of the other productivity techniques and technologies come into play. That prompting by the Holy Spirit is your window of opportunity! Let me give you a few examples:

1. For those of you that have been reading the “Mentor’s Tips” that I have been publishing, some are better than others. Come on, be truthful. The truth presented in the articles is correct, but the writing skill and level of anointing in them are different. Have you ever asked yourself why? For some articles, when the Holy Spirit deposited the idea into my spirit, I dropped everything I was doing and wrote immediately. At times the circumstances did not look like the right time to write, but the Holy Spirit knew when the right time was. As I yielded to Him in obedience, He loosed ability and anointing in me that took those articles to a level that cannot be achieved without Him.

The articles that were good, but so-so on the anointing, were articles where He prompted me and I wrote down the concept but did not write out the article. Obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit makes things better!

2. Here is another funny situation that shows the importance of heeding a timely prompting.

Those of you that have called into Biblical Life have had the pleasure of speaking with Pastor Michael Rodhouse. All of you know he has a wonderful pastor’s heart. One day as he was finishing up mowing his yard, I stopped to speak with him. I noticed that the seat pad was coming off around the edge on his lawnmower. I felt impressed to point that out to him and told him, “You better fix that. It will just take a minute.” Well, he waited for a better time. He was tired and sweaty. The better time never came. Within a day or two his dog found the edge that had come up, worked it off the mower and turned it into a chew toy until it was in pieces. The next time that he mowed, the hard steel seat was a powerful reminder of the importance of heeding a prompting to respond in a timely manner. As a side note, his mower was an older model and he never found a seat that would fit. He found a makeshift seat that would rest on top of the normal seat, but it was never comfortable. It stayed that way for several years until he purchased a new mower.

3. This article.

I had many things on my agenda to accomplish today. I am learning that when the Holy Spirit prompts and speaks, I need to drop everything to follow His leading. It will be a fresh word, and it will minister to those that need it.

What is the Holy Spirit Prompting You to Do?

You need to ask yourself, “What is the Holy Spirit prompting me to do?” For some of you, it is about enrolling with BLCS. For others, it may be to start a new ministry or deepen a relationship. The good news here is that if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do, He is ready to release the anointing and resources to accomplish it. The only way they will be released is through your act of obedience. You need to realize that you have an open Heaven for this project that only the Holy Spirit can see. It is similar to when the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan. The river did not split until they had stepped into the water!

Once they crossed over, there were still challenges and giants to fight. Each victory came because of obedience to the prompting of God. Once you start to step out in obedience, keep listening and keep doing as the LORD gives ability. Don’t allow the enemy to convince you there is a better time. Who knows more, the devil or God?

After you cross over your Jordan, each day the Holy Spirit will open a window of opportunity to move the project further to success. Your task is to stay faithful through obedience to the promptings!

So, what is the Holy Spirit been prompting you to do? There has never been a better time for obedience. There is an open Heaven waiting for you to move forward!

© Copyright by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E. All Rights Reserved

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Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

Chancellor and Founder

Dr. Lake is the chancellor and founder of Biblical Life College & Seminary and serves as an educational consultant for various Christian organizations around the world. He also serves as the Pastor of Biblical Life Assembly in Marshfield, MO. Dr. Lake is listed in the US Registry’s “Who’s Who Among Outstanding Americans,” Sterling’s “Who’s Who Executive Edition,” and the “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” for his accomplishments in ministry.