Scripture shows us a powerful pattern: whenever believers gathered, God’s hand was present among them, bringing miracles, signs and wonders, diverse manifestations of the Spirit, and His tangible presence. This reminds us that our gatherings should be nothing less.

Therefore, to fully receive all that God has prepared, we must approach camp meeting with intentional preparation. Our goal should be to have an encounter so transformative that, like Moses on the mountain, we leave with a visible manifestation of God’s presence.

When Moses descended, everyone who saw him knew he had been with God—his face shone with a radiance that words could not deny. This is the kind of encounter we should desire: a life so touched by God that it visibly impacts everyone around us.

In the spirit of this preparation, today we will focus on preparing for camp meeting through prayer.

Consider the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Jesus teaches us a valuable lesson here about the different types of soil that the seed of the Word falls on and the fruitfulness of the Word based on the type of soil.

Matthew 13:3-8
New King James Version
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Now 2 things you can learn from this:

1. The Word of God in and of itself has all that it needs to be fruitful. It is viable by itself. Anything that is of God inherently carries power, including the atmosphere of the Spirit.

The Bible says:

Matthew 18:20
New King James Version
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

If God is present then nothing is impossible. This already tells you that resident in our gathering together is an atmosphere that spells “ABILITY”. That is, all and every Godly manifestation is possible. This is what we mean when we tell you that God is ready!

2. The hearts of the people must be well-tilled to be able to receive. This means that anyone who would be in that atmosphere must be well prepared, heightened in faith, and without hindrances to soak in what God has in store.

How does this have anything to do with prayer? Praying well before a special meeting is like preparing the soil of your heart. It’s the intentional act of breaking up the “rocks” of distraction, clearing out the “weeds” of worry, and softening our spirits to make room for God’s word to take deep root.

Without this preparation, we can be like hardened, cluttered soil with little room for an encounter with God.

Acts 2:1-3
New King James Version
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples gathered “with one accord in one place,” when the Holy Spirit descended upon them and rested on each of them with tongues of fire. You see before this, Jesus had instructed them to wait for the promised Holy Spirit but they didn’t wait passively.

Even though they had God’s word about it, the Bible recorded them actively praying day and night until the promise of the Spirit came.

Acts 1:13-14
New King James Version
13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

The Bible says that the disciples had been continuously praying together after Jesus told them to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. They knew God had promised them His spirit, and their response was to pray with eager anticipation.

This is worthy of emulation. This is what your preparation for camp should look like. When God is set to do something and you are aware, one core response is to sit in place of prayer.

Prayer is not a sign of doubt. It is an act of faith. If God has promised something and we truly believe it, we act like it by coming before Him in prayer. Prayer demonstrates our faith in His promises. It is not a lack of trust to pray for a promise to be fulfilled; it’s a testament to our expectations.

When God speaks, and we believe, we don’t sit back idly. Instead, we fuel our anticipation with prayer, keeping our hearts engaged and expectant. Our attitude should be, “God said it, I believe it, so I prepare and remain sensitive through prayer.”

Prayer opens the doors of your heart and heightens your sensitivity. It positions you to lay a demand on God’s promise, it even helps you know what your expectations should be. Praying keeps your expectations before your eyes and helps you rise in hunger.

This is not about brief moments of prayer but about extended times of seeking God and pressing into all He is set to do. Without such preparation, you limit your capacity to receive. Prayer enlarges your heart to hold the fullness of what God wants to pour out.

As we approach this camp meeting, here are a few ways to pray:

1. Pray for the meeting and activities.
Pray that every aspect of the meeting will be filled with God’s manifest presence.

2. Pray for the ministers.
Lift those ministering, that they may be vessels of honour. This will also help you maintain a posture of honour and hunger during each session.

3. Pray for the plans.
Ask that every detail of the meeting aligns with God’s will and flows smoothly.

4. Pray for the attendees.
Pray that every person who attends will come with an open heart, ready to encounter God.

5. Pray for yourself.
Ask God to prepare your heart, making you sensitive and receptive to His move, ensuring nothing He has planned for you is missed.

Prayer Point
As I pray now I am stirred up into much more prayer. This camp meeting will not meet me unprepared, through prayer I press into all the Lord is set to do and my heart is aligned.