God has incredible promises waiting for you. He wants to bless you, guide you, and do more in your life than you can imagine. But here’s the thing: receiving these promises isn’t passive. You have a part to play.
Think of it like tuning a radio. The broadcast is already happening. But you need to adjust the dial to the right frequency to hear it clearly. God is speaking. His promises are real. You just need to position yourself to receive them.
This Advent season is the perfect time to reset and realign. Let’s look at practical ways you can position yourself to receive everything God has for you.
1. Cultivate Expectant Faith
Faith isn’t just believing God exists. It’s believing He will do what He said He would do. The writer of Hebrews tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
God responds to faith. When you expect Him to move, you’re opening the door for His promises to manifest in your life.
Here’s how to build expectant faith:
Start each day declaring God’s promises over your life. Speak them out loud. Don’t just think about them. There’s power in the spoken word. If God promised healing, say, “I receive healing in Jesus’ name.” If He promised provision, say, “God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory.”
Read stories in the Bible where God came through for His people. Study how He parted the Red Sea. How He provided manna in the wilderness. How He brought water from a rock. These aren’t just great stories. They’re proof of what God can do when His people trust Him.
Write down the specific promises God has given you. Keep them where you can see them. Review them regularly. Let them build your faith day by day.
When doubt creeps in, don’t ignore it. Speak to it. Tell it where to go. Say, “I will not doubt. I will believe God’s word.”
2. Align Your Life with God’s Word
You can’t live one way and expect God to bless another way. His promises come with conditions. They’re not manipulative conditions. They’re loving guidance from a Father who knows what’s best for you.
Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Notice the “if.” You need to remain in Him. His words need to remain in you.
Here’s what alignment looks like:
Make Bible reading non-negotiable. Not as a religious duty. But as time with someone you love. Set a time. Stick to it. Even if it’s just ten minutes. Quality matters more than quantity.
When you read Scripture, ask yourself, “What is God saying to me today?” Don’t just gather information. Let the Word transform you.
Obey what you know. If God’s Word says to forgive, then forgive. If it says to give, then give. If it says to love your enemies, then do it. Obedience positions you under the open windows of heaven.
Deal with sin quickly. Don’t let it linger. Confess it. Turn from it. Receive forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas where you’re out of alignment. He will. He’s gentle but clear. Listen to Him. Adjust when He speaks.
3. Pray with Persistence and Passion
Prayer isn’t begging God to do something He doesn’t want to do. It’s partnering with Him to see His will done on earth. It’s the key that unlocks heaven’s storehouse.
Jesus told a parable about a persistent widow who kept coming to a judge until he gave her justice. Then He said, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:7).
Here’s how to pray effectively:
Pray the promises back to God. Use His own words. If He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), remind Him of that. Not because He forgot. But because you’re agreeing with what He already said.
Pray in the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit pray through you. Sometimes you don’t know what to pray. That’s okay. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:26). He knows what needs to be said.
Don’t just pray when you’re desperate. Pray when things are good too. Build a relationship with God, not just a transaction system.
Fast when you need breakthrough. Fasting shows God you’re serious. It sharpens your spiritual sensitivity. It breaks strongholds. Jesus said some things only come out through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21).
Create a prayer list with specific requests. Watch how God answers. Keep track of His faithfulness. It will build your confidence for future prayers.
4. Worship Beyond Sunday Morning
Worship changes the atmosphere. It shifts things in the spiritual realm. When Paul and Silas worshipped in prison at midnight, chains fell off and prison doors opened (Acts 16:25-26).
Worship isn’t about the music style or how good you sound. It’s about giving God your full attention and adoration. It’s declaring His worth regardless of your circumstances.
Here’s how to make worship a lifestyle:
Worship when you don’t feel like it. That’s when it matters most. Your feelings will follow your obedience.
Turn on worship music throughout your day. In your car. While you work. As you cook. Let it fill your home and your heart.
Lift your hands when you worship. Dance if you feel led. Don’t worry about looking weird. David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14). God receives your uninhibited praise.
Thank God for who He is, not just what He’s done. Praise Him for His character. His faithfulness. His power. His love.
When you face difficulties, worship first. Before you panic. Before you complain. Worship opens your eyes to see God’s perspective on your situation.
5. Live in Community with Other Believers
You weren’t meant to walk this Christian life alone. God designed you for community. The early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).
Iron sharpens iron. Other believers will encourage you, challenge you, and pray with you. They’ll help you stay positioned to receive God’s promises.
Here’s how to engage in real community:
Find a church where the Holy Spirit is welcome. Where the Bible is preached. Where people are hungry for God. Plant yourself there. Don’t church-hop looking for perfection.
Join a small group or prayer group. You need people who know your name and your struggles. Who will check on you when you’re absent. Who will rejoice with you when God comes through.
Be vulnerable. Share your real needs. Let people pray for you. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).
Serve others. Use your gifts. Serving keeps you from becoming self-focused. It keeps your heart gentle and your spirit humble.
Have accountability. Give someone permission to ask you hard questions about your walk with God. Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying? Are you living in obedience?
6. Guard Your Heart and Mind
What you allow into your heart and mind matters. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). If your mind is filled with doubt, fear, and negativity, it’s hard to receive God’s promises.
Here’s how to protect your inner world:
Be careful what you watch and listen to. Media shapes your thoughts more than you realise. If it doesn’t align with God’s truth, turn it off.
Control your thought life. “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). When negative thoughts come, reject them. Replace them with God’s truth.
Speak life over yourself. Your words create atmosphere. Stop saying, “I’ll never get better” or “Nothing good ever happens to me.” Start saying what God says about you.
Surround yourself with faith-filled people. You become like those you spend time with. If everyone around you is cynical and defeated, their attitude will rub off on you.
Fill your mind with good things. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
7. Stay Ready and Obedient
Sometimes God’s promises come suddenly. You need to be ready. You need to be in a position where He can trust you with the blessing He wants to give.
The five wise virgins kept oil in their lamps. When the bridegroom came, they were ready (Matthew 25:1-13). The foolish ones weren’t prepared. They missed the moment.
Here’s how to stay ready:
Keep your spiritual life fresh. Don’t coast. Don’t get comfortable. Stay hungry for more of God.
Obey God in the small things. If you’re not faithful with little, He won’t trust you with much (Luke 16:10). Your obedience in small areas prepares you for bigger assignments.
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. When He nudges you to do something, do it. Even if it doesn’t make sense. Even if it’s inconvenient.
Deal with offences quickly. Don’t let bitterness take root. Forgive fast. Unforgiveness blocks God’s blessings in your life.
Stay humble. Pride closes heaven’s door. “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble” (James 4:6). Keep your heart soft and gentle before God.
Your Move
God’s promises are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ (2 Corinthians 1:20). He’s not holding back. He’s not playing games. He wants to bless you more than you want to be blessed.
But you have a part to play. You need to position yourself.
This Advent season, commit to these practices. Not out of religious duty. But because you genuinely want everything God has for you.
Start today. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Pick one area from this list and begin there. Build momentum. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into the others.
Write down the specific promises God has spoken over your life. Put them where you can see them. Pray over them daily. Believe for them with expectant faith.
God is ready to move. The question is: are you positioned to receive?
Get ready. Your breakthrough is coming. Your promise is closer than you think. Position yourself. Stay faithful. Watch what God does.
He’s about to exceed your expectations.
