Closing the Gap: Taking Action with What You Already Have

As we continue into 2026, God is calling us to “prepare to prosper” – to experience the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10. This isn’t just about comfort or vacation; it’s about breakthrough to success in every area of life. The key to this preparation lies in closing the gap between what you currently have and what you’re doing with it.

What Does It Mean to Prepare for Prosperity?

God has given us a powerful picture through Isaiah 54:1-3, where He speaks to a barren, widowed woman and tells her she will have more children than the most fruitful women. But here’s the crucial part – He doesn’t tell her to move somewhere else or wait for different circumstances. Instead, He says: “Enlarge your tent, stretch out your curtains, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.”

The message is clear: You make room, and I’ll make the way.

Why Vision Alone Isn’t Enough

While vision helps you see more than you’re currently seeing, action requires you to do more than you’re already doing. Not necessarily more activity, but doing more with what you already have – just like the woman in Isaiah who had to use the same tent and property differently.

This preparation isn’t about finding new resources; it’s about maximizing what’s already in your possession.

What Do You Already Have in Your House?

The story of the widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7 perfectly illustrates this principle. When the prophet Elisha asked this debt-ridden woman what she had, her first response was “nothing at all.” But then she remembered – “except I have a flask of olive oil.”

She didn’t see any value or potential in what she possessed. Sound familiar?

The Miracle of Multiplication

Elisha told her to borrow empty vessels from her neighbors – not just a few, but as many as possible. Then she was to shut the door and pour her small amount of oil into the borrowed vessels. As long as there were empty vessels, the oil kept flowing. When the vessels ran out, the miracle stopped.

This woman went from poverty in the morning to running an oil export business by the end of the day. God didn’t just help her survive; He set her up for future success.

Three Critical Questions for Taking Inventory

1. What Do I Already Have?

Most of us spend more time thinking about what we don’t have rather than maximizing what we do have. Stop and take inventory of your time, energy, resources, and giftings.

2. Am I Being Fully Faithful with What I Already Have?

Are you using your gifts, strengths, and finances in the most faithful way possible? Many people say “I don’t have the money” when the truth is “I have the money, but I’m using it on other things.”

3. Does My Effort Match the Miracle I’m Wanting?

Jesus gave His entire life so you could have abundant life. If God Himself made that level of effort for your future success, what effort are you putting into your future success?

The Power of Sacrifice in Preparation

Preparation for the future requires sacrificing some of what you already need. This isn’t comfortable, but God never asks you to make space that is comfortable. Consider the widow who gave her last two mites – Jesus didn’t exempt her from giving because she was poor. Instead, He praised her because she gave out of her need, not her excess.

Three Truths About Sacrifice

1. Sacrifice triggers supernatural supply. Throughout the Bible, when someone needed a miracle or breakthrough, it was sacrifice of something they currently needed that opened the door for God’s supernatural provision.

2. It’s about sacrifice, not size. God doesn’t measure your sacrifice by what you give, but by what you keep. The widow’s two mites were significant not because of their monetary value, but because of what she held back – nothing.

3. Sacrifice requires loosening your grip. You can’t take hold of bigger things while clinging tightly to smaller things. Sometimes you have to choose one thing over another.

Moving Beyond Your Comfort Zone

We all have a tendency to move toward security and comfort rather than growth and expansion. We’d rather keep the tent flaps down and stay small than put in the effort required to create a larger space.

But here’s the reality: if you want a bigger tent in life, it’s going to come with some storms. That’s why you need strong stakes and proper tension – not just for the good times, but for when challenges come.

Life Application

This week, take action by conducting an honest inventory of what you already have. List your time, talents, resources, and opportunities. Then ask yourself: “How can I maximize rather than minimize what I already possess?”

Identify one area where you’ve been saying “I don’t have enough” and reframe it as “I have it, but I’m using it differently.” Finally, determine what you’re willing to sacrifice from your current needs to prepare for your future breakthrough.

Questions for reflection:

• What resources, talents, or opportunities am I currently undervaluing or underutilizing?

• Where am I holding back from taking action because I’m afraid to leave my comfort zone?

• What am I willing to sacrifice now to create space for what God wants to do in my future?

• Does the effort I’m currently giving match the magnitude of the breakthrough I’m believing for?

Remember, God’s plan isn’t just for you to survive – it’s for you to thrive. But preparation requires action, and action requires using what you already have in your house.