Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions
for Singles Week Four Free from Concern Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs —how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “Being single gives us a unique opportunity to grow closer to God.” I like to eat ice cream straight out of the container. I know that it is not very ladylike. But, why dirty a bowl and the ice cream scoop when I can just go to the freezer, get out the container, eat my fill and put it back. I suppose this might pose a problem if I had a guest over who had a hankering for some ice cream, but that rarely happens. Eating and drinking out of containers so as to not have to dirty extra dishes are perks of being single. Other perks include sole ownership of the remote control, control over the comforter on the bed, and no pressure about what to wear. But, these are not the best perks of singleness. As Paul put it, the best perk of singleness is freedom from concern. Sure, my ice cream habit stems from a certain freedom from concern about someone judging me for how I choose to consume my food. However, there is a deeper freedom from concern that singleness offers. Married couples, I know because I once was part of one, have to be concerned about each other’s pleasure. In fact, I would offer that most marriages break up because of a lack of concern for pleasing one’s mate. Think about it. Infidelity, financial problems, and “growing apart” all stem from a certain level of selfishness that really should not be present in a marriage, especially a marriage between two saved, sanctified, Spirit-filled people. Singleness offers the opportunity not necessarily for selfishness, but for a single-minded focus on living a life that is pleasing to God without concern for what another person might think or say, or, how another person might react. Neither married people nor single people are excluded from keeping focus on God. Nevertheless, Paul recognizes that married couples have to split their focus. Single Christians can be interested in God’s voice alone. The only One you have to discuss a major life decision with is God. The only One who you have to listen to is God. The only One you have to honor is God. Your total devotion and attention can be dedicated to God without any concern for a family. Of course, I know that this does not apply to every single person because some people have children. Single parents also have split focus, but I truly cannot speak to that issue as the only thing I have been charged with raising is a very precocious cat. In any case, every Christian’s first focus should be on God. As a single Christian, that focus on God can be our only focus. We can be free from concern, free to move, free to do, free to dream as God pleases. Prayer Thank You, Lord for the blessings of singleness. Please forgive me for complaining about my singleness when it is an opportunity to grow closer to You. Lord, please lead me and guide me on a path that pleases You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated.
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Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Three No One Scripture: Exodus 20:3-6 “You shall have no other gods before me. …You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “God doesn’t allow us to be in relationships so that we can forget all about him. He is a jealous God.35 Our focus should be on pleasing Him at all times whether in a relationship or not.” I love music and that will become very obvious throughout these devotions. I do not just love any music; I love music that is creative. I love music that paints a picture in your mind of what the artist is trying to convey. And, I really love music that teaches me a lesson whether it is the intended lesson from the artist or not. Alicia Keys has a song called, “No One.” In the chorus, Alicia says, “No one can get in the way of what I feel for you.” Now, I am pretty sure she was talking about a relationship with a beau, but imagine if we apply that principle to our relationship with Christ. No one can get in the way of what I feel for You, Jesus. It was God’s intention all along that we put Him first. When the Israelites received the Ten Commandments from God, putting no one higher than God was right at the top of the list. Not only that, but God was kind enough to explain Himself. He says, “for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:5). Now, let’s not get this twisted, there is nothing we could possibly have on earth that is better than God, so there is nothing that we love for which He has envy or wishes He had, like we do when we are jealous. I believe God is saying, “I have done so much for you, but you choose to put other things before me or give yourselves and other people the glory for it, and that makes Me angry.” And, He let the Israelites know the consequences of that anger in the command; punishment for those who hate Him, and love for those who keep His commands. If you read the Old Testament, you will see that every time God blesses Israel, they shift their focus away to something or someone else, never fully giving God their attention. I know what you’re thinking, How could they treat God that way? But, before we go criticizing, we must take a good hard look in the mirror. See, the Israelites were exhibiting this behavior and it was deplorable, but they did not have the 66 books of the Bible like we do. Yet, we often treat God like an afterthought, unless, of course, we need something. Do we really let NO ONE get in the way of what we feel for Him? I cannot answer that question for you. I do know that, in my life, I have allowed several people and circumstances to draw my focus away from God. I would pray for relationships and as soon as God blessed me with the relationship, that relationship and the person with whom I was in a relationship became my gods. All of my focus was drawn towards them and away from God. Promises that I made to God were broken in an effort to keep my man happy. I did not read His Word as much, I did not pray as much, and I did not show Him any gratitude. Well, I know that I am forgiven for those actions because, thank God, we live in the age of grace. This does not mean that there are not consequences, though. God does not want our focus because He is some brutish, jealous titan. If you take a few moments to recognize God’s blessings in your life, how could you not fall in love with Him? He simply wants your love and your focus, so that He can give you the life He has planned for you; your best life. Allow Him to be first always. Prayer Lord, thank You for your love that is beyond compare. Please forgive me for putting other people and other things ahead of you in my life. Lord, please help me to place no one else above You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles Week Two Bad Boys, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do? Scripture: Proverbs 2:12-15 “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “They say that love is blind, but if love is blind, then LUST is a blind, mentally-challenged, deaf mute…” Why do good girls love bad boys? And, for that matter, why to good guys want bad girls? What is so attractive about the person that you know means nothing, but harm? I would submit that good girls and good guys do not love bad boys and girls, but they sure do lust after them. Let’s be real, the bad ones are sexy. I am not talking about those who are a threat to your well-being; those people should be avoided at all costs. I am referring to the ones who are aloof, commitment-phobic, risk-takers; the ones who only care about what you can do for them, never giving a thought to what they can do to enhance your life. At one point, about thirteen years ago, after a series of failed attempts at relationships, I tried to figure out where I was going wrong. So, I made a list of all the guys that I had dated and looked for their similarities. Once I had that list, I analyzed it to figure out what my red flags should be for my next suitor. It included things like: baby boys or only children, belongs to or aspires to belong to a fraternity, birthday in the winter months. It was a very scientific list. I thought if I could avoid those things, I would be on my way to a future of happiness. But, it wasn’t very long before I found myself dating the same exact type of guy again because he was someone to whom I was physically attracted. And, he had that bad boy quality that was so enticing. You know, when you are attracted to someone because they have an “I don’t care” attitude, you should probably take the hint and run very far away. So, how do we avoid getting caught in this trap? Rather than looking through the blinded eyes and deafened ears of lust; we need to seek out wisdom from God. God’s wisdom can show us the obvious that we are overlooking and it can show us layers of someone’s personality that are hidden until after you fall in love. How do we get this wisdom? Seek God and meditate on His Word. When I was compiling my list of who not to date, it should have included anyone who does not know God. That is the first red flag for a single, Christian woman or man. We must stop thinking that if we can get someone to fall in love with us, we can make them fall in love with God. We cannot change the hearts of any other person and what usually happens is that the person draws our focus away from God. God does not want us to be in relationships with bad people. Nor does He want us, in an effort to get them before they get us, to be bad people. He gives us the opportunity to screen those with whom we come in contact by giving us His Word, His wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Our part is to read, understand and listen. Prayer Lord, thank You for Your Wisdom. Thank You for the opportunity to learn what is best for me. Please forgive me for all of the time that I do not listen to Your warnings. Please show me anyone in my life who does not belong. In Jesus’ Name Amen. *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week One A Time to Love Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:8 “There is a time for everything…a time to love…” Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “…if God desires someone to be in my life, He will not keep that person from me.” Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock! When I was younger, I did not really believe that there was such a thing as a biological clock. I just thought that this concept of some annoying, nagging urging to settle down, get married and have babies was mythical in nature. Then, I turned 30; the age at which I had always hoped to be happily married and finished having children. Instead, I was in a failing relationship with no chance of a baby in sight. That is when the ticking started. Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock! Then ticking was followed by the following thoughts, “If you don’t get married soon, you will never have a child.” And, “You are going to be old and all of your eggs will dry up, so even if you do get married, no babies for you.” And, “Who wants a woman that is too old to have kids?” From the time I was a little girl, I dreamed of being married. The mom thing was not really my preference, but if my husband wanted children, then I was willing to have and/or adopt children. It was never a necessity for me when I was younger. Oh, but when the possibility that I might never have the option to give birth to my own children entered the picture, it was no laughing matter. People say to me, “You can have a baby anytime you want. Women are becoming moms all the time all by themselves.” And, that may be fine for other women, but my babies need a full-time father, and that father needs to be my husband. So why, I began to think, won’t God send me a husband, with whom I can have a family? His reply: Timing is everything. We think of time as finite. But God’s time is infinite. I know that I have allowed myself to get caught up in timetables, some set up by society and some that were concocted in my own mind. My first marriage was the result of an irrational timetable. I was 21 and unmarried, and I thought that if I didn’t get married then, I would be an old maid. Well, I did get married then and I am now, a maid -- not old, but definitely single. The issue with my logic was that God does not work on timetables. He simply says, “There is a time for everything.” And, God is so awesome in power that your time to love and my time to love may take place at different times. God knows how to keep track of the perfect timing for every blessing in each and every one of our lives. We have to stay patient and let Him work. I have had many accomplishments that have caused people to be impressed, but I am deeply saddened by all of the times I got in the way of God’s timing because I know I missed out on amazing blessings. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, got impatient and got in the way of God’s timing (Genesis 16). I think she had good intentions; she just had poor execution. I believe she thought she was helping God when she asked Abraham to sleep with Hagar and have the son they were promised; just like I was helping God move things along when I got married so young. The damage from not waiting on God’s timing for His promises can be catastrophic. The sons of Ishmael and Isaac are still warring to this day. And, I am still dealing with some of the consequences of not listening to God about not getting married. God is love. He wants us to know love and feel loved. He wants us to learn how to love His way because that is the only way we can experience the fullness of love towards one another. In a season of singleness, there is a unique opportunity to focus solely on loving God, and as a result, loving God’s way. In His timing, everything else will fall into place and it will be worth the wait. Prayer Lord, thank You for helping me accept that your timing is perfect. Please forgive me for trying to “help” when You never asked me to. Lord, teach me how to love Your way while I wait and when it is my time to love. In Jesus’ Name Amen. *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. |
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Pray While You're Prey Weekly Devotions by Toni L. Wortherly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. |