Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Fifty Two The End Result Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “We are not called to be holy to unlock a toy store full of blessings; we are called to holiness to share God’s goodness with others and to spread the Gospel of Christ.” What is the point of knowing love and showing love without a true and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ? When I first published Pray While You’re Prey, I sent a copy to a friend of mine. She wrote me back that she thought the book was good even for non-Christians. The conversation was one I will never forget because that was the day that I found out that a young woman who had been like a sister to me had “fallen in love” with someone who convinced her that Jesus was not who the Bible says He is. She no longer believed in the very Person that had caused us to have an almost decade-long bond. I was crushed and devastated because that was the beginning of the loss of that friendship, but not only that, I could not understand how anyone who claims to love a person could lead them away from the love of God. I did not write a book to tell people how to date and have good relationships. The book and this devotion series are not some sort of how-to manual for finding a mate. If anyone believes that, he or she has completely missed the point. These are testimonies of how God has shown me, in times of obedience and disobedience, that He is God. This is about how no love surpasses His love because He is love. This is about dealing with our human emotions in a Godly manner that results in the uplifting of the Kingdom. I hope that people who are unsaved read this book and devotion series, but not like they would read “The Rules,” or “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” or “He’s Just Not That into You,” or any other dating/relationship advice book. This book and devotion series is about handling our lives on Earth and our interactions with people of the opposite sex in a way that is pleasing to God. It is about recognizing that no matter what your relationship status happens to be, loving God should be your first priority. This time that we have right now on Earth may be filled with love of family, friends, and even, a significant other or spouse. But, the love of another human being pales in comparison to love that those who confess Christ as their Savior, the one and only Son of God will receive forever and ever. There is no other relationship that will help us to stand blameless before God on the Day of Judgment than a relationship where God can see us through the blood of Christ. That relationship is the important one. Any other relationship, as long as it is a Godly one, is fine, but we cannot forget what our life is all about. The purpose for our lives is the praise and to please God; to live holy and righteously as a testimony to those who may never read a Bible, but will read our lives. We must set an example of how to love one another and keep God as our first love. This is the ultimate courtship. What we do with the time God gives us on Earth shows Him and those who observe us just how real He is in our lives and how much we love Him. We need to pray that we make the most of our relationship with God, and, if it is His will for us to find or be found by a spouse, that we love that person the way God loves us. Because, there will come a day when the courtship will end and the Church, the Bride of Christ, will be with Him forever. And, I cannot speak for anyone else, but I want the end result of my earthly life to be the beginning of my eternal life as a servant with whom God was pleased. Prayer Thank You, God for promising to love us forever. Please forgive me for living as if the things of this world are all that matter. Lord, please help me to always love You first regardless what my relationship status happens to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated.
0 Comments
Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Week Fifty One Plugged In, Not Charging Scripture: Deuteronomy 10:12-13 So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today—live a good life. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “With or without a mate, I can live a full life that is pleasing to God, and I will be rewarded.” I turned on my laptop the other day and I noticed that, even though it had been plugged in all night, the battery was nearly dead. I restarted the computer and got a message that my charger was not compatible with the battery. However, I was still able to use the laptop because the AC adapter was working; it just wasn’t charging the battery. Part of the convenience of the laptop is that you charge the battery and then you don’t have to be connected to a wall at all times, you can move about as you please. I didn’t have anywhere in particular to go, but it was annoying to me that this charger that had been working perfectly fine for at least the past six months was all of a sudden defunct. So, I googled what the computer said was the issue, “plugged in, not charging.” Apparently, this is a common problem. I found a couple of YouTube videos and computer forums with possible fixes, and went to the computer’s website, but to no avail. The icon still says, “plugged in, not charging.” This has been going on for a few days, but on this day, it hit me that this is exactly how I feel sometimes with my relationship with Christ. I feel like I am plugged in and not charging. In other words, I know that Christ and I are connected, but I feel stagnant in my life. I feel like I am not moving forward with Him. I feel drained. Yes, I go to church. I worship sincerely. I read my Bible daily. I read devotions. I pray. I try to live a life that is pleasing to God. I am not trying to sound like the Pharisee that was praying in the New Testament. I am just wondering if there is anyone else that has felt plugged in, yet still empty. You feel like you are doing everything that you know to do. You are seeking God to find out what else you need to do. Why are you stuck in this place? Why can’t you move into the next phase of your life? Well, as I continued to troubleshoot the laptop/battery/charger issue, I noticed a common theme with this problem. The issue generally happened when using a universal charger; that is to say, a charger that is compatible with many different types of computers, but not specifically made for your particular model. That is what I have because it was less expensive than ordering a new part from the company where I bought my computer. And, as I read through several pages that said, “Don’t use a universal charger,” I had an epiphany. Maybe I feel like I am plugged in, but not charging because I am using a universal standard with which to measure my life rather that the standard of the original Source of my life. So many times, we get caught up in what the world says our lives should be. And, although we pray and praise, we feel like something is being held back from us. We are plugged in with universal chargers and we are not charging. Instead, we must rely on God; live in His presence, with holy reverence. We must realize that there is no universal formula for each of our lives. Rather, God has a unique and individual plan for each and every one of us to live a good life; a full life. And, what is more, for those who believe in Him and accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, that life never ends. It will continue throughout eternity. There is nothing that God is holding back from us, that is literally the oldest trick in the Book (see devil vs. Eve in Genesis). I still probably need a new charger or a new laptop, but I definitely don’t need anything that God has not already given me. We must trust in His plan for our lives, so that we do not find ourselves plugged in, but not charging. Prayer Thank You, God for providing me with every opportunity to have a full life on Earth and in Heaven. Please forgive me for thinking that You are holding anything back from me. Lord, please help me to not just be plugged in to You, but recharged daily by Your Word, Your guidance and Your grace. 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 Fifty What is Love? Scripture: 1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “I realize that I have to know and love all that is good about me in order to attract people who are good for me.” It is an age-old question…what is love? What does love mean? What does it mean to love someone? What does is meant o be in love? There have been songs and sonnets, poems and prose written on the subject of finding the true meaning of love. People search their whole entire lives trying to know love, show love, and be loved by someone. Many times, love is viewed as some ever-elusive fantasy that is simply unattainable. Often times, love is equated with a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship. But, the true meaning of love is not found in the dictionary or by some life quest for it; the meaning is found in the instruction manual for life: the Bible. Perhaps, we ask the wrong questions. Maybe we should not ask, “What is love?” but rather, “Who is Love?” You see, the Bible explains that God is love. It is that simple, yet we make it so complex. Because we know that God is love, we need to love no further than His character to know all about love. Love is a verb, not a noun; it requires action. Love is sacrifice. Love is putting others’ needs before yours. Love is forgiveness. Love is kindness. Love is patience and endurance. And, how do I know that this is love? Because God is love and He does all of these things towards me and all of His children. In many of the secular songs about love, love is either equated to sex or being hurt. That is not God’s love. That is the world’s love. The adage “You always hurt the ones you love” should not ring true for the Christian. This should not be the standard because the Bible clearly says that if you do not love you do not know God. Willingly hurting someone is not showing love. It is one thing to make a mistake, realize the mistake, repent and seek forgiveness; however, to repeatedly disregard someone’s feelings or well-being is the behavior modeled by the prince of darkness, not the Prince of Peace. On the contrary, the famous line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry…” is also a misnomer. We are human and we will make mistakes. In order to be forgiven, we must recognize when we have treated someone badly. Sometimes, the person we need to apologize to the most to, after God, is ourselves. How can you know love and be loved if you cannot love yourself? This is not about being conceited, narcissistic, selfish or self-involved; it is about loving yourself enough to treat your whole self well. It is about embracing the awesome gifts that God has given you for the uplifting of His Kingdom. At times, we focus so much on being figuring out what love is and how to attain it that we forget the simple truth that God is love. If we live following His example, loving others, and loving ourselves, we will have a level of contentment that will allow us to accept whatever God has for our lives. Does that mean you will never get lonely? Absolutely not; nonetheless, when those times come, the Supplier of ALL of your needs is still there for you, loving you and embracing you, if you let Him. He is love, and, in His appointed time, if it is His will, you will love and be loved by someone who is worthy of who God has made you to be. Prayer Thank You, God for being the very existence of Love and for giving us so many examples of what true love is. Please forgive me for not loving myself or others the way that you have taught us to love. Lord, please help me to show and to be love so that others may see You in me. 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 Forty Nine Hold On Scripture: Psalm 18:30 As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. Quote from Pray While You’re Prey: “…knowing what I know now, I will make sure that I move closer and closer to God to avoid past mistakes.” I know a lot of people who say that the Bible is outdated. They think that the Bible was written so long ago that it should be changed to apply to the way we live today. For me, I have come to realize that the Bible is God’s perfect, living Word. I know this because I can read the Bible, the words of which have not changed, and at different points in my life, God gives me something completely new in that passage of Scripture. It is not that the Bible that is some antiquated instrument of oppression that needs to be rewritten, it is that our hearts need to be transformed. We need to cling to God and not to this world. I will admit that it is easier said than done. Following God’s Word is not simple, but it is right. Does accepting God’s salvation and following His Word mean that life becomes sunshine and rainbows everyday? No, but it tells us this in God’s Word. Following God’s way leads to the loss of those things in our lives that are detrimental and unnecessary, but that does not make it hurt less when we lose relationships or go through suffering. However, when I start to think about whining about squeezing through the narrow gate, I think about how much more suffering Christ went through just to save my life; a worthless life that He did not need to save. Yet, His compassion was so great that He lived in a perfect way, suffered torture and died, so that I could live forever. So, what do we need to do? We need to trust God. We need to believe His Word and His promises. We need to hold on! There is a hymn that says, “Time is filled with swift transition, Naught of earth unmoved can stand, Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God's unchanging hand .” Yes, if you look around at the world and the people in it, it will seem like God is holding out on you. The devil has been using that lie since Adam and Eve. It seems like it is more beneficial to live the world’s way. It seems that you will have more success in life, career, and relationships if you just follow the world. It seems this way, but that is deceptive. God’s way is perfect. If we just move close to Him, and take refuge in Him, He will shield us. There will be rough times. We are human beings and we have emotions. There will be times when you feel lonely or like a failure. There will be times when it doesn’t seem like living God’s Way is worth it, but those are the times when you have to press in to Him. Continue to follow His perfect Way, continue to read His flawless Word, and continue to seek His will for your life. If you are saved, this is just the beginning of your life. There is a whole, new world after this one. You have eternity to think about and not just what this temporal life has to offer. I believe that holding on will be worth it. Prayer Thank You, God for being perfect in ALL of Your Ways. Please forgive me for trying to accomplish things in my own way. Lord, please help me to take refuge in Your loving arms, so You can shield me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. |
Pray While You're Prey Weekly DevotionsI pray that this 52-week devotional honors Him and blesses you. Enjoy! Archives
December 2014
Categories
All
© Toni L. Wortherly and PWYP Weekly Devotions, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Toni Wortherly and Ms. EV's Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Pray While You're Prey Weekly Devotions by Toni L. Wortherly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. |