Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
When I was younger, my mom gave me and my siblings different chores to do. First and foremost, our rooms had to be clean. We have to have our beds made, our clothes picked up, and all of our toys and what not put away before we could even think about asking to go outside and play or hang out with our friends. In addition, we had our weekend chores. My chores included cleaning one of the bathrooms and dusting. Plus, we took turns doing the dishes. I hated doing chores, but, since my parents paid me an allowance (and all of the other household bills), I had to do my part to take care of the house. But, I vowed that when I had my own home, I would not make my bed every day. When I was younger and I wanted to play, but didn’t feel like thoroughly cleaning my room, I would just make my bed, and then, shove things under the bed and in the closet to make it look like I had done my chores. Unfortunately for me, both of my parents were Navy veterans, so I rarely got away with it. Many of us try to dress up our outside while completely ignoring our inside and we call it cleaning up our lives. We make sure that we say the right things, hang out with the right people, and get caught doing the right activities. But, what is the use of looking clean on the outside when you are dirty on the inside? Surely, we will all make mistakes because none of us are perfect. Still, we need to make every effort to clean up the messes in our lives. A season of singleness is a fantastic time to do so. The single season is the perfect time to really focus on ourselves; not for the purpose of being selfish, but for the purpose of being more like Christ. We can go to our Father and ask Him to reveal to us the dirty places in our lives that we have hidden so well that we forgot they were there. I have to warn you, though, if you ask God for this, you must be prepared to be shocked. Every time I think I am all cleaned up, I ask God to show my where I am falling short. And, when I do so, it is usually because I am fully confident that I have little to no dirty areas. But, oh my! God will place some people and some situations in your life to reveal the dirt that is still lingering well beneath the surface. I don’t know about anyone else, but when God does bless me with a mate, I want to be the best person that I can be. Actually, if God never sends me a mate, I still want to be the best I can be for Him. Has this ever happened to you? You’re super thirsty, so you go to the cabinet and pull out a cup. You fill the cup with your favorite drink, take a couple of sips and then look in the cup and find some gunk the dishwasher left behind. The cup sure looked clean from the outside, but none of that matters if there is some nastiness on the inside. The same goes for us. We must all make sure that we are clean inside and God gave us a perfect example and a perfect sacrifice to be sure that we could be. Prayer Thank You, God for sending Your Son to be an example of how to truly live a clean life. Please forgive me for trying to cover up the dirt in my life, as if you are not omniscient. Lord, please help me to never be haughty enough to think that there is not something inside of me that can be cleaner. 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
She walked into the gym, and the guys gawked and the women squawked. I looked up and thought, “Oh my, what was that poor child thinking when she left the house.” She was dressed to the nines for a basketball game, and I guess there is nothing wrong with that; to each her own. What was wrong was that it was freezing cold, yet, her clothes were thin and her midriff was exposed, along with all of her other assets. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that this young woman was, in fact, young. It broke my heart to see her flitting about, scantily clad, and flirting with anyone who would give her attention. I was nearly brought to tears to see this young sister sending out all of the wrong messages and not seeming to care what anyone thought of her. There is nothing wrong with being an individual. In fact, being unique is wonderful. Still, each and every day, I see young women and young men who devalue themselves by how they speak, how they dress and how they act. With this particular young lady, once I saw how the adult who accompanied her was dressed, I realized that she either didn’t know any better or didn’t care to know any better. But, we as the human race, and especially those of us who claim to be Christians, need to do better. Do we not understand that, when people see how you dress, act, talk, and walk, they make a decision about the God you serve based on how much you value yourself? I love the story of Queen Vashti. Knowing that she had everything to lose for disobeying the king, she refused to make a spectacle of herself in front of him and his friends. Queen Vashti took a stand that too many of us, men and women, are unwilling to take. She knew that she was worthy of far more than being a showgirl for her husband. We, single Christians, and any Christian for that matter, must take and stand and know our worth. When you are invited into a situation that will devalue you, run--don’t walk--away! God will never bring someone into your life that is going to desire for you to act in a way that makes you look foolish. God does not give us mates that are willing to mortify us in front of their friends or family or co-workers. And, if you know your worth, you will not allow yourself to be put in such a predicament. Could it cost you your relationship? Yes! But, which relationship is more important, your relationship with someone who objectifies you, or, your relationship with the One who made you who you are. You must remember, as W.C. Fields said, “It ain’t what they call you; it’s what you answer to” that matters. The only way that we will ever receive the blessed mate that God wants to send us is if we know our worth. Too many single Christians think that they are unworthy of God’s best and that kind of negative thinking can do unfathomable levels of harm. So, look yourself in the mirror, and remind yourself that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. And, never ever let anyone convince you otherwise! Prayer Thank You, God for helping me realize that I am worth of love and respect. Please forgive me for allowing people in my life that do not respect me and for disrespecting myself. Lord, please help me to hold my head up high and always stand for what is right. 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
There are many people who have told me that I am intimidating. The people usually cite my educational background or level of ambition. However, I do not pursue me dreams because I want others to feel inferior to my accomplishments. I pursue goals because when I read Proverbs 31, it tells a story of a woman who is bold and hard-working, selfless and ambitious, and that woman is described as an invaluable jewel. That woman is revered as someone to be praised, not feared. That is the kind of woman I want to be. That is the kind of woman that all Christian women should strive to be. That is the kind of woman a Christian man should desire. So many times we get caught up in the superficial qualities of people. Now, don’t get me wrong, everybody has their own checklist and non-negotiables, but when we meet someone that fits that checklist, we need to make sure that we are not just focusing on the outer man or woman, but also on the person’s character. Is this person a whole person in Christ? Is this person waiting for a man or woman to fill her or his every need? Does this person trust in God to fulfill his or her life? Can this person be supportive of the dreams that God has placed on your heart or will they be jealous or intimidated by your drive and success? I believe that God created us, men and women, to be compatible with one another. In many ways, we need each other, but we can survive apart from one another. In fact we can do more than survive, even while we are alone; we can thrive. The only One we need to make us whole and complete is God. So, why not seek to be whole in Him and pursue the dreams He places in our hearts as a single person? Then, when God allows a man to find that woman of noble character, the man should be grateful for a woman with qualities that will never fade. When God pushes a woman to be her best, she should be thankful that He has built her into a woman whose value is far above rubies. The inner strength that God builds in us is the trait that often gets overlooked. We sometimes forget that charm and beauty fade, not just on women, but on men as well. Single saints with a true heart and passion for the Lord are to be treasured. You are treasured by God; you should accept nothing less than that from anyone else. Live a life filled with character and reverence to God and everything else will fall into place in due season. Prayer Thank You, God for giving me dreams and passions to pursue. Please forgive me for waiting for someone else to make me feel whole when I am made whole only by You. Lord, please help me to know and remember my worth, to only allow myself to be treasured, and to recognize the treasures that surround me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated.
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