Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
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.
0 Comments
Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
Have you ever read Song of Solomon? Some of it is a bit racy and, admittedly, could make you uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the book has some of the most beautiful representations of love and courtship that have ever been written in any literary work. In Chapter 8, verse 7, it says, “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.” That is some deep love! You know when you are thirsty, I mean dehydrated, it seems like nothing will satisfy your thirst. You may drink a soda, and it is sweet, but you are still thirsting for something else. You may drink milk, and it can usually take away a bad taste in your mouth or soothe a burning mouth, but you still are not satisfied. You can drink juice and you usually feel good about its nutrients, but it does not fill you. You can drink tea or coffee and they make you feel all warm and fuzzy and give you energy, but the thirst is not quenched. When you are really thirsty, the only thing that will satisfy that thirst is pure, unadulterated water. For a lot of my life, I was thirsty for love. For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to have a boyfriend to date or a husband to marry. My whole existence became my search for the perfect mate. I have dated sweet guys who have made me feel beautiful and smart. They told me everything I longed to hear, so that they could get what they wanted from me. And, after my experiences with them, I felt empty. I have dated some people on the rebound, who literally only came into my life to help me get over the person before them. Those relationships never lasted long and I always wanted something more. I have tried to date people who are “good for me.” The ones that look good on paper and it seems that the two of you should match, but there just is not that spark. I have dated the guys that reenergized me; those who knew how to make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I have had a couple of relationships in which I truly felt that I grew as a person. But, alas, I am still single, so clearly they did not last. None of these relationships could quench my thirst for love. I found out why. The innate desire that we have to love and be loved comes from being formed in the image of God and Christ. God is Love. Jesus Christ is Love. No man or woman can satisfy a Christian’s need for love. Only the Living Water will end the thirsting in your soul. You can drink a whole entire river or potential mates, have floods and floods of dates, but until you fall wholly and completely in love with the true and living God, no other love (or like or lust) will be satisfying. It is in Him alone that we find the sole satisfaction for our souls. Once, we know that love and fully experience that level of love, we will not feel thirsty whether in a relationship or single. Any relationship that comes our way will be an added bonus, but, even if we do not have a relationship with a significant other, we can still feel full and whole. Prayer Thank You, God for loving me with a love with which no other can compare. Please forgive me for longing for something or someone else to satisfy a thirst that is only quenched by You. Lord, please help me to know that I am whole with Your love and Your love alone. 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
I am not sure when you are reading this, but I am writing it the night before Palm Sunday. Last week, I had writer’s block and could not think of anything encouraging to write; so, though I was frustrated about it, I decided that I should not write a devotion and try again this week. I did not want to just throw something together. I wanted to be inspired by God to write what people need to hear. So, I tried again today. I scrolled down the page to my planned topic for this week of the devotions and I saw No One Else. I immediately knew that I needed to write this on the weekend of Palm Sunday, which is celebrated the week prior to Resurrection Day (or as most people refer to it, Easter). Palm Sunday celebrates the time when Jesus was praised, about a week before those same people praising Him would shout, “Crucify Him!” Jesus, the blameless, Almighty, all-powerful, Son of God would be heralded as a savior one week and pay the ultimate sacrifice the next week. And, He chose to be that sacrifice despite the fact that the very people He came to save treated Him like garbage. But, let’s not be so haughty as to condemn those people before we look in the mirror and ask ourselves how we treat Jesus. This devotion series is not just about being content while you are single; it is about allowing yourself to be devoted to Christ. It is about finding comfort and solace in Him. Have you ever praised Jesus one week only to ignore Him the next? Perhaps, it did not even take a week. Maybe it was a few days or a few hours or, dare I say, just a few minutes. We, and I am including me, are quick to offer praise when Jesus is being who we think He should be. Yet, we are quick to question Him when the circumstances of our lives are not how we wish them to be. When we do that we are no different that the people who laid down palm branches to honor Him one day and spit on Jesus just a few days later. Jesus could have said, “Daddy, I don’t want to do this.” Make no mistake about this, Jesus did not have to die for our sins. He showed a love that we cannot even fathom. He showed a love that NO ONE ELSE would dare show. Can you imagine dying for the people who treat you like dirt? I can’t, but Jesus did. He gave Himself as a ransom for you and me and for all people; for anyone who would accept Him as Lord and Savior. So, really examine your heart. Do you appreciate that no one else has done for you what Jesus did? No boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other or spouse could even come close to that kind of love. So, shouldn’t we be more desperate to get close to the One who died for us than we are for our human relationships. It is not that relationships are bad. I will be so grateful when God sends me my forever husband, but I cannot forget His sacrifice because no one else will ever love me that. Prayer Thank You, God for Your Son, Jesus Christ, the One and Only mediator. Please forgive me for taking Your Sacrifice for granted and complaining or thinking that You don’t love me because I don’t get my way. Lord, please help me to always remember Your loving gift at Calvary’s cross and to Honor You above all others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen Find this song and more music on the Toni LaShaun Music website.
*Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated. Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
My dad has a booming voice. Small children are often afraid when he speaks in his “Mufasa” voice. For a lot of my life, it was that voice that kept me out of trouble. Not wanting to hear the disappointment in my father’s voice or not wanting to hear the discipline in my father’s voice was the cause for many decisions that I made in my life. I did not and do not fear my father, but he commands such authority that I do have an incredible level of respect for his opinion and his guidance. Even though, when little children hear that big, booming voice, it scares the bejeezes out of them, they also know that the man behind that voice will protect them and care for them. There have been many occasions when I have seen my niece and nephews go from crying because my dad raised his voice to cuddling up in his lap of safety in a matter of seconds. It is because the voice may be scary, but the children innately know that behind that big voice is an even bigger heart that truly cares about their well-being. It is the same with our relationship with God. If you read the Bible, and see how God dealt with disobedience, especially in the Old Testament, you might be fearful of Him. But, the proper response is to be obedient because of reverence for God. We should listen to His commands for our lives because we respect that He knows what is best. When we come to that place of reverence and respect, then God can keep us safe. When we surrender to His Will, we can lay at His feet and just worship without having a concern for any calamity or uncertainty that may surround our lives. This is the kind of fear that leads to safety. If you ever watch scary movies, you will see that when people are being chased and are scared, they sometimes make irrational decisions that put them in more danger. For example, they run up stairs or into woods. This is not the type of fear that God desires for us to have of Him. He wants us to have a respectful fear of Him. He does not want us to be so scared that we jump into irrational decisions and unnatural situations. He wants us to allow Him to guide us into His safety. He wants us to experience our best lives the lives He has planned for us. Prayer Thank You, God for being a God whom I can love and respect. Please forgive me for allowing irrational fear to cloud my judgment. Lord, please help me to know that there is safety in Your arms and that You will always lead me on the best path. 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
I try to get out of the house every once in a while just to be sure that I don’t become a complete hermit. Sometimes, it is easier than other times to be in public by myself. Most times, I am perfectly comfortable getting a meal or even watching a movie alone. Being alone is a part of my life and I have grown to value this time of singleness. Then, there are the times when being out in public by myself is terrifying and painful. Fortunately, those times are not nearly as often as the enjoyable times, but when they come around, I have found that I need to take a deep breath and get back to the basics. What are the basics? I have to remember that the key to fulfilling my purpose here on earth is obedience to God. In fact, that is how I show God I love Him. I mean, let’s face it, there is NOTHING I can give to God. He owns the Universe. All He ever asked us for was love. He commanded that we love Him above anyone or anything. And that love is shown when we obey Him and love His children. Many people make living this life so much more complicated than it has to be when all we have to do is love. This is not about romantic love. This is about something much deeper. This is the kind of love that causes you to take a leap of faith even though you are scared out of your mind. This is the kind of love that makes you show compassion and mercy towards people who are malicious and hateful towards you. This is the kind of love that makes you look in the mirror each day and shout praises for being fearfully and wonderfully made. All we need is love. We do not need some magic formula. We do not need a conference or convention. We do not need a strategic, hook-up plan. We need love. We need to love God first. We need to love ourselves. We need to love others. It’s just that simple. Once you start pouring out love from your life, more love is poured back into your life. That is not to say that you should go around doing good deeds because you want to benefit in some way because then, you have the wrong motives. But, just live in obedience to God each and every day. If you stumble, don’t stay there; ask God for forgiveness and keep moving forward in love. The bottom line is God is love. And, God is all we need. Everything else in life falls into place when He is at the center of it all. Choose to love and you choose live the good life, even in the rough times. It is a love that will never fail. Prayer Thank You, God for Your example of the right way to love. Please forgive me for not showing my love for You through obeying Your commands. Lord, please help me to show love to the children of God and to love myself even when I feel unlovable.. 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 have been many times that I have thought that my singleness and childlessness is a punishment for everything that I have done wrong in my life, especially concerning relationships. I have felt that there is no possible way that God would ever give me the opportunity to marry again because I was unfaithful during my marriage. I have felt that God would never give me the opportunity to date again because I was unable to keep my vow to remain abstinent in past relationships. I have been tortured by the thought that I will never have children because, in a moment of irresponsibility, I prayed that I would rather never be pregnant than be pregnant at that time. But, as awful as the mistakes are that I have made, God’s forgiveness covers them all. God does not lie. If His Word says, He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west, then that means that He forgives and He forgets. Yes, we still have circumstances in our lives that remind us of our indiscretions, but those circumstances are consequences of disobedience; they are not God’s way of lording our failures over us. If we have sincerely asked God for forgiveness, He is faithful in His forgiveness and forgetfulness. So, why do we dwell on the past and sins that have been erased? For me, I know that the concept is difficult to grasp. It is hard to accept that anyone can love me so much. It is unfathomable that someone cares enough about me to clean up all of the filthy places in my life. I believe we find all of this so incredible because we know that we, in and of ourselves, cannot exhibit this type of love. We struggle to forgive others and to forgive ourselves. Nonetheless, as complex as this kind of love is to understand and display, this is the kind of love that God gives to us and through us, and once we accept that we are forgiven, we can have peace in our lives and move forward. Now, of course, the devil is beside himself with glee every time we doubt God’s forgiveness. Satan wants us to live in the past. Our past is his greatest weapon because he has no idea what our future holds. Our enemy wants us to feel beaten, broken, and blasphemous. If he can keep us feeling like God cannot love us, then we will not love ourselves. When we do not love ourselves, it is impossible to love others properly. Recognize this lie from the pits of hell and know that you are forgiven. You are loved by God. No one can take that love and forgiveness away. The only person that God ever said was, “a man after My own heart,” was an adulterer and a murderer. This does not mean that sin is acceptable; it does mean that God looks in the heart. And, if we, like David, are truly repentant, God forgives us, forgets the sin, and forms a future for us according to His Will. Prayer Thank You, God for Your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the times that I have sinned and for the times I have refused to forgive those who sin against me. Lord, please help me to be confident in the face that I am forgiven and that You have forgotten. 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
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
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. |
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. |