Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
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.
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Pray While You’re Prey Weekly Devotions for Singles
I love to eat! I especially like to go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a delectable meal. As a singleton, that usually means that I am dining alone. There was a time when I would not eat at restaurants because I was afraid that people would stare at me or pity me because I was dining alone. So, when a new restaurant opened, I would envy every person who got to go and enjoy the restaurant with their significant other. I would whine and complain about how unfair it was that I would never get to go to these nice places to enjoy a meal because I had no one with whom to dine. Then, on one vacation, I decided that, rather than order takeout, visit a drive-thru, or get room service, I would go to different restaurants. I would go and enjoy dinner all by myself. After all, I was on vacation by myself and I was in a town where no one knew me, so they could not judge me for eating alone. Eventually, I got the hang of dining alone. I no longer denied myself the experience of trying new restaurants just because I had no one special in my life with whom to dine. There are many times when we get so caught up in what we do not have that we start to drown in our loneliness. It is as if, because we are single, everything else about our lives has to be miserable. However, if you find yourself having that kind of defeated mindset, you are well-served to not enter into a relationship anytime soon. In a relationship, there should be two people who feel victorious and whole on their own that come together to create something powerful. If you will listen, you will hear that God is knocking at the door of your heart. He wants your attention. He wants your adoration. God wants to spend time with you. God, the very same God who created heaven and earth and everything in it that you desire, cares enough for you that He wants some alone time with you. He knocks, but will you answer? Or, will you be so busy weeping and wailing and crying, “Woe is me!” that you don’t even notice that the Savior is waiting to enter your heart. He wants to make you feel whole and complete in Him. So that, mate or no mate, you are never alone. Listen to His voice and let Him into your heart fully. Dine with Him daily. Feast on His Word. Drink from His well of Living Water. Prayer Thank You, God for giving me the opportunity to dine with You and commune with You. Please forgive me for thinking that there is something missing from my life. Lord, please help me to hear You and accept Your will for my life. 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 think some people might expect to see fireworks. You know, you walk down the aisle, you pray, you confess, you ask Jesus into your life and then, you feel changed, but you don’t really see any physical manifestation of salvation. So, how do you know you are saved? I used to struggle this question. I knew that I had confessed God, but because of my sinful nature and my humanness, I wondered if I was really saved. “Am I really saved?” is not the kind of question that you feel comfortable asking anybody, but God. Of course, I have had many people ask me how I know I am saved. And, for a long time, I was unsure of how to answer the question. But, as I got older and I got into a more intimate relationship with Christ, I realized that there were things that I just could not do or say anymore. I am not referring to what many people say is your conscience. I realized that there were times when the words that came out of my mouth were not my own. It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in me that caused this dramatic change. It was not an all-of-a-sudden, glitter falls from the sky, and I start glowing kind of change that people could see. As a matter of fact, I am not sure if anyone else noticed. Nonetheless, over time I felt more free to be who God wants me to be regardless of what anyone else thinks about it. That is what it feels like to be saved. That is what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit feels like. And, the Holy Spirit only resides in you if you are saved. So, why I am talking about this in devotions about being single? Because nothing that I say will ever help you if the first relationship in your life is not intact. Sure, there are plenty of unsaved people in happy relationships. If I wanted to right now, I could go find someone to be happy with, but that is not good enough for me. I want the kind of relationship that God has set aside for His children. And, in order to have that, I must first be fulfilled by a relationship with Christ, so that I am not putting unreasonable expectations on my future mate. If you can still do the sinful things that you have always done and it never bothers you; you might want to check your salvation. If you can still go to the same places you know you have no business going to and it does not bother you; you should probably check your salvation. If you can hear people talk about God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit disrespectfully and it does not bother you, you might want to check your salvation. We are not perfect. Notice I said, “it does not bother you.” Sometimes, we will make mistakes and fall back into old behaviors, but it should grieve our spirit. If it does not, we may need to have a reality check about whether or not the Holy Spirit really resides there. Our dedication to our relationship with God, our first love, will determine how well our relationships work with other like-minded saints of God. And, an added bonus of salvation is knowing that no matter what your relationship status is, you can know that you are NEVER alone! Prayer Thank You, God for the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for all of the times when I do not listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Lord, please help me understand that I will not lose my salvation, but I can lose my joy when I am not obedient to Your leading. In Jesus’ Name, Amen *Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©1984, unless otherwise indicated.
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