Nobody is free of sin until the Lord has cleansed them. We are all in need of repentance and a renewal of our body and minds. Only God can do this. Don’t feed your lustful desires but let your heart be awakened to walk differently. Instead of trying to break free from your addictions. through ourselves and other people, go one step further and seek the Lord in prayer. Help from others is great but also allow the Lord to transform your heart to live for Him and not the flesh. Come to God in prayer often. You can do this on your own or in a group setting. Lift up the name of Jesus and cry out for mercy. 1Confess your sins openly, one with another and to God, and ask for forgiveness. Ask for a change of heart and mind. David is a great example of this, when he acted on his feelings and called upon God. He said, 2“In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.” He was very sorrowful but knew that the Lord could help him. Hear his prayer, 2“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” There were bad influences and he did not want to fall victim to this. He was sincere in His desires to do God’s will, and God did listen to him. The Lord will hear your prayers, as well, as you cry out to God. Trust in Him, and He will begin to start acting, in a special way, in your life. An open heart to God, will give you the power needed to break the chains of addiction. Your desires will be changed from looking to fulfill your own lusts and to loving one another. Seeing others needs met will become more important.
There is nothing good that can come from a lying and a deceitful heart. These things are contrary to God and only He can cast this corruption out of our lives. Be vigilant and ask God in prayer to not be influenced by these things. Lingering in the ways of the world is not living for God. This is a broken path that leads to hell. 3Only those that abide in the Lord can be saved. Think about what David said, 2“what shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?” He was recognizing that this sinful lifestyle would do him no good. Walking on the wrong path, that is in the world, temptation will be much harder to resist. We will feel the sharp arrows that will only afflict our souls. Guilt and shame will begin to pile up until we are broken. It is in this broken state that we can come to know God. We just need to acknowledge that we can’t live this life alone. We can’t win this battle on our own. Our desires must lead us to need a Savior. Jesus is the answer but we me must call upon His Name, in our hour of distress, or else his peace will never come. It is more than just saying we believe in Him but allowing Him to transform our lives. Because David allowed God to change his heart, his sins were forgiven. God had mercy upon Him, for he recognized God’s mighty hand in His life. David proclaimed, 2“I am for peace”. Nothing could squash what the Lord had done. This can be true for anyone that is open to God and calls upon His Name. Where do you stand? Seek the Lord and you will find peace.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that I am not influenced by the ways of the flesh. May my desires be in tune with your will and not my own selfish ways. It is hard to resist temptation when I am living in sin but when You are near, there is peace. You give me desires to live in Your light. Darkness is nowhere to be found when I am in Your arms, Lord Jesus. You are my helper and my best friend. You are my deliverer from evil. I pray that I and other Christians are not influenced by the ways of this world. Help us to not fall victim to deceitful people. These things can only lead us away from You. Help transform our faith to live apart from this? I trust in You, Jesus, to do a mighty work in my life and the lives of others. I know that Your ways are greater. I’d rather be saved in heaven then to find pleasure in this world. Take my life, oh Lord. Please forgive me. Have mercy upon my soul. I need You in my life. Have Your way, inside of me. I choose peace that comes from You. I love You. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Psalm 32:1-5 (KJV)
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
2Psalm 120 (KJV)
1 In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
3John 15:1-8 (KJV)
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE POWERFUL GOD’S WORD!!!