THIRTY ONE DAYS OF BIBLE TRUTHS - DAY 6 (SOUND JUDGMENT)

BIBLE VERSE: The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer (1 Peter 4:7).

TRUTH: At the turn of each new year, among the new resolutions made by some Christians, is the promise to pray more. Some actually uphold this promise and their lives reflect it. In order to pray effectively, however, the Word of God is calling for a clean heart.  In this particular paradigm, the call is for Sound Judgment. How do we have sound judgment as maturing Christians? We have it through self-control. Twice in 1 Peter, God mentions the words “sober spirit” (1 Peter 1:13) and in this verse. Both times it means to be “clear-headed” and “well-disciplined”. This just not just mean to obey the letter of the law of God and man, but the spirit of the law – total self-control.  So why are we called to be intentionally so level-headed and completely alert? 

Well – look at the verse again: “the end of all things is near”!

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THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAYER AND THE WORD:JANUARY 1-31, 2015 THEME: "ABIDE"

DAY TWO:

VERSE: 

Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." (Matthew 26:38)

PRAYER:

Father God, oh Most Sovereign and Holy One of Israel,  thank You for the privilege of being a servant of the Savior Who asked that just as the disciples were asked to “stay and watch”, I pledge my all to do the same. Father You said that ALL Scripture was given for instruction and reproof and I take that exhortation from Jesus to “stay” as my orders to remain, abide and even rest in Him until death, whether that death is natural or through persecution.  Lord, we know that Your Word is rich and deep in meaning, in its many uses here, and other places where You called us to ABIDE in THEE, as it was in John 15:4 and elsewhere.

So Father, we stand on this statute. We adopt the sorrow and pain of the Suffering Savior, Whose saints – our brethren – are in chains and persecuted worldwide for His Sake. We adopt the sadness and the severity of the state of  mankind, who is lost beyond imagination, yet refuses to be found by the Hound of Heaven, Who seeks to redeem men’s souls. We ally ourselves with those who watch and are alert to the destruction of the family, the devastation of the home, the dying nature of our churches, the diluting of the hard-won and Blood-bought Gospel of Truth and Salvation and we are ever watchful of the pride which bring the dangers of falling. 

Lord,  please listen and strengthen at this perilous hour and may we never let our collective guards down, thereby giving the enemy an opening where we are marginalized and Your Name is pushed to the side.  Father, may we ALWAYS be tuned in, via Your Holy Spirit to the Word of the Revelation, through Thy Word, and by being connected moment by moment to Thee in Holiness and Truth, that we will be alert to the wiles and wickedness of this age, through Christ our Soon Coming King, amen.