Saturday, April 17, 2004
Keep it Clear
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” – I Peter 4:7
Why is it important to be clear minded to be able to pray?
What does it mean to be clear minded?
The American Standard Version says…
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer.” – ASV
How often when you’re at work or doing something that requires your concentration, do you find the stress of a million things infiltrating your thoughts?
How often do the worries and pressures of your personal life bog you down at work and vica-versa?
How often do the burdens of sinful behavior and personal guilt cloud your mind when you think about God or when you think about your faith and the salvation of others?
I think it’s a reoccurring theme throughout scripture that right living leads to clearer thinking. There’s simply less to be guilty if you lead a near-perfect life. But how many of us are really able to live near-perfect lives? Not many. I believe it was Paul who said – to a certain extent; the only way to know with 100% certainty that you are saved is to not sin at all. He also reassured us that such a goal is impossible, thus our need for Christ, who lived the perfect life and paid our debt so that we can be saved.
Peter’s command here is two-fold… first: for us to lead as clear a life as we can so that the weights and burdens of our sins don’t bog us down when we go before God in prayer. And second: to remember that whatever sin we have has been erased by the blood of Christ.
Think about this – how often do you find yourself asking for forgiveness in prayer? How big of a chunk of your prayer time revolves around your sinfulness or your personal guilt?
The amount of time you spend asking God for forgiveness and cleaning you of personal sin is time spent away from getting to the business of changing the world!
Now, I know you’re thinking “But don’t I need to start with me before I can change the world?” Yes, yes you do. But if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and you recognize his death as yours and his life as yours; then he is ready and willing to forgive you and clean you the MOMENT you come to him. Done, over, you are forgiven. The devil will trick you into thinking that you need to put in time or penance dealing with your guilt. He will trick you into believing that beating your chest and crying out to God for hours about personal guilt is somehow worthy of receiving God’s forgiveness; as though God requires some sort of grieving period in order to cleanse you of your desires for sin. But as those of us who’ve found ourselves doing this over and over can profess – it does little to remove those desires, or to make us feel better.
The truth is that such time spent in prayer is time focused on ourselves and not on the work God has before us.
Remember that God chose you and has a plan for you. He wants to use you right now. If you are in his grace, you are ALREADY FORGIVEN! Go to him and talk to him about what you’re doing together – to work out his plan for you, for what you are going to do, not what you’ve done.
Leave your sin and guilt on the cross and turn your prayer time to action. Begin praying for your future – the choices for the day, the people you’ll meet, the places you’ll go. Pray for those you love, pray for those you don’t know. Turn your prayers inside out and watch God move in your life.
You have received blessing, forgiveness, and power. He has promised to forgive you ONCE for ALL. Claim it and plan for the future!
(September 7, 2003)
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” – I Peter 4:7
Why is it important to be clear minded to be able to pray?
What does it mean to be clear minded?
The American Standard Version says…
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer.” – ASV
How often when you’re at work or doing something that requires your concentration, do you find the stress of a million things infiltrating your thoughts?
How often do the worries and pressures of your personal life bog you down at work and vica-versa?
How often do the burdens of sinful behavior and personal guilt cloud your mind when you think about God or when you think about your faith and the salvation of others?
I think it’s a reoccurring theme throughout scripture that right living leads to clearer thinking. There’s simply less to be guilty if you lead a near-perfect life. But how many of us are really able to live near-perfect lives? Not many. I believe it was Paul who said – to a certain extent; the only way to know with 100% certainty that you are saved is to not sin at all. He also reassured us that such a goal is impossible, thus our need for Christ, who lived the perfect life and paid our debt so that we can be saved.
Peter’s command here is two-fold… first: for us to lead as clear a life as we can so that the weights and burdens of our sins don’t bog us down when we go before God in prayer. And second: to remember that whatever sin we have has been erased by the blood of Christ.
Think about this – how often do you find yourself asking for forgiveness in prayer? How big of a chunk of your prayer time revolves around your sinfulness or your personal guilt?
The amount of time you spend asking God for forgiveness and cleaning you of personal sin is time spent away from getting to the business of changing the world!
Now, I know you’re thinking “But don’t I need to start with me before I can change the world?” Yes, yes you do. But if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and you recognize his death as yours and his life as yours; then he is ready and willing to forgive you and clean you the MOMENT you come to him. Done, over, you are forgiven. The devil will trick you into thinking that you need to put in time or penance dealing with your guilt. He will trick you into believing that beating your chest and crying out to God for hours about personal guilt is somehow worthy of receiving God’s forgiveness; as though God requires some sort of grieving period in order to cleanse you of your desires for sin. But as those of us who’ve found ourselves doing this over and over can profess – it does little to remove those desires, or to make us feel better.
The truth is that such time spent in prayer is time focused on ourselves and not on the work God has before us.
Remember that God chose you and has a plan for you. He wants to use you right now. If you are in his grace, you are ALREADY FORGIVEN! Go to him and talk to him about what you’re doing together – to work out his plan for you, for what you are going to do, not what you’ve done.
Leave your sin and guilt on the cross and turn your prayer time to action. Begin praying for your future – the choices for the day, the people you’ll meet, the places you’ll go. Pray for those you love, pray for those you don’t know. Turn your prayers inside out and watch God move in your life.
You have received blessing, forgiveness, and power. He has promised to forgive you ONCE for ALL. Claim it and plan for the future!
(September 7, 2003)
