Dear Heavenly Father,
One of my mentors told me about a class she took when she reached a desperate point in her life. She has been a believer for many years, but said she was still a very sad person. She knew it wasn’t Your Will for her to feel this way, so she prayed and asked You for direction. You led her to take a Biblical class on the Holy Spirit, and one of the things she learned was that it is important for us to feel good. We don’t have to fake it or press ourselves to feel this way. It comes from trusting Your Word and Will for our lives.
Many people in my generation find it challenging to believe that Your way is the only way to real and lasting joy. Just the other day, I heard a young man teaching about ‘youthful lusts’. In 2Timothy 2:22(NLT), You tell us, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.” One of the common complaints among young adults is that a person can’t have fun being a Christian. Heavenly Father, You didn’t call us to holiness to make our pleasure and joy any less. Quite the contrary. You called us so that our joy may be full. Heavenly Father, please help us to see this.
In his sermon, the youth pastor said that we develop a tendency to run to our cravings and run away from our calling. What we’re really doing is chasing a feeling. We’re running after how lustful things make us feel because we want the quick fix. We don’t want to take care of our souls by growing in our relationship with You. There is much danger in being this way. Any time we pursue the cravings of our flesh over the needs of our spirit-man, we are sending a message to the entire universe about what we treasure most.
You tell us in Matthew 6:21 that wherever our treasure is, that’s where our hearts are as well. Our relationship with You must be our first priority, and our hearts must be sold-out and fully persuaded to it. This is why we can’t please You and walk in our destiny if we’re chasing feelings and not chasing closeness to You through the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hearts belong to You, and You tell us in Matthew 6:33 that if we want to be blessed, we must seek Your Kingdom and righteousness first in all things.
Through the Holy Spirit, and through Your precious Word, You tell us so plainly the way to joy and the way to being blessed, but we think we know best. We don’t want to listen to Your voice, directing us to abstain from sin so that we capture our destinies. We get stuck in this worldly system that is based on pleasuring the flesh, and we miss the Kingdom system that leads to Jesus Christ, who gives us an abundant life in every way.
You tell us in Ephesians 3:20 (MSG), “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Help us, Dear Heavenly Father, to live the spiritual life to which You’ve called us. Help us to honor You with our entire being, presenting it a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable before You. When we do this, You tell us that You will transform our lives and our vessels can be dedicated to Your glory. Our obedience and devotion to You invites the Spirit to be at work within, and he will help us bask in Your joy and blessings.
Thank You for our Blessed Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
“That Your Joy May Be Full”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.