Sæktu forritiðBeing P.R.A.Y.E.R.F.U.L.Sýnishorn
"R is for Righteousness"
Getting by is not enough. Going through the motions is not enough. Simply doing a better job at living the Christian life than the person next to you is not enough. You must seek after righteousness, and you must do so through prayer.
Praying for righteousness entails several things. First and foremost, it means confessing your sin struggles to the Lord. In this you acknowledge your frailty and dependence on His atoning sacrifice. (1 John 1:9)
Second, it means asking the Holy Spirit to search your heart for the sins to which you have turned a blind eye. (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Even though you don’t see them, such sins still burden you spiritually and hinder your ability to truly serve God.
Third, you must be willing to take whatever measures the Lord demands of you in order to turn away from your sins and fully serve Him. This is perhaps the most difficult part, particularly if the sin revealed to you is one you have come to crave: lust, pride, vanity, selfishness, etc. Such “sin strongholds” must be broken by whatever means necessary if you are to truly seek after righteousness.
The obstacles to your righteousness might seem impossible to overcome now, but they are not insurmountable (1 Corinthians 10:13) if you are willing to seek the Lord in prayer. If Jesus was willing to overcome every temptation for the sake of your righteousness (John 16:33), oughtn’t you at least be willing to try? Do so now, right here in this moment: pray for righteousness.
Getting by is not enough. Going through the motions is not enough. Simply doing a better job at living the Christian life than the person next to you is not enough. You must seek after righteousness, and you must do so through prayer.
Praying for righteousness entails several things. First and foremost, it means confessing your sin struggles to the Lord. In this you acknowledge your frailty and dependence on His atoning sacrifice. (1 John 1:9)
Second, it means asking the Holy Spirit to search your heart for the sins to which you have turned a blind eye. (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Even though you don’t see them, such sins still burden you spiritually and hinder your ability to truly serve God.
Third, you must be willing to take whatever measures the Lord demands of you in order to turn away from your sins and fully serve Him. This is perhaps the most difficult part, particularly if the sin revealed to you is one you have come to crave: lust, pride, vanity, selfishness, etc. Such “sin strongholds” must be broken by whatever means necessary if you are to truly seek after righteousness.
The obstacles to your righteousness might seem impossible to overcome now, but they are not insurmountable (1 Corinthians 10:13) if you are willing to seek the Lord in prayer. If Jesus was willing to overcome every temptation for the sake of your righteousness (John 16:33), oughtn’t you at least be willing to try? Do so now, right here in this moment: pray for righteousness.
About this Plan
One of the greatest struggles many Christians face has nothing to do with the avoidance or rejection of any one sin, but rather with the neglect of intentional, meaningful prayer. Setting aside the time to pray can be a challenge. What’s more, making sure to pray the right way and for the right reasons (Matthew 6:5-18) can be just as challenging. “Being P.R.A.Y.E.R.F.U.L.” is designed with such challenges in mind.
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