Welcome to Day 6! I wanted to give you a little warning that there’s some strong language ahead. Sometimes we can find strong language in the Scriptures a little off-putting.
But lately God has been showing me how very gracious He is, even and maybe especially when His language is strong. Because that’s how He reveals His heart to us. That’s how He takes our faces in His hands and stoops to look us in the eyes and plea with us urgently: “Pay attention to this! It’s of utmost importance to Me! It’s of utmost importance to you.”
Here’s today’s Scripture, dear one. It’s of utmost importance.
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James 4:4-10
Dear Heavenly Father, the lure of the world is so strong sometimes. Thank you for teaching me that friendship with world makes me Your enemy. That’s the furthest thing from what I want to be, so I pray that you would open my eyes to see areas in which I’m compromising. I beg You for more grace, and that You would help me to be humble, submitting to You in all things. Strengthen me to resist the devil and instead draw near to You. I’m in awe that such a thing is possible, and yet You promise that You’ll draw near to me, too, and I just want to say “thank you” for that. Oh, Lord, let me not be double-minded, riding the fence between the world’s way and Your way. I yield fully to You, God, with all that I am and all that I have. In the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Click here to navigate to the main page and find Day 7 of the Purity Prayer Challenge.
[P.S. Some people realize at this point in the challenge that they could really use a prayer journal like this one to help keep track of their prayers for their loved ones. The early bird offer has expired, but you can still grab this for 40% off using code 40PERCENTOFF.]
