Into the Mirror of Scripture

 

Any of us can experience genuine victory over Satan, sin and self on a consistent basis.  As we grow closer to the Lord, we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and He will then teach us how to recognize Satan’s traps, how to die to self, and how to overcome temptation. We can even learn how to identify and conquer things that grip our mind, soul and body. We can do this on our own as we surrender to the process of sanctification in our life.  This results in a deeper walk with God, powerful and mountain-moving prayer, and a Spirit-filled Christian life.

There is way too much apathy, complacency, worldliness and carnality in today’s church.  And yes, among the men of our churches.  I asked the question once while preaching about our inner-man:  If your inner-man was flashed up on a screen in picture form, would it look like a well-trained athlete or a starving refugee?  That’s a soul-searching question.  Can you honestly answer that question right now? What does your answer reveal about your priorities?  What does it reveal about the condition of your prayer life?

Until we each deal with the sin and disobedience issue in our life, our best efforts at prayer will seem like trying to cure cancer with a band-aid.  Just going to church will not provide the remedy to the problem.  We each must examine our own heart.  God will provide cleansing and renewing power to pray if we deal with the real underlying issue of the state of our heart.  Intense exposure to the revealing truth of the Word of God is a must! 

Meditate on James 1:21-25.  Look into the mirror of Scripture and deal with what it tells you.  Remember – the power of a pure heart and personal holiness is key to an effective prayer life and the master-key to taking it to the next level.


The Pastor's Pocket

Pastor Bruce Freeman

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