THIS MOMENT

I pray, Father, that all I do and say would

glorify You.

Set a guard, Lord, over my heart and mind and mouth

in order to establish Your kingdom rule in every exchange,

both incoming and outgoing.

Make me sensitive to what offends Your Spirit

and avoid it at all cost.

Help me to see the boundaries You have set for me

to guard against defilement of Your dwelling place

in me and in Your church as a whole.

You have set me apart; You have set Your people apart,

not to be unapproachable or withdrawn from the world,

but to offer a fragrance and light and hope in the darkest of places.

Help me fill my part in Your purpose.

There is a power, My child, in each one that belongs to Me.  That power is not a ramped up version of your best intents and abilities.  That power is a person, the Holy Spirit, who has taken up residence in you.  He is Me.  He is not some nice influence or better part of your personality.  He is not the sum of the strengths you may try to rally while you resist the pull of temptations that have mastered you in the past.  He is Me.

You intend for Me to have rule over your life; you want Me to do My will.  But you find yourself caught up in things that should have no place in your life and leave you feeling like you have wasted time and energy on what is worthless.  This is the sad state of many of My people living in defeat and not understanding how they got there.

I live in you.  I LIVE in you.  I live IN you.  I live in YOU.  Let My truth sink deep into your heart.  You will live in defeat until you understand that your life ended at the cross, was buried, and is raised to a new life, My life in you.  I am a part of every breath you take and every moment you live.  Live out from My life in THIS moment.  Do it again in THIS moment.  Allow into your heart and mind and life only what I bring you in THIS moment.  Give the world its walking papers.  It has no place in you.  When you take in the good things that I have for you, you will have no appetite for the refuse the world offers.  Focus on the intake and what you are feeding on.  The outflow will reflect and be in character with what you have taken in.  When you feed on Me and My goodness, love will flow out and express itself according to the opportunity I place before you.  Again you will depend on Me in THIS moment to show My love, make a choice, offer a cup of cold water, be broken bread or poured out wine to someone else.  I do not separate you from the world; I transform the world where you are standing into My kingdom in THIS moment.  Do not look for the over-arching purpose and plan for your life.  Live by Me in THIS moment.  ALWAYS.

Romans 7:14-25; Romans 8:1-17; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 John 2:15-17;

2 Corinthians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:16-17; Colossians 4:5-6; Hebrews 13:20-21

LIVING ON PURPOSE

I need to be more deliberate, Lord, in the use of my time.

So much can be wasted away on things that may seem important

at the time, but in the end they are meaningless.

Purpose.

I need to have purpose in the time that I call my own,

especially at this stage of my life when I have

more free time and soon, much more free time.

I need a plan.

Living life on purpose, that is the ideal you seek.  It is a worthy goal.  The pace of life today makes it nearly impossible for you, for anyone, to feel like they are in control of their time and activities.  There is a constant demand for your involvement everywhere you turn.  Add to that the onslaught of media, noise, technology, and entertainment, and there is almost no space left in your life and heart for that which brings peace and helps you know purpose.  I understand.

Even though many of these demands are unique to this era, I am still the same God who reigns over all and I have not changed.  It is still My plan for you to walk with Me in a powerful, life-changing relationship that bears fruit and spills over into rivers of living water for others.  All of this requires a heart that truly desires this relationship and a mind that is disciplined to stay focused.  This is a relationship that lives and breathes and is constantly nourished by My Spirit.  You, My child, will have to actively choose to listen and be sensitive to My voice while tuning out the countless distractions clamoring for your attention. 

As you walk by My Spirit moment by moment you will see purpose  and kingdom living unfold before you.  This life does not promote itself or vie for the attention of the masses.  It quietly invades your day and helps you see with new eyes, hear with new ears, and carry My life into the tailor-made spaces that you inhabit.  The purpose becomes a path of discovery that leads you to see My grace everywhere you look.  You begin to see people the way I see them and love them with My love.  You see My gifts in the everyday moments that fill your day, and in the giving of thanks your heart is raised to the heavenly places where you are truly seated with Me.

Your vantage point changes everything.  You must remember that you are placed in Me, secure, safe, protected, kept, and loved.  The only true vision you have is through My eyes; the only wisdom or understanding you can possess is from My heart; the only way you can hear the cries of the world around you is through My ears.  It is from here that you can pray with power and effectiveness.  It is from here only that you can evaluate whether you are living life well or being consumed by the culture around you.

Sit here with Me.  Be still.  And know that only I am the God who changes everything and everyone I touch. Live life on purpose with Me.

Hebrews 13:8; John 7:38; John 15:26; Galatians 5:22-26;

Ephesians 2:4-10; Psalm 46:10