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Do not love sin when trying to escape temptation
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7)
It’s pointless for anyone to pray to overcome temptation when that person saying that prayer is not willing to stop liking the sin. Yes, there are people who are scared of the eternal consequences of sin but do not care if the temporary pleasure they get offends the Lord God or even defiles their own soul and body. So its best to abhor the sin that tries to entice you and pray for overcoming it at the same time.
Pray that you do not sin
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38)
The more we pray …
“The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we pray, the more we can pray. The more we pray, the more we shall pray. He who prays little will pray less, but he who prays much will pray more. And he who prays more, will desire to pray more abundantly.” – Charles Spurgeon
Be diligent in prayer
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs 13:4)
Don’t be lazy to pray. Just wishing for good things is not enough. You got to actually pray and ask for it. Don’t assume that you are not to ask the Lord God nor assume he doesn’t want you to ask him anything in prayer.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)
Beware of the Just in Case philosophy at church services
Beware of the “Just in Case” philosophy when conducting church services. It’s human wisdom at its best and I see it creeping into churches. This philosophy says, “Prepare every detail of the service in advance, prepare the worship music exactly the way you want it. Prepare and rehearse the introduction of the sermon and songs, so you don’t stumble over your words. Get the closing prayer written down and ready. Then, Just in Case the Lord doesn’t show up, you can still put on a great show!” Church service should NOT be like a Broadway production. (Robert Brownell)
Commit your plans to God
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. ( Psalm 37:5)
Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16-3)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Spoon feeding people everything
I heard of a great Christian convention center where lots of miracles happen, even to this day. They were not teaching any new doctrine. All they did was to reemphasize all the teachings of the Bible systematically. People would receive the truth and be set free from their sins and sickness.
Since they taught very basic stuff I wondered that how come so many adults who over there for miracles (I was a kid at that time) behaved as if they’re hearing such teachings for the first time. Surely repentance, salvation, prayer and the love of God through Jesus Christ are things are taught at elementary levels. Why did they find it so difficult to grasp?
Then I realized that such people won’t attempt to learn anything from the Bible unless they’re spoon fed. If you ask them let’s pray for so and so person’s health they will demand to know everything about one. Yet after telling in detail they won’t commit themselves to praying for that person unless you prompt them again and again. If you point out the need to stop worshipping false idols they will stare at you in amazement until you read out to them the Ten Commandments and verses against idolatry.
As I’ve walked with the Lord God and have been ministering to people I couldn’t help but notice that the teachability factor for some is very low. They won’t do their research. They will avoid reading the Bible. All they want is someone to preach only on the topic they want to hear about. As usual they get offended if they don’t get to hear what they want, it’s if they know the teaching but only want you to parrot it for them. This provides an open door to deception and legalism. Deception because the Devil tricks both the preacher and the congregation into choosing to condone a sinful existence while only promoting blessings instead of repentance. Legalism because the people will accept only those things the pastor speaks about even if it’s already written in the Bible unless they personally hear it from their pastor.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)
I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready (1 Corinthians 3:2)
Now if you are in position where you are dealing with people who prefer to be spoon fed the doctrines of Christ what are you to do? Firstly, be patient and don’t lose your peace. Secondly, try to positively and politely encourage such people to have constant reading and discernment of every section of the Bible. And finally, learn to draw the line and say no to people who do not improve despite your warnings. The final tip may seem odd but you need to make them understand that being forever on ‘milk and baby’ mode won’t help them grow in the Lord Jesus. This doesn’t mean that you stop helping them if they will fall in trouble due to their ignorance. Rather it’s that you affirm and show that you value your time and efforts that you have applied to help them.
Related articles
10 ways to prevent yourself from sinning
1) Remember that sin doesn’t pay well.
2) Know that sinners don’t have a good end.
3) Focus on the love of Christ.
4) Get a good hobby which replaces your sinning habit.
5) Crucify the flesh and its sinful desires.
6) Memorize scripture so that you be holy.
7) Hear the testimonies of those who left sin.
8) Pray for grace to resist sin.
9) Be attentive to the Holy Spirit.
10) Do not give up on God.
Disciples of hope 