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Challenge Day #4- I Am in the World But Not of the World
Dear Father God,
Your word tells us to me to be in this world, but not of this world. And that friendship with the world is enmity with God. “Everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. For the world and its desires will pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:16-17)
Whether times appear to be good or bad, there are few guarantees in this life. Satan is the god of this world and his plan is to kill, steal, and destroy. It is only by the grace of God that “live, move, and have our being.”
Does that mean that we can’t thwart the plans of the enemy? Absolutely not! God tells us to fight with the full armor of God! However, some things are just going to be out of our control, and the best thing we can do is to fully and completely surrender to Christ, knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us. The Bible says that even Jesus was obedient right up to the very point of this death.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and the last thing he destroyed was death. We know to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. However, when we are overly entangled with the things of this world, we give it to much preeminence in our lives, forgetting that we are just passing through, and here for a short time only. Forgetting that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Forgetting that this life is a part of our spiritual journey and evolution and not our real home.
Jesus said, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, drink, and wear, for the ungodly seek after such things, but your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you even ask. When we know who we are in Christ, we can rest assured that our Heavenly Father will provide for and protect us according to his will. Instead of fighting our own battles, we can “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything we need will be added unto us.”
Being overly concerned with the things of this world can be a real source of pain, anxiety, and stress, as well as snare to our spirits. Jesus never told us to battle with the world, but to battle in the Spirit, pulling down strongholds through love, prayer, fasting, faith, and meditation.
The scripture declares, “I will keep thee in perfect peace, he whose mind is stayed upon thee, because he cares for me,” and that a “life controlled by the spirit is life and peace.”
Father, I ask you today, to turn my eyes away from worthless things. The value of my life is not measured by the things I possess, my worldly accomplishments, or even my good causes. According to 2 Corinthians 13, love is the only true measure of a life rich in Christ. For the first commandment is to love God, and the second my neighbor as myself. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
Today, in the name of Jesus, I renounce the things of this world and purpose to live a life of love, gratitude, and holiness. I purpose to spend more time with you Jesus in prayer, meditation, and your Word, where I can sit at your feet and dwell in your transformative presence. Psalms 16:11 declares, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Today I declare that I will live in this world, but not be so wrapped up in it, that it causes me to be fearful, negative, hateful, or lose my joy. When Jesus walked on the earth, rarely did He try to change the world and its system. Instead, He was much more interested in souls and sought to change men’s hearts through salvation.
When I allow the Spirit of God to live within me fully, I can be full of joy and peace even in the most trying of circumstances. When I make the Lord the source of my joy, I can possess His peace that passes all understanding. That is good news today!
When wickedness abounds, grace much more abounds. I can tap into the power of the Holy Spirit, at any time, taking on the personhood of Christ and possessing the kingdom of God that lives inside of me. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I declare this day that I will not be overcome by fear, the plans of the wicked, or the evil parading around in this world, but I will overcome evil with good. For the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love. Father, I ask you to use me as an instrument of your love, peace, and truth today.
Because my hope and trust is in you, I will not be afraid. Right now, I surrender all of my fears unto you, for, without a doubt, you are my refuge and my strength. In the midst of the chaos, lies, and deception, you are in control and my hope is in you alone. I will not allow any of this to disturb my spirit. Instead, I seek your wisdom and guidance to be a light in this dark and fallen world. For they who have hope in this life only, are men most miserable.
According to Psalms 91-
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save me from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover me with his feathers, and under his wings I will find refuge; his faithfulness will be my shield and rampart.
I will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come near me. I will only observe with my eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If I make the Most High my dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall me, no disaster will come near my home.
For he will command his angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways; they will lift me up in their hands so that I will not strike my foot against a stone. I will tread upon the lion and the cobra; I will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Today, this is my prayer and declaration. Amen
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