Begin your day with the Word

Psalm 5:1~3 Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #518 We Have Heard the Joyful Sound (#252 in previous version) There is a part of our hearts that desire to devote ourselves solely to the Gospel and deeply love others, but when a problem befalls us, we find ourselves unable to think of anything else. Is it perhaps because we are living lives of the flesh that are going against the will of the Holy Spirit, despite being children of God? Even though we have a physical body, we need to receive spiritual blessings. To receive spiritual blessings and truly live only for the Gospel, we need to discover answers through the Word. What kind of answers must we discover to begin our day?
 
1. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
There are times when we know in our heads that it is the wrong choice, but act in a completely different manner. We live according to our own will and are unable to quell our own emotions, and at times go against God’s will to satiate the flesh. That is why God tells us to pray continually. In order to survive in a world that is in the palm of Satan’s hand and run by people in a state of death, we need to be spiritually awake and pray continually.

2. Always think about remaining in the grace of the Lord (Ephesians 6:18~24)
 Can you really say that the Lord Jesus Christ is your Lord and master in all aspects of your life? What do you think about when you are studying or working? In your spare time, or when you are alone, Jesus Christ has to be your Lord and master, and you need to receive God-given strength to always think about the Word. When our hearts are filled with depressing thoughts, we can’t simply overlook the matter; instead, we must pray for the grace of the Lord to be with our thoughts.

3. Live and act with wisdom (Ephesians 5:15)
Despite having received salvation, it may be difficult to find ourselves in Christ because of problems continuing in our physical lives. There are times when it may be hard to follow God’s Word, despite following legalistic codes for behavior or dogma. All the hours of prayer and service do not give us spiritual wisdom. Spiritual people follow the heart of the Holy Spirit. Our own emotions are important, and status in the world more so, but even beyond all that, we need to seek the wisdom of God.

- The Word of God is not merely one of the diverse options available on Earth. It is totally unique. When you open your eyes in the morning, begin your day by going over the unique Word of God in your mind. New Believer Retreat Lecture 3 / 2012.7.17