Weekly Devotional 7-14-14 The Word, Prayer and a Pure Heart
Recently our pastor preached a sermon in which he addressed our relationship with God stating that “the Word, prayer and a pure heart” are absolute necessities if a Christian is to have a healthy relationship with Him. Certainly all three things are necessary and in that order. God speaks to us from His word, we speak with God through prayer and from that two-way communication purity of heart is birthed and sustained.
We Christians are in a constant battle with our old natures, the world of unregenerate man and the powers of darkness. We cannot overcome these things and have purity of heart if we are not daily in His word and in dialogue with Him. How thankful we should be that God has given us His word; and that He communicates with us.
Not only has He given us His word and communicates with us, but He also indwells us that we might have a pure heart. The same promise that Jesus made to those whom He had chosen and nurtured for three years falls to us. “15If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:15-18 NKJV). What a promise and what an encouragement!
A pure heart produced by God’s word and prayer will bless the Christian with blessings that cannot be appreciated by unregenerate man. We Christians, having purity of heart, have fellowship with God our Creator (1st John 1:7) and this causes us to be assured that we are no longer under the condemnation of God. “1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1 NKJV).
What a blessing! But, it all begins with, and is sustained by, the daily cleansing of God’s word and being in communication with Him.
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Transforming Power, The Work of God on Behalf of Man