THE WORD
II Corinthians 6:16-18 – And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
One of the hardest challenges that I have discovered is to find and keep a peaceful walk with God. All the things you hear around you can be so demeaning, destructive and depressing. People that make you think about horrible things can definitely influence you in a way that you never thought possible. I know when I was going through this sort of attack at one point it had almost got the best of me. I am glad to say I overcame! How?
What I would like to shout from the rooftops is a simple reminder that you must remember to make an effort to separate yourself from the verbal/mental attacks if the opportunity presents itself! Do not be overtaken by situations and people that are a bad influence to you. I know that we have to be a light to the world for everyone, but if it proves to be too much for you, take a retreat and prepare (through prayer and fasting) for another opportunity. God always presents great opportunities to witness. The spirit will do the convicting and bring peace for you as you yield with a willing mind and loving heart! Put your spiritual ear plugs in and refuse to be a part of the noise today!
PUT INTO PRACTICE
A great way to understand separation is by the contrasts. Go into a popular gathering place and listen to all you hear. You may find present distractions make concentrating in prayer difficult. In a literal and physical demonstration walk out of the building and go somewhere quiet like your car or home. During that moment observe the peace and how easy it is open up your mind before God in prayer! I can testify that there has not been a time that I made the effort to steal away that it did not help me pray through more effectively and in turn reduced the overall stress in my mind!