November 27th

Meeting with God for a daily walk to freedom

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. ¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. ¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ¹²Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. ¹³With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. ¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. ¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. ¹⁶ I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:9-16 NIV 

Gaining freedom from bondage to sin is usually not an easy or quick task.  It requires that we work in partnership with the Holy Spirit in overcoming the various aspects of the bondage.  The best way I know of to get in tune with the Holy Spirit is to have a daily quiet time with the Lord, including Bible study, prayer, praise and worship.   

The Bible has everything we need to know about God, living for God and overcoming sin.  It gives us many examples of how to follow God and how to avoid the many possible pitfalls in life.  King David had a firm grip on God’s word and its importance to a pure walk with God.  Specifically, David said that purity will stem from:

• Living according to God’s word and delighting in it
• Seeking God with all our heart
• Hiding God’s word in our heart (learn it, study it, memorize it)
• Praising God and speaking his word
• Rejoicing in obedience to God’s commands
• Meditating on God’s word and considering His ways

If we’re not meeting with God to do the above things, our hopes of living in purity will not be realized.  Without the daily input of God’s word in our life, we will gradually be overrun by the world’s desires and the corruption of the lusts within our heart.    

For the first 30 years of my life, I never got on a regular schedule of having a quiet time with God.  Since being porn-free, I have made a habit of having a daily quiet time.  It has truly helped release God’s power in my life and ministry.   

If you’re not having quiet times with God currently, I encourage you to do so.  For suggestions on what to do in a quiet time, visit our page in Freedom Journey on Meeting with God.    

Questions for further thought:

• When we’re building friendships, spending time together is crucial for the long-term success of the relationship.  Does this principle apply to our relationship with God?

• What relationship has God used for the pattern for his relationship with us? (hint: Romans 8:15-16)

• What actions will you take to ensure you stay on a regular schedule for your quiet times?

Prayer:

“Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins, so that I have peace with you and can fellowship with you.  Lord, I long to walk with you each day, just as Adam must have done in Eden before the fall.  Please forgive me for not spending more time with you.  I commit to making it top priority to meet with you each day during the _____(pick a time).  Please help me to discipline myself to do this.  Thank you, Father!  I look forward to meeting with you! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”