Others Will Be Sanctified Because God's Word is Powerful and Prayer is Effective

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:5

for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

Insights: The third thing that helps to sanctify us is God’s Word, the Bible.  The Word of God has an amazing way of allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).  I often hear people tell me that they don’t understand the Bible.  It is one of those amazing truths that if you will begin to read it, then after some time, you will understand it.  Our adversary, the devil, wants us to believe we can’t understand the love letter God wrote to us.  This thought is a lie of satan.  Let me encourage you, Beloved, read the Bible every day and let the Lord sanctify your heart through His cleansing power which is found in His Word.  The fourth way God sanctifies us is through prayer.  Prayer is our two way conversation with the Lord.  James 5:16b-18 states, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.  Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”  Elijah was just like you and me.  He was not some kind of super saint that had extra abilities.  Rather, he was a man with a depraved nature who had surrendered his allegiance to the Lord.  As a result of his relationship with God he was able to command it to not rain and indeed it did not for three and a half years.  Beloved, we have access to this same kind of power.  The problem is we have not allowed God to speak back to us through prayer and we often times see it as a one way wish list kind of communication.  If we will humble ourselves before the Lord, then He will do an amazing sanctifying process through our prayers.  Let us surrender to His Lordship, Beloved, and let’s watch Him transform our lives into vessels of noble purpose as we proclaim the good news to all who will hear.

Questions:

1.  How many times a week do you read the Bible?

2.  How often do you pray to the Lord?

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me Your Word.  Thank You for allowing me to speak with You and to hear from You as well.  These two refining tools of Yours are most cherished and I am grateful for them.  Amen.