21 Days of Prayer and Fasting: DeeperNäide

Step Away!

Key Verse: Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. - Romans 6:16

At Jesus’ request, Simon had to step away from what he was previously engaging with to get into the boat with Jesus (Luke 5:2,3). Out of obedience, Simon stopped washing his nets, got into his boat to put it a little further from land. Likewise, we need to put aside anything that God speaks to us about in order to go deeper in our relationship with Him.

God is holy which means He is absolutely pure and separated from sin. As we pursue a deeper relationship with Him, we need to step away from sin, worldliness or anything that is pulling us further away from what God is calling us to.

Stepping away from sin is not resolved with one leap. Rather, it is a process of daily giving Jesus permission to search us and clean out anything in our lives that misses the mark. I recall times in my own life when God would gently poke at the areas that I’m not proud of. While the process may sometimes be painful and uncomfortable, I recognise that it reflects the heart of a loving Father who desires to draw us near to Him.

Over the years, I remember stepping away from the following practices as God spoke to me: an ungodly relationship, a particular TV programme, a hobby I spent too much time on, a bad habit etc. Each time I did so, it brought me closer to Him.

As we seek to draw closer to God, we need to be willing to step away from the focus and engagements of the past to pursue God in the way that He freshly directs us to.

When we do so, we experience a deeper intimacy and walk with Him.

Response

Today, allow the Holy Spirit to search out areas that hinder our walk with God (Psalm 139:23-24). Repent of these areas and ask God to cleanse and sanctify us.