Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

1 Timothy

Vertical Prayers

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While we should be praying vertical prayers, too often we are stuck praying in a horizontal manner. I’m not speaking of the posture we assume when we pray, but the direction of the content of our prayers. There’s a stark difference between the prayers of Jesus and the way we pray. So many of our prayers focus on the people and the world around us but give little attention to the One we are speaking to.

Part of the problem is that we lack the proper realization of what prayer is. It’s not a vehicle to get all the things we desire or even need. After all, God already knows what we need before we ask. (Matthew 6:7-8) We’re not bringing Him new information, but it often seems as if we think we are.

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Don’t Love This World

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One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 1 John 2:15–17. It’s not an easy or feel-good passage. I love it because of how convicting it is and how clear it is. People love to inject their own opinions and rationalizations into the Bible and, in doing so, neuter its message and strip it of its power. This passage leaves no room for any such nonsense.

It says if we love the things of this world, we don’t love God. There are no qualifiers, no exceptions, and no loopholes. The converse shows us how to navigate this life: if we love God, we will not love the things of this world. If you want to show your love for God, don’t love this world.

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Bad Fruit

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The Bible uses the analogy of good and bad fruit to distinguish between what believers and nonbelievers will produce in their lives (Matthew 7:17-20). Genuine followers of Christ will produce good fruit (John 15:8). Jesus says if we abide in Him, we will produce fruit that is growing and desirable (John 15:4-5), as we cannot produce any other kind.

a crowd with raised hands at an event espousing a false gospel and generating bad fruit showing a lack of discipline and discernment for those in attendance which belies their discipleship

But for those not in Him, Jesus likens them to bad trees that can only produce bad fruit (Matthew 7:18). A bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit every now and again; it produces bad fruit every time. Sure, it might look appealing on the outside, but inside it is rotten and sour. If we consume enough of it, what do you imagine will become of our spiritual health?

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Getting More

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In all my years, I have never gone a day without food unless it was by choice. I have seen lean days and days of plenty, but not once have I wondered if I would have something to eat. There are still areas of our world where this is not the case. Throughout history, this has not been the norm. Food security has always been an issue, but it has never been an issue for me, and I doubt it has been for most of those reading this.

getting more,commitment,priorities,mission,devotion

My point is, when all else is going against us, we have so much for which to be thankful. Never let your present circumstances blind you from the realities of the abundant blessings you receive every day (Psalm 103:2). Contrary to how we might think or feel, every day we are getting more than we ever deserve (Romans 6:23; Lamentations 3:22-23).

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Fear of Dying

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The fear of dying is one of the top two fears afflicting people. Some research states it is the most common fear, while other studies place it second behind public speaking. I couldn’t find any concrete numbers detailing what percentage of Christians fear death, but over the years, I have heard more than a few believers express a fear of dying.

fear of dying,commitment,Heaven,Hell,surrender,salvation,belief

That’s a little hard for me to get my head around because true followers of Christ want nothing more than to spend eternity with Him. We can’t do that until we die. To my mind, it is irrational for someone who believes in the resurrection of Jesus to have any fear of dying. We might fear the circumstances that lead to our death, but dying itself should fill us with nothing but hope and joy (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Philippians 1:21-23).

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