Power of a Praying Woman 10/17/06 9:02 AM Page 126
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The Power of a Praying Woman
never speak to another nonbeliever. It means your heart detaches from the world’s value system. You, instead, value the things God values above all else. The consequences for not doing so are serious. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Who wants to be God’s enemy? I know it’s hard to be separate from the world when you live in it. But if that is the desire of your heart, you can ask God to help you do it. Of course, you have to make choices to turn off certain TV programs, not go to certain movies, not read certain magazines, and not frequent certain places. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the ?esh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). Ask God to help you separate yourself from the things of the world, and learn to love Him more than you love it. 2. Holiness means purifying yourself. Purifying yourself does not mean putting on a white robe to cover up all that is not holy about you. It means asking God, who is holy, to purify your heart. Unholiness happens there ?rst. Purifying ourselves means taking stock of our lives, thoughts, actions, associations, and business dealings, and cleansing ourselves from anything that contaminates us. It is something we actively do. It means deciding to be morally and ethically pure. “Everyone who has this hope in Him puri?es himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). When God said, “Be holy” (Leviticus 19:2), the commands He gave following that had to do with not stealing, not lying, not committing fraud, not slandering people, not trying to get revenge, and not falling into idolatry. It means