Power of a Praying Woman 10/17/06 9:02 AM Page 127
Lord, Preserve Me…
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that we are to take speci?c steps to see that we do not live an impure lifestyle. We are to deliberately turn away from anything that glori?es immorality and other unholiness. “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’ ” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Pray that you will be able to thoroughly search out and examine your ways, and turn to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40). 3. Holiness means living in the Spirit and not in the ?esh. Our ?eshly thoughts will disqualify us as much as our actions. Are we jealous of anyone? Do we have strife? Is there unresolved division in our lives? Do we willfully allow sin a place? If so, then we are living in the ?esh. And it will destroy us. “For those who live according to the ?esh set their minds on the things of the ?esh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the ?esh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8). When you look honestly at the fruit of your life, you can see by what you are reaping whether you have sown to the ?esh or to the Spirit. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his ?esh will of the ?esh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). Pray that God will help you live in the Spirit and not the ?esh. 4. Holiness means staying clear of sexual immorality. The greatest lie our society has blindly accepted is that sexual sin is okay. It must grieve the Holy Spirit to see how women sell themselves short of all God has for them because they have