Scripture: James 4 v 3-4:
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that
ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not
that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be
a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
The Christian walk has never been easy as we have to
negotiate with the world system under control of the Devil. He plays on our
fantasies, lusts and fears getting us to compromise the truth we believe in.
When we pray, seeking answers, we need to find God's will
for that situation before we pray. Otherwise we pray with our own objectives in
mind, not mindful of how God views it. This is called "soulish
prayer" and can cause harm. I have seen answers come when the soulish
prayers have been cut off and made null and void.
We have many worldly friends with whom we are preparing
to share the love of Jesus but friendship with the world is a different matter.
When you engage in things that are sinful in God's eyes, you make alliances
that turn you into an enemy of God.
The rise of Chrislam is an example. You cannot combine
Christianity with a culture that has different gods, and whose holy book
contains verses calling for the destruction of Christians and Jews. That is
spiritual adultery in God's eyes. God said thou shalt have no other gods before
me.
There are many traps and snares in the world which come
upon us unawares. Drugs, alcohol, sex, scandals, false doctrines, martial arts,
freemasonry can all be presented in an alluring way but lead the unwary into
friendship with the world and enmity with God.
Now there is One person who should never be our enemy. If
God be for us who can be against us? If He is against us we run into terrifying
walls and get no answers. If we don't repent quickly we backslide into the
world we were saved from and make Christians ashamed.
So avoid these pitfalls and be alert to the dangers of
the world. Keep your relationships Godly and pure; keep your eyes on Jesus and
you will know joy unspeakable and full of glory both now and throughout
eternity.
Prayer: Father God, You discipline and chastise us for
our own good, so that we learn how to behave respectfully at all times. Please
help us to shun the friendship of the world and its false gods and never make
an enemy of You. I release anyone who has been bound by my soulish prayers and
set them free. In Jesus' name. Amen.