Lord Prepare me to be a living sacrifice and a sanctuary Pt. 2
Lord Prepare Me
To Be a Sanctuary
Pure and Holy
Tried and True
And with Thanksgiving
I'll be a LIVING Sanctuary
For You
In the first part of this blog post, I talked about how God desires us to be living sacrifices for his purposes and his plans. My life may be in the state it is in because God wants to use me to help someone else.
You and I may be single because God wants to bring someone to salvation or in deeper relationship with him through our lives. This can't happen while I'm spending my time complaining, grumbling, and envisioning myself as a future Hoarders episode. Instead, we should use that time to ask God to prepare us to be equipped for when that time comes.
I'm going into left field here, but I'm just going to just go ahead and say it: I have said time and time again that I don't want to be married for the sake of being married. I don't want or need to prove that I can get a man. I want my marriage to have IMPACT and to serve purpose. If there's no purpose, there's no point. My marriage has to have eternal implications and bear fruit because that is what is important.
It may not be marriage for you. It could be some other area of your life where you feel like there is ZERO progress. Why are you in that state? Perhaps it is because God wants you to offer yourself as a living sacrifice for his purposes which are bigger than your own limited vision.
Lord Prepare Me
In this time of preparation, I have decided to replace my complaining with praise and worship, my grumbling with prayers, and my future Hoarders episode with Bible Study. We must be active participants in the preparation process.
The Lord has already informed me that this fantasy I had dreamed up isn't going to happen. Things aren't going to be like how I thought they were going to be. There are going to be ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND THANGS that are going to make me want to run away, but that's why he has me in this season of preparation.
Proper preparation prevents poor performance
Lord, do what you need to do. Prune people, places, and things from our lives to prepare for the next step in this journey. Prepare me for what's up ahead. GET ME READY JESUS!
To be a sanctuary
A sanctuary is a SACRED place. It is a safe haven. I want the Lord to make me a safe place. A safe place for people who are hurting to be able to come and receive comfort and experience the power of healing by the Holy Spirit. This just doesn't happen overnight. There was no bigger than sanctuary that Jesus and he prepared 30 years for his ministry. In order to be that sanctuary, we must not only prepare but open our hearts to see the needs of others.
Lord help us to be a safe haven for those who are hurting and in need of healing and comfort. Help us to open our hearts to the needs of others. I pray that we don't miss opportunities to offer others sanctuary through our lives.
Pure and Holy, Tried and True
When something is pure, this means it doesn't have any extra elements. In order to be an EFFECTIVE sanctuary, you must have the power of God. Otherwise the effects aren't lasting and people will die on the vine after a while. Life changing power comes from God.
Holy means set apart. (Do not conform to the standards of the world)
The best teachers I have heard are those who have been through some STUFF. They are able to reach the people because of the honesty of their testimony. These people have been tried and their testimonies touch others because they are true. They don't try to fool people into believing they are something they're not.
Lord help us to be pure and holy. Help us not to lower our standards while we are in preparation and help us to remain pure so that we may affect others with your life changing power. Lord help us to use our struggles to touch others and let our testimonies be honest and heartfelt. Let us not try to fool people and be something we're not.
And with Thanksgiving
Complaining and grumbling has to go. Replace it with 3 things you are grateful for that day instead. I will be the first to admit this is one of my BIGGEST issues. I get going on my pity train and then I've ended up on Hoarders with the paramedics having to cut me out of my house.
Instead, now I spend a lot of time singing and thanking God for what he has SPARED me from. I also give thanks for what I already have and what is to come.
Lord help us to stop complaining and grumbling about what isn't happening and why it isn't happening. Help us to give thanks for all you've done, are doing, and will do. You are much better to us than we have been to ourselves. Thank you for your grace and your mercy
I'll be a living sanctuary for you
A living sanctuary is a living sacrifice.
I'm surrendering my life to you for the sake of His purposes and plans. His ways are always better than mine which usually always turn out in a mess.
Thank you Lord for helping me to see the bigger picture and not just focus on my own short sighted vision.
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