Today’s Scripture Reading

Psalms 143:1-12

1 Thessalonians 5:16,17,18

‘Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. ‘

Psalms 143:8

“Start” every morning with a prayer, thanking God for everything and reading His word. Then check your email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Making Christ first in your daily experience starts when you wake up!

Scripture is clear, even though believers have salvation the moment we believed the gospel our flesh (Old Adam) warreth against the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,17). And our flesh wants nothing to do with prayer or spending 5 minutes out of the 1440 minutes in a day reading the Bible.

‘For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.’

Galatians 5:17

We Have a Choice

In Galatians 5:18, the Lord makes it clear it’s up to the believer to either be led by the Spirit that indwells us producing good fruit or by the flesh (law) that can only produce unrighteous behavior and bad fruit. Remember this isn’t talking about salvation. You already have that and it can never be taken from you (Romans 8:38,39; Ephesians 1:13).

‘But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.’

Galatians 5:18

That being said, where do we have our toughest battles? Where does it all begin? In the mind. It is our thought processes where we have to fight our battles. Before we act what do we all have to do first? Think, contemplate, about whatever it is that’s on our mind. That’s why it’s important to start our mornings feeding our thoughts with the Word of God and prayer.

Take a look at what the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, it summarizes the life of Christian as one never-ending warfare.

‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,’

II Corinthians 10:3-5

What a powerful verse! Don’t just read it once, read it several times. When Christians are in the Word daily our defenses are up we’re standing firm in truth. On the other hand if there is no prayer life, no bible study (reading) we have no defense and are susceptible to all of Satan’s fiery darts.

Yes, the life of a Christian is one long war! Never-ending battles against Satan, his minions, and this world system.

But as Christians we have the knowledge of God and how do we have that? From the indwelling Holy Spirit that is constantly leading us (Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:22-25) and the Word of God, the Bible.

It’s a weapon Christians have, it is the most powerful weapon in the Universe (Hebrews 4:12). But in order to appropriate the power of God’s Word, to bring EVERY thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (in other words, completely destroyed), we have to read the Word. We must read the Bible daily and there is no better time to do that then when we wake up in the morning.

I hope that this post has been encouraging and edifying. Please consider sharing this post as may encourage others.

I pray that God comforts you, strengthens your faith and protects you and your loved ones.

Thank you for reading

Mesa Bible Study

Jamie Pantastico