Lip Service
Luke "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner”
Ok, so yesterday I shared what the Lord showed me about the still waters which bring refreshment and reflection right??? This morning I woke up and as I began to talk to the Lord He led me right to the still water and said “Take a very close look at the water; what do you see yourself doing”? That’s when the Holy Spirit showed me something that was very hard to see. My prayer this morning like so many other mornings was lip service to the Father. I was telling Him what I thought He wanted to hear. It sounded good, it was the right words but the problem is He saw the heart behind the words. “Lip service” prayers come from a prideful heart and there is no action behind them therefore they go no where. I tell the Lord I want to honor Him with my life; my whole being. I tell Him I do not want to worship or give Lordship to anything but Him. I tell the Lord I want to make necessary changes in this area or that one. I ask Him for His help, for power to overcome, to break free, to move forward, and to be changed but that’s usually where it ends. I tell, I ask, I even hear Him but what am I doing with what I’m shown?
It hits me the most when I am flipping through a notebook or journal and find things I may have written months or even years back. I read it and realize I could have written it that day. “Why am I still there” I ask myself. “Why am I still in this place, fighting this same battle, dealing with this same “whatever it may be”? I know the answer, God shows me the answer and it’s back to “lip service praying followed by lip service living”. Victorious praying and victorious living requires something of me; not just of the Lord. It requires me to take what He reveals and do something with it. He will not do for me what I can do for myself. He gives me the strength, the ability and the directions but He will not pick my feet up and make me walk in that knowledge.
The Bible gives us a clear picture of behaviors and characteristics “fruit” that are available through the power of the Holy Spirit. Available does not always mean active. My husband has a grill that has a full tank of propane but it’s of no value and there is no heat until the knob is turned to release the propane and it’s ignited. I recently heard someone say, “You already have all of the Holy Spirit you will ever need but the question is, how much of you does He have”? Lip service does nothing to ignite the power of the Holy Spirit, but sincere prayer backed by action turns that valve and releases the power and ignites the flame which produces change, freedom, victory and death to old, unhealthy habits….the fruit of the Spirit.
Father,
Forgive me for simply praying "right words" while forgetting you see my heart. Forgive me for praying like the Pharisee, thinking I had really done something that would please you. Thank you for loving me enough to discipline me and show me the error and pride of my prayers and my walk.
Going forward, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer". Psalm
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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