Worldy Influences

Hello Beloved,

What a beautiful day it is... Have you ever thought about how after a storm the sun shines, or after tears comes joy? That is what popped into my head this morning after a night of thunder and lightening... I looked out the window and saw the sun shinning and a smile came to me... God is so good to us!
I want to tell a Praise before I tell you why I am writing today OK?
Earlier this month I went on a short vacation with my grandchildren out to see my sister in Kansas..... I have to Praise the Lord because I drove out with them alone... I did all the driving, and planning and driving on the way out and back..... Now to you that may not be such a big deal... but to me it was HUGE!! I had to go thru St. Louis, and Kansas City, and Wichita, and not only thru them but also along side of and around semis!!!! Now again maybe not a big deal to you but to me it was a BIG DEAL!!!!! So I want to thank and Praise God for getting us there and back without any mishap..... It was a big growing spot for this old gal , let me tell ya. So Thank you Jesus for being there for me...... again.
Now, to what I wanted to tell you.....

Worldly influences,, what are they? How do we get over them? Are they always there?
Well, I say yes, they are always present and what are they? Well, it is anything in this world that you hold dear above how you should be holding God.... How do we get them? Hey listen,
we were born in sin, yes, tiny little newborn babies are born already knowing how to sin.... that is a fact. So we get them because , we get them..... Now the big question is , Can we get over or around them?/ The answer is , Yes, we can... How... Well, lets look at some scriptures and see, OK?
I am by the way still reading out of the book, The Prayerful Spirit.
In I John 2 15-17
( paraphrasing) Love not the world, the whole world is lust of the flesh and will pass away,
but, he that does the will of God abides forever. ...
We can never have a close relationship with our Lord in prayer if we have an affection for things of this world...( taken from page 61) That is correct, do you not agree? How can we be in a relationship with one and think of another? That is what we do when we pray too... We start out praying and then something pops into our mind, what's for lunch, what will I do today, or something about someone or something, ect.......... and that is what is meant by the close relationship. When we pray we should be thinking only of our Heavenly Father... not this nasty old place that is going to self destruct... I am so guilty of this... I have such a long way to go to become what God intended for me to become....
You know even Jesus was tempted by Satan , Look at Matthew 4: 8-9 and then verse 10. We can do the same thing..... " Get thee hence, Satan! ( or get thee away from me..)
KJV Matthew 4:10
Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
When we become a child of God we receive His Spirit and should learn to listen to His Spirit .
John 17: 15-16 Please read this it is a prayer from Jesus for you.
Sitting in church and praying and something else pops into your mind is NOT having a close relationship with Christ Jesus.... Satan is subtle and powerful in his tactics.. We cant be preoccupied with things of this world and still pray... God deserves our undivided attention.
( taken from page 62)
I am as guilty as the next one... but I am still learning and want to learn... I hope you do too.
God Bless you ... and remember to Smile,, you are dressed the most beautiful you can be...
tenderly your sister in Christ. vickie