Living With Purpose

“The Launch 2016”

Living With Purpose!

Over the years in the ministry of writing Devotionals, Pastoring, Preaching, and Teaching God’s Word, and speaking occasionally, along with one on one conversation with many men along the way, I have discovered men’s need for focus and determine some way to maintain a personal relationship with Christ in the process.  I have seen more men that don’t have a sense of direction from God.  They tell me they pray and wait for His answer, but nothing seems to come as an answer from God.  Discouraged, they negatively impact their fellowship (this does not mean they lose their salvation by any means) with God by intentionally drawing away and moving on to something else that proves successful.  In the mean time they push their relationship further and further away by no longer pursuing God’s direction in answering any specific prayer request.  Meanwhile God is working on their request, but man’s impatience moves him away from God and the once close relationship man had with God becomes more distant.  This situation is called “Drifting”.  Man may even put a particular prayer request on the “back burner” until it is actually forgotten.  I assure you, God never forgets any prayer requests coming from His children. 

Our problem is our need to understand that some prayer requests God provides the answer for immediately, others take time to build His answer.  This is not His fault at all.  Sometimes His answer involves other People and He may be preparing their hearts as well so His answer may take more time and we must be patient over the long haul.  Personally I had been praying for something to take place which involved other people.  I began praying for that particular situation 26 years ago.  At first I was anxious to experience His answer, but knowing this could take a long time to answer, I settled in for the long haul.  In the time that lapsed I would pray for many other things and people along the way and that one particular request took the back seat in my prayer life.  All along the way God showed me how to pray and to keep that particular situation alive knowing He was still in control.  I must admit, I Drifted occasionally in my prayer life and my relationship with God suffered.  But I would always return to Him.  Meanwhile my prayer request was still in God’s hands.  And then it happened, God answered my prayer.  His answer involved so much more than I had ever imagined.  His answer proved to me that even though I may give up at times out of frustration on my part, but God continued working out the answer He wanted which was far greater than my initial request.  The wait was worth it.

But the thing that I did along the way hurt me more than I could have ever imagined.  I Drifted at times.  Interesting though, God always welcomed me back.  Drifting didn’t happen often but it always started with putting my prayer life and my quiet times with God in some position other than first in my life.  It began with, time.  I never had the time and I didn’t want to “Be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)”.  I would catch up later, (and the drifting would continue).  Interesting though, I discovered that you never Drift toward God, you always without fail Drift away from God.  In time if you don’t put your Drifting in CHECK, your relationship becomes distant from God and then it becomes strained.  God attempts to wake you up from that state of heart, but if you become more comfortable with the state of Drifting and not return to Him, He will allow you to Drift until it becomes a part of life and you will become a Carnal Christian, distant from God and ruling your on life without Him.  Life at that time becomes more frustrating as you journey, day by day, getting further away from God. 

What has happened?  How did I get this far away from God in my relationship with Him?  My family is in turmoil, my job is crumbling, my social life has suffered, and my previous Christian friends have withdrawn from me because of my tarnished attitude about God not really caring. Satan has done this and he has made it easier and easier day by day.  Satan had a plan to make you ineffective, and become discouraged.  Satan has won if you continue to drift.

Here is your key my friend.  Stop what you are doing and ask God to forgive you (1 John 1:9).  Next ask God to draw you near to Him in your relationship with Him.  He will guide you with His eye (Psalms 32:8). If you have experienced sins in your life you may want to read Psalms 51 and understand how King David (intentionally) drifted away from God and when God confronted him how David fell to his knees.  I have taught and preached on this Psalm many times over the years and it covers our broken hearts and our need to return to God.  David expresses this deeply in Psalm 51.

There are other verses that cover our repentance and God’s forgiveness.  Take time, contact a Christian friend (you can trust) and ask him to pray with you and help you get back on the track in your relationship with God.  You may even want to meet with your Pastor.  God will guide you.  You can trust Him and God will give you a life with purpose.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, If I have drifted away from you please guide me to a brother in Christ that will be truthful and trustworthy that You may guide him to show me the path that I may be restored in my relationship with You.  If you have led me through this devotional and my relationship with you is where it should be then prepare me for the encounter of one You may send my way so this one may be restored in his relationship with you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN!

Note: If you have a specific prayer need or you would like further scriptures on the above devotional, I will reply as soon as possible contact me via email at: missionone@Juno.com

May God richly bless us as we continue to seek His will and His way, through His Word.

Have a GREAT Day!!

In Christ,

Rev. Ted J. Wilkins

Founder and Director of “Good News Brief For Men” Ministries (Since 1998)

© 2016 Ted J. Wilkins “GNBFM Ministries”

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