(2 Corinthians 7:1-10) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.
5 For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Reminder:
"praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He
may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like,
or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that people experience sorrow, which is in God's will, a conviction that leads to repentance and salvation, so they can then experience forgiveness, grace and freedom (7:9-10)
- that we cleanse ourselves from sinning in both the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (7:1)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for creating us with feelings, which are there to help us enjoy life, as well as to alert us to danger and wrong behavior. Sometimes we don't understand what we are feeling, and sometimes we twist around what we are feeling, so that our feelings can seem very fickle and misleading.
Give us wisdom when it comes to all our feelings - so that we can differentiate between the healthy and the unhealthy - so we can know when to embrace a situation, when to avoid a situation, when to confess a sin, when to apologize, and when to forgive. Guide us to make decisions in Your wisdom, and in Your will! Amen.
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