The Ascenders
Scripture:
Psalm 24:3-4
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Revelation 9:20-21
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Devotional:
One of the blessings (benefits/advantages) of being a citizen in the Kingdom of God, our Heavenly Father, is that we have the ability to ascend and stand -- empowering us to have dominion over the earth. Unfortunately, we have an enemy that consistently attempts to prevent us from operating in our dominion to the fullest extent possible.
The experiences and circumstances faced in life can often push us into situations in which we no longer trust in our Heavenly Father, instead we depend on our reasoning, skills, talents, self-help books, podcasts, etc. for our solutions. If we are not careful, we run the risk of trusting, obeying and implementing the advice of those who have no idea of the plans for our existence. Which can lead us to focus our efforts on building worthless, time-sucking businesses, inventions, plans, and products that have no eternal benefit or significance.
Brothers and Sisters, let us submit ourselves and listen to the one who sees all, knows all, and can fix all. As we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, consistently and continually, we will be purified by the water of His word. As we obey what is written, the works of our hands will be pleasing in His sight and our heart (mind) will not be double, but single, since we are only dependent on what He says. Be encouraged my fellow Ascenders, may the love of our Lord and Savior abound in you greatly by the working of His Holy Spirit by whom we have been sealed. Amen!
Prayer:
When you wake up in the morning and before you go to sleep at night, pray aloud the prayer below. Sit in silence for a few minutes and write down the thoughts that come to your mind.
“Heavenly Father, reveal the things that are keeping me from being in fellowship with you. Are my hands dirty? Is my heart pure? Am I trusting in worthless idols? Please forgive me for the moments in which I trust in other things, miss the mark in pursuits, and waver in my obedience to the instructions that you provide. I repent and set my mind to be focused on you and your kingdom. Please help me, as I can do nothing without you. Thank you for the grace to complete the race you have set for me; show me the things I need to begin and those that I need to end. May the works of my hands continually be pleasing in your sight, and my heart pure always, so I may ascend and stand before you forever, Amen!