Colossians 3:12–15 As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly. Also, let Christ’s peace control you. God has called you into this peace by bringing you into one body. Be thankful. Colossians 3:17 Everything you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
Daily Practices That Draw Us Near to God. Prayer – Talk to God honestly and often (Psalm 145:18). Scripture – Let His Word shape your thoughts (Psalm 119:11). Worship – Declare His worth and presence (Psalm 100:2). Obedience – Walk in His ways (John 14:23). Closeness isn’t a one-time event—it’s cultivated through rhythm and relationship.
LET US DRAW CLOSE UNTO GOD. WE NEED TO BE CLOSE TO GOD. IT IS A BLESSING, HONOR, AND PRIVILEGE TO BE CLOSE TO GOD.
James 3:9–10 With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen! Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Psalm 34:13 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Matthew 12:36–37 Jesus warns that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word…” James 1:26 “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue… his religion is worthless.” Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…”
ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
Prayer is the Christian’s way of communicating with God. We pray to praise God and thank Him and tell Him how much we love Him. We pray to enjoy His presence and tell Him what is going on in our lives. We pray to make requests and seek guidance and ask for wisdom. God loves this exchange with His children, just as we love the exchange we have with our children. Fellowship with God is the heart of prayer. Too often we lose sight of how simple prayer is really supposed to be. When we make petitions to God, we let God know exactly where we stand and what we would like to see happen. In our prayers, we must admit that God is greater than we are and ultimately knows what is best in any given situation. God is good and asks us to trust Him. In prayer, we say, essentially, “Not my will, but your will be done” (Luke 22:42). The key to answered prayer is praying according to the will of God and in accordance with His Word. Prayer is not seeking our own will but seeking to align ourselves with the will of God.
Prayer is described in the Bible as seeking God’s favor (Exodus 32:11), pouring out one’s soul to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15), crying out to heaven (2 Chronicles 32:20), drawing near to God (Psalm 73:28, KJV), and kneeling before the Father (Ephesians 3:14). Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Worry about nothing; pray about everything The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is not meditation or passive reflection; it is directly communicating with God. It is the communication of the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Prayer is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate his emotions and desires with God and to fellowship with God. Everything? Yes, God wants us to talk with Him about everything. How often should we pray? The biblical answer is “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). We should keep a running conversation going with God all day long. Some find the ACTS formula of prayer or the Lord’s prayer helpful, but there really is no special formula for how to pray in the Bible. We should just do it. We can pray under any and all circumstances. Prayer develops our relationship with God and demonstrates our trust and utter dependence upon Him.
1 John 2:1 My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. Yet, if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, who has God’s full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father. Sin—Spiritual Struggle: the truth is that we are sinful, but we should not sin. This is a tender exhortation: John addresses the believers “my little children.” They are very, very dear to him. He was their pastor, their spiritual father; and they were his spiritual children, the ones under his care. He loved them with the love of a strong and caring father. Therefore, he must exhort them. He must exhort them in the areas where they needed strength. Where was that? In sinning. Note exactly what John says: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not” (v. 1). These things refer to the things John has just said, to the fact that all have sinned and all do sin. Because of man’s nature, the very fact that he lives within a corruptible world, he cannot keep from sinning. But note the strong exhortation: “Sin not! I am writing these things to you, that you sin not.” The believer lives in a corruptible world, and he is housed in a body of flesh that is so easily aroused and attracted to eat more, take more, have more, be more, and receive more. But the believer is to struggle and fight against sin. He is not to give in to sin. He is to cast down imaginations and struggle to captivate every thought for Christ (2 Co. 10:5). He is to do all he can to become more and more like Christ and to be a stronger and stronger witness for righteousness in the world. He will never achieve perfection; he will never be sinless so long as he is in the flesh and in this corruptible world. But he is to struggle to be as good as he can. He is to be as righteous as possible and he is to gain ground; he is to grow in righteousness. The believer is to become more and more like Christ as long as he is on earth. Thought 1. Believers must prove they are sincere when they come to Christ for forgiveness of sins. Christ has no patience with hypocrisy and no place for half-hearted commitment. He can look at our lives and tell whether we love Him or not, whether we are sincere or not. He can watch our struggle against sin and tell if we really want to follow Him or not. The genuine believer struggles against sin; he fights, wrestles, and wars against sin with every ounce of energy he has. He does all he can to please God and to receive God’s approval. “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil” (Is. 1:16). “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse things come unto thee” (Jn. 5:14). “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (Jn. 8:11). “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Ro. 6:12). “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Co. 15:34). “If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles” (Jb. 11:14). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:7). “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ep. 4:22). “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (He. 12:1). “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pe. 2:11). “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn. 2:1).
I HOPE YOU FOUND THIS DEEP STUDY TO BE HELPFUL. ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
Scripture paints a rich and practical picture of how a Christian lives—rooted in faith, shaped by love, and guided by truth. Here’s a structured list of key themes with supporting verses to help you trace this out clearly: Transformed by Christ • Romans 12:2 — “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” • Galatians 2:20 — “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” Speech and Conduct • Ephesians 4:29 — “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up…” • Colossians 3:17 — “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus…” Fruit of the Spirit • Galatians 5:22–23 — “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” Faithfulness and Endurance • 2 Timothy 4:7 — “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” • Hebrews 10:23 — “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Love and Compassion • John 13:34 — “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you…” • 1 Peter 4:8 — “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Prayer and Dependence • 1 Thessalonians 5:17 — “Pray without ceasing.” • Proverbs 3:5–6 — “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” Living in Righteousness • Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” • Romans 1:17 — “The righteous will live by faith.”
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS QUICK STUDY. ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
1 Kings 3:9 “Give me wisdom so that I may know the difference between good and evil. After all, who can judge this great people of yours?” This is Solomon speaking to God in a dream, shortly after becoming king. Instead of asking for wealth or power, he asks for discernment—a heart that can distinguish right from wrong and lead God’s people well. This request reveals: – Humility: Solomon acknowledges his limitations. – Spiritual priorities: He values wisdom over material gain. – Leadership responsibility: He sees ruling as a sacred trust, not personal privilege. Solomon’s request is a model for anyone in a position of influence—whether in leadership, parenting, ministry, or relationships. It teaches us to: – Seek God’s wisdom over worldly success. – Recognize the weight of responsibility when guiding others. – Trust that God honors sincere, humble requests for discernment.
ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
Ps 84:11 The Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor. He does not hold back any blessing from those who live innocently. James 1:17 Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon. Phil 4:19 My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus. Ps 112:1–3 Hallelujah! Blessed is the person who fears the Lord and is happy to obey his commands. His descendants will grow strong on the earth. The family of a decent person will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his home. His righteousness continues forever.
ALL BLESSINGS COME FROM GOD. LET US THANK GOD FOR BLESSING US.
No devoted Christian should do anything unworthy of the name he bears. 1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, since you are foreigners and temporary residents ⸤in the world⸥, I’m encouraging you to keep away from the desires of your corrupt nature. These desires constantly attack you. 1 Peter 1:14–17 Because you are children who obey God, don’t live the kind of lives you once lived. Once you lived to satisfy your desires because you didn’t know any better. But because the God who called you is holy, you must be holy in every aspect of your life. Scripture says, “Be holy, because I am holy.” So if you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents on earth in fear. He is the God who judges all people by what they have done, and he doesn’t play favorites. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 you should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
HOW ARE YOU LIVING? ALLOW THIS WORD OF GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
Transformed by Christ
Speech and Conduct
Fruit of the Spirit
Faithfulness and Endurance
Love and Compassion
Prayer and Dependence
Living in Righteousness
