Living a Holy Life

Ever wonder why your prayers are not answered? There are several factors that go into answered prayer. I talked about the will of God and praying in Jesus' name in my last post. Today I would like to talk about living a holy life.

What is a holy life? A question to ask myself is if there any known and willful sin in my life? For example, am I sexually pure, do I tithe, am I honest and truthful, is there any unforgiveness in my life?

1 Peter 1:19 commands us to "Be holy, as I am holy." Am I living in my old ways, giving in to the lusts of the flesh? Or have I disciplined myself enough to walk in the Spirit? Am I morally alert? God's desire, like any good parent, is to protect his children. I know in my life, when I have strayed and disobeyed, I reap a bounty of hurt and pain. I have learned that it is best to obey God, and leave the consequences to Him, as Dr. Charles Stanley says so often.

I can't go wrong when I obey God. Living a holy life to me means being pure, being honest, and being loving. It means exemplifying the character traits of God and eliminating any unwholesome thoughts, words, and actions.

How about you, beloved? Are you living a holy life? I encourage you to stand firm and walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh. The Lord desires to bless us, but cannot do so when we choose to deliberately disobey and live in sin. Think about this and let me know your thoughts.