Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Romans 13:11-14
11And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12aThe night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Understand:
He is using figures of speech to describe the current reality. Now is the time of night, the time when crimes are committed, the time of evil. The day is almost here…day is a period of time, the “day of the Lord”…his full reign is nearer all the time. It is like just before daybreak…the day is already but not yet.
So Paul challenges us…wake up! Live awake!
Why? Because our day of salvation in nearer now than when we first believed. With each passing day, we move closer to the final day of salvation and deliverance. This will be the new day that Paul talks about.
So what do we do? Well, we get after it! That’s right, you see, Paul urged his readers to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. He’s using a military motif. Essentially he’s telling us that as Christians we’re like soldiers in a conflict who need to be alert and equipped for battle. You can think of Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God. (Eph. 6:10–17)
We are to walk in the light! This is a theme that we find throughout the Bible. Upright, Christ-honoring living is often referred to as being in the light (John 12:36; Eph. 5:8, 14; Col. 1:12; 1 Thess. 5:5; 1 John 1:7; 2:10).
Apply:
So what is it that keeps you from living this kind of life? What is it that is lulling you to sleep?
*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the Gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.