Colossians 3:12-14 NKJV
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
INSIGHT
–Holy in Hebrew is kadosh and hagios in Greek which means to be set apart or be separated. Apostle Paul speaks to the Colossians and emphasizes on the need to apply virtues of meekness, tender mercies, kindness, long suffering. God calls us to set our mind on things above and fix our thoughts in heaven and be separated for God’s purposes. We should realize that our lives are hidden with Christ in God, and since Jesus is enthroned in heaven, and our thoughts and hearts are connected to heaven also through His death and resurrection yielding eternal life. As God forgave us at Calvary through His love, we are mandated to forgive and love one another too. God’s forgiveness is so complete and glorious that He grants adoption to former offenders and gives us newness of life by His grace. We are also called to forgive one another at a national level even as the Lord heals our land.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus You have called us saying, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. May You forgive our sins and iniquities dear Lord Jesus and heal our land. Forgive our leaders, the police, the young people and all the citizens of this country. May You heal our land from bloodshed and every form of corruption. May You remove our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh. May You heal us dear Lord Jesus and forgive us all iniquities and wash us with Your precious blood. Fill us precious Holy Spirit with the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control, we humbly beseech You and do not leave us. May Your righteousness preserve us that we may never go astray and against Your will and purposes. Amen
Further reading: 2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 18:21-22
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
INSIGHT
–The Proverb, “For as a person thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7) is critical to understand how our thought process works. Have you ever thought of what you constantly think about? Our consistent thoughts shape our decisions, desires, direction, way of life, relationship with others and with God. Sometimes we fight battles that are not necessarily related to the world around us but based on imaginations, past experiences, present desires and future expectations. Our thoughts gradually begin to take root, and they develop patterns, habits, strongholds, for the thoughts we feed, grow. God never intended that we became captives of our thoughts, but He calls us to be renewed in our minds and be transformed so that we may discover and live within His perfect will in holiness and victory.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, You know everything concerning me, You see every thought, where can I hide from You. You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient. You know me better than I know myself. Today I invite You to take over my thoughts and fill me with Your thoughts so that I may think like You do and understand Your desires for me. I give You my thoughts that have distracted me from Your presence for many years that You may replace them with Your truth. Dear Lord, we cast out and tear down every stronghold that has developed in our minds and causes us to move in the direction of destruction. May Your word Lord be the lamb to our feet and a light on our path. May You teach us precious Holy Spirit to meditate on Your word day and night. May You help us to take every thought captive and grant us the grace to grow deeper in faith. Whatever You began in us, may You bring it to completion until Your Day; Jesus Christ comes. Amen
Further reading: Philippians 1:6, Psalm 119:105
Psalms 24:1-4 NKJV
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.”
INSIGHT
–The Psalmist outlines the requirements of standing in the holy place in holiness. Fundamentally, those who have pure of hearts will see God (Matthew 5:8). Those who have clean hands in innocence, will have access to the altar of the Lord (Psalms 26:6). On the contrary, those who worship idols anger the Lord and He shuts the heavens from sending rain and the ground from producing fruit, and the people perish (Deuteronomy 11:16-17). But those who love life and desire to see good days refrain their tongues from evil and lips from speaking deceit (1 Peter 3:10). Holiness therefore precipitates long life, blessings, fruitfulness, and progression.
PRAYER
Who is like You Lord in all the earth among the gods. Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders. None can be compared to You dear Lord Jesus. Dear Lord You have called us to fear You and do Your will, may You help us to walk in all Your ways, to love You, to serve You with all our hearts, souls and minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. May You sanctify us body, soul and spirit, and cleanse our hands dear merciful Savior. Grant us hearts of flesh, deliver us from every form of idolatry and cleanse us from swearing deceitfully. May You anoint us afresh for the work that You have called us to do. May You refresh us and make us vessels of honor that we may serve You with love and honor Lord. We honor You Lord and give You praise, and it is in Jesus name we pray. Amen
Further reading: 2 Timothy 2:19-26, Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Hebrews 12:14 NKJV
”Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:”
INSIGHT
–Holiness is a requirement to see God. To see our Lord in the present times and in the future. The God peace calls us to pursue peace though which we are called sons of God (Matthew 5:9). As we dwell in the kingdom of God we are not only required to eat and drink but be refreshed by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
PRAYER
There is none holy like You Lord; for there is none besides You, there is no rock like You our God. Only You are our God, only You are our salvation and shield. May You grant us Your peace, not like the world gives but as You give. Grant us Your peace that we may be at rest and not troubled in our hearts. May You bind us together Lord in our families, relationships and nation, with codes of love that cannot be broken. We declare that what the enemy designed for evil, our Lord God You have turned it out for our good, we worship You Lord and give You praise. Amen
Further reading: 1 Samuel 2:2, John 14:27
1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
INSIGHT
–God commands us believers to live holy lives, mirroring God’s own holiness. God invites us to a lifestyle of separation from worldly desires and conformity to God’s righteous character. God reminds us that we should enter through the narrow gate for the wide gate leads to destruction, but the narrow gate leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).
SUMMARY
Holy in Hebrew is written as kadosh and hagios in Greek which means set apart, pure, or sacred. Holiness involves separation from sin and dedication to God. Holiness in the Old Testament was necessary during worship, sacrifices and conduct. The tabernacle and temple were considered holy places, and priests had to maintain ceremonial holiness to serve God through the sacrifice of a lamb for sin offering (Leviticus 14:13). In the New Testament Jesus Christ died for our sins, justified us and sanctified us for holiness. Holiness is not achieved on the outward but it is attained by inner transformation of the heart. Holiness is a spiritual journey for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh but our weapons are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). God calls us to walk in love as His children, for Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering gad sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma for no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians 5:1-5). God calls us His elect and a holy people. He calls us to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, loving one another through the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:12-14). Further, God requires us to pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). God calls us present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service, that we may be renewed in our minds that we may prove what is God’s good, acceptable and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).
PRAYER
Holy, holy, holy are You Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. Holy, holy, holy, are You Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. May You consecrate us and cleanse us with Your precious blood for You are Holy and have called us to be holy. May You sanctify us body, soul and spirit, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May You make our temples clean by Your mercy and love, and grant us victory in all spheres of our lives. May You our God of peace, sanctify us through and through body, soul and spirit and keep us blameless at Your coming dear Lord Jesus Christ. May You grant Your true salvation to us and all people dear merciful Savior. Lord may You do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask of or think of according to the power that is at work in us. Lord we trust in You and exalt You. We believe that You are able to do more than we can think of or imagine. We believe that we shall be extremely fruitful since we abide in You and You in us. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in Your house forever. May You bless us and keep us loving Father, may You shine Your face upon us and be gracious to us. May You lift up Your countenance towards us and give us peace. Amen
Further reading: Leviticus 11:44, Isaiah 6:3