1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,180 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,220 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by 1 Peter 5, verse 8, 5 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:29,330 Speaker 1: which says, Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil 6 00:00:29,510 --> 00:00:34,290 Speaker 1: prowls around like a roaring lion. seeking someone to devour. 7 00:00:36,909 --> 00:00:40,030 Speaker 1: Life isn't a joke. Our lives have been given to 8 00:00:40,190 --> 00:00:43,589 Speaker 1: us as a gift from the Lord. He has graciously 9 00:00:43,650 --> 00:00:46,010 Speaker 1: blessed us with the privilege to live in this world 10 00:00:46,070 --> 00:00:49,699 Speaker 1: for a season and has promised us an inheritance in 11 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,300 Speaker 1: His kingdom forever through faith in the Son of God, 12 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:58,380 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. During this season of our lives, however, we 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,900 Speaker 1: have an adversary to be aware of, At times it 14 00:01:01,940 --> 00:01:05,220 Speaker 1: might feel like other people are our adversaries, but the 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: truth is they aren't. Our real adversary is the devil himself. 16 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,340 Speaker 1: The devil looks for people to devour. He is more 17 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: than happy to help those who don't take life seriously 18 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: to essentially ruin or waste their earthly lives. He delights 19 00:01:23,060 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: in defaming humanity because we bear the image of God. 20 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,919 Speaker 1: While we await the return of Jesus Christ, We're encouraged 21 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: to be vigilant and faithful. We're admonished to be sober-minded. 22 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: Nothing should be invited into our lives that has the 23 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: capacity to hinder our judgment or damage our testimony. With 24 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:49,890 Speaker 1: the wisdom, clarity, and strength the Lord supplies, we can 25 00:01:49,930 --> 00:01:53,010 Speaker 1: be watchful for any scheme the devil might be using 26 00:01:53,070 --> 00:01:56,850 Speaker 1: to hurt or hinder us. Is there anything in your 27 00:01:56,890 --> 00:02:00,130 Speaker 1: life that Satan might be using against you to hinder 28 00:02:00,510 --> 00:02:04,500 Speaker 1: or cloud your judgment? What's the Lord bringing to your 29 00:02:04,540 --> 00:02:08,300 Speaker 1: attention that might need to be removed in order for 30 00:02:08,340 --> 00:02:16,420 Speaker 1: you to walk with him more closely? Let's pray. Lord, 31 00:02:16,460 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 32 00:02:18,780 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 33 00:02:20,340 --> 00:02:23,459 Speaker 1: read this portion of Scripture together today from the book 34 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,210 Speaker 1: of 1 Peter. And Lord, as we look at this 35 00:02:26,270 --> 00:02:28,770 Speaker 1: portion of your word, you tell us to be watchful. 36 00:02:28,850 --> 00:02:31,590 Speaker 1: You tell us to be sober-minded. You want us to 37 00:02:31,630 --> 00:02:35,530 Speaker 1: be completely aware that we have an adversary. That the 38 00:02:35,590 --> 00:02:39,570 Speaker 1: devil is prowling around. That he's looking for people to devour. 39 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: And you want us to be on the lookout for that. 40 00:02:42,660 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: You want us to be watchful and aware. So Lord, 41 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,100 Speaker 1: we pray that we would take this challenge seriously. We 42 00:02:51,139 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: pray that you would help us to take an honest 43 00:02:53,370 --> 00:02:55,910 Speaker 1: assessment of our lives. and to look at our lives 44 00:02:55,970 --> 00:02:58,300 Speaker 1: in such a way that we begin to notice if 45 00:02:58,340 --> 00:03:01,940 Speaker 1: there's something being used against us to hinder us or 46 00:03:01,980 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: to cloud our judgment. Maybe we've invited something into our 47 00:03:05,700 --> 00:03:09,060 Speaker 1: life that doesn't belong there. Maybe there's something that needs 48 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: to be removed because it's really a hindrance to our 49 00:03:12,020 --> 00:03:16,549 Speaker 1: growth in faith. Lord, if we've invited anything unhealthy or 50 00:03:16,730 --> 00:03:20,710 Speaker 1: unwise into our thinking, into our living, into our bodies, 51 00:03:21,490 --> 00:03:24,130 Speaker 1: we pray for your strength and your help to remove it. 52 00:03:24,470 --> 00:03:27,190 Speaker 1: so that we could walk with you faithfully and not 53 00:03:27,270 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: continue to fall for the devil's schemes. Thank you again, Lord, 54 00:03:31,580 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: for making us aware of these things, and thank you 55 00:03:34,139 --> 00:03:36,460 Speaker 1: for the help that you provide for us daily, as 56 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: well as the protection. We commit ourselves to you now, 57 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:45,110 Speaker 1: and we thank you for all of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.