From Knowing to Honoring God

[S] Romans 1:21 --
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

[O] Knowing about God alone is not sufficient to sustain the true relationship God desires with us because we will only end up speculating Him rather than being faithful to His promises and honor Him with gratitude.  Without a proper attitude toward God with the deepest knowledge of Him our hearts will only be darkened with our futile efforts.

[A] I've known God for many years now but truths like this passage convicts my heart every time because I find myself coasting along with that knowledge of God rather than my honoring attitude toward Him which gets deeper each day to the point of His thoughts and ways consuming my mind completely during my waking hours.  This is a great moment for me to examine my heart for deepest honor and gratitude for God's grace and love for me.

[P] Dear Father, may my heart's deepest honor grow deeper and deeper each day and may that be the driving force behind my faith to gain more wisdom and knowledge of Your ways for my life.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Means of Sanctification

[S] 1 Timothy 4:4-5 --
4  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;5  for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

[O] Just like how water is the base for mixing various elements together, gratitude is the base formula for seeing and receiving all that God created as He intended as good.  Based on this, all things are created for good but it is my tainted mind that limits me to selfish perspectives causing me to see many things God created less than their face values.  Verse 5 teaches me about the power and influence of God's word and my prayer because my integrating these two tightly into my life, I will be able to see all things as good as God intended and that includes my own life to be sanctified more and more towards the image God had intended for my life.

[A] Continue on devotion, and integrate more prayer there as well as during other times of my daily routine.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for revealing the secret of Your word and my prayer as the foundation of my faith and how it will set my perspectives straight as You had intended.  May my life be aligned more with Your design as I integrate more prayer into my daily routine.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.