Practicing the Ancient Spiritual Discipline of Watchfulness
Good morning RVC family, I just wanted to encourage you to be practicing the spiritual discipline of Spiritual Watchfulness. Has your soul grown cold, cynical and spiritual sleepy over the last two years?
Here are some diagnostic questions.
Are you experiencing a lack of discernment when it comes to understanding what is truth and false?
Have you noticed that you are caring less about what is wicked and what is righteous?
Is there a lack of guarding your heart against discouragement, cynicism and spiritual coldness?
Have you lost a sensitivity and become callous towards the conviction of sin in your life?
Are you lacking the Joy of the Lord in your life? (Joy in forgiveness, adoption, indwelling Spirit, gifts, etc)
Proverbs 25:28 says that “like a city without walls is a man without self-control”
The Puritans wrote extensively about the spiritual discipline of watchfulness. They recommend thinking of your life as a series of gates. Ear Gate (what you listen to), the Eye Gate (what you watch), and the Heart Gate (what you believe, love, adore). Spiritual Watchfulness is staying on guard, staying active, staying awake to the realities of eternity, of spiritual warfare, of the enemies of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Practicing Spiritual Watchfulness helps wake us up to reality by drawing us close to God and opening our eyes to new levels of self-understanding. I want to encourage you to practice the ancient spiritual discipline of watchfulness this week and consider the state of your heart before God.
Matt 26:41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Col 4:2 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
2 John 8 "Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward."
1 Cor 16:13 "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."
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