🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ Forsake Your Ways and Return to the Lord!

Scripture: Isaiah 55:7 KJV

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Devotion

In order to start doing good, you have to let go of all the things AND people that help you do bad!

Whewww! 😮‍💨

Yesterday, we talked about procrastination, comfort, and callous hearts.

Isaiah sounded the alarm:

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”

And I intentionally stopped there because there was more in Isaiah’s message that we needed to deal with.

Today, let’s keep reading.

Because after Isaiah says SEEK THE LORD, he tells us what seeking Him is going to require.

“Let the wicked FORSAKE his way…”

There is a word in there that we cannot skip:

FORSAKE.

To forsake something means to leave it, abandon it, give it up, turn away from it.

In other words…

You cannot keep asking God to change your life while you’re determined to keep everything in your life exactly the same.

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Some things have to GO!

Some habits have to go.

Some behaviors have to go.

Some environments have to go.

Some conversations have to go.

And yes…

SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE TO GO!

Not because you suddenly think you’re better than everybody.

Not because Christians should isolate themselves from every imperfect person.

We would have to isolate ourselves from ourselves! 😂

But if every time you’re around certain people you find yourself going back into something God is trying to bring you out of…

PAY ATTENTION.

If every time you get around them, you’re gossiping again…

Getting drunk again…

Sleeping with somebody you know you shouldn’t be sleeping with…

Scheming again…

Fighting again…

Lying again…

Participating in things God has already convicted you about…

And then coming home saying,

“Lord, please help me stop.”

At some point, sisters and brothers…

YOU HAVE TO STOP GOING BACK TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT KEEPS HELPING YOU FALL!

WHEWWWW! 😮‍💨🔥

You cannot keep asking God to deliver you while protecting everything connected to your bondage.

Sometimes deliverance requires a decision.

FORSAKE YOUR WAY!

And Isaiah doesn’t stop with our actions.

He says:

“…and the unrighteous man his thoughts…”

Uh-oh. 👀

God isn’t only dealing with what you’re doing.

He’s dealing with what you’re thinking.

Because wicked actions don’t always begin with our hands.

Sometimes they begin in our hearts and minds.

You thought about it.

Rehearsed it.

Fed it.

Justified it.

Planned it.

Then eventually…

you did it.

That’s why some of us don’t only need God to change our behavior.

WE NEED HIM TO CHANGE OUR THINKING!

🙏🏽

Let’s talk about wickedness.

Because “wicked” is one of those Bible words that people sometimes reserve for the really bad people.

We hear wicked and immediately think:

“Well, that isn’t me!”

Hold on. 😮‍💨

Wickedness is not limited to murderers and criminals.

Wickedness is anything morally evil, corrupt, unjust, or contrary to the ways of God.

So before we point across the street…

LET’S LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

Gossip meant to destroy someone’s reputation is wicked.

Lying on somebody because you’re angry is wicked.

Manipulating people to get what you want is wicked.

Taking advantage of vulnerable people is wicked.

Cheating people out of money is wicked.

Purposely creating division between people is wicked.

Being jealous of somebody and secretly working against them is wicked.

Abusing people is wicked.

Using people is wicked.

Sleeping with somebody else’s husband or wife is wicked.

Hurting innocent people and showing no remorse is wicked.

And yes, knowing something is wrong and continually choosing it anyway is rebellion against God.

We cannot clean wickedness up by giving it cute names.

WICKEDNESS IS DESTROYING FUTURES.

Wickedness is destroying marriages.

Wickedness is destroying families.

Wickedness is destroying friendships.

Wickedness is destroying communities.

Wickedness is putting people in prison.

Wickedness is getting people killed.

Wickedness is leaving children traumatized.

Wickedness is causing people pain that sometimes takes years to recover from.

And spiritually, persistent unrepentant sin interferes with the life of obedience and fellowship with God that He is calling us to.

You cannot continually sow wickedness and expect to harvest righteousness.

Galatians 6:7 says we reap what we sow.

Whewww! 😮‍💨

Somebody keeps asking:

“Why does everything keep falling apart?”

And sometimes we need to stop blaming everybody else long enough to ask:

WHAT AM I SOWING?

👀

If you sow lies, eventually trust dies.

If you sow infidelity, don’t be surprised when your marriage is wounded.

If you sow irresponsibility, consequences eventually show up.

If you sow hatred into your children, don’t be surprised when they learn hatred.

If you spend years mistreating people, don’t be surprised when relationships begin disappearing.

Some things aren’t the devil attacking us.

Some things are consequences knocking on the door.

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

And speaking of the devil…

He loves wickedness because wickedness destroys.

Jesus said the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

So why would we willingly participate in things that are helping destroy the very life we’re asking God to bless?

FORSAKE YOUR WAYS!

But I need to bring this somewhere else too.

WICKEDNESS CAN CREEP INTO THE CHURCH.

🙏🏽😕

Just because somebody knows Scripture doesn’t mean everything they do is righteous.

Just because somebody has a title doesn’t mean they are incapable of wickedness.

Just because somebody says “Pastor,” “Bishop,” “Prophet,” “Apostle,” “Evangelist,” or “Minister” before their name does not exempt them from God’s requirement to live righteously.

LEADERS HAVE TO FORSAKE WICKED WAYS TOO.

If a leader manipulates people…

Wrong.

If a leader exploits vulnerable people for money…

Wrong.

If a leader abuses spiritual authority…

Wrong.

If a leader knowingly lies on people to protect their own image…

Wrong.

If a leader uses the pulpit to retaliate against people…

Wrong.

If a leader covers wrongdoing simply because the person doing it is their friend or family member…

WRONG.

Whewww! 😮‍💨

We cannot call wickedness “wisdom” because a church leader did it.

We cannot call manipulation “leadership.”

We cannot call control “anointing.”

We cannot call retaliation “correction.”

GOD’S STANDARD DOES NOT CHANGE BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS A TITLE.

And before anybody uses this devotion to point fingers at church leadership…

Remember:

THIS WORD IS FOR ALL OF US.

The Scripture says:

“Let the wicked forsake HIS way…”

So don’t spend this whole devotion thinking about who else needs to read it.

Ask:

“LORD, IS THERE ANY WICKED WAY IN ME?”

🙏🏽

That’s where change starts.

And here’s what I LOVE about Isaiah 55:7.

God doesn’t expose wickedness and then leave us without hope.

Read the rest:

“…and let him RETURN unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

WHEWWWWWW! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

RETURN TO THE LORD!

That’s the message!

God isn’t saying:

“You messed up, so stay away from Me.”

He’s saying:

“COME BACK!”

Forsake it…

AND COME BACK.

Leave the sin…

AND COME BACK.

Leave the wicked thinking…

AND COME BACK.

Leave the destructive lifestyle…

AND COME BACK.

Leave whatever is pulling you away from God…

AND COME BACK TO HIM!

🙌🏽🔥

And look at what awaits the person who genuinely returns:

MERCY.

And not barely enough forgiveness to squeeze you through the door.

The Scripture says:

“HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON.”

My, my, my!

THAT’S GOOD NEWS! 🙌🏽

You don’t have to clean yourself up perfectly before you come back.

Come to God surrendered and willing to let Him change you.

But understand:

Returning requires TURNING.

Repentance isn’t merely feeling bad.

Repentance involves a change of direction.

You can’t say:

“Lord, I’m returning to You,”

while deliberately walking in the opposite direction.

😮‍💨

At some point…

A DECISION HAS TO BE MADE.

Are you going to continue doing things your way?

Or are you going to do things God’s way?

Are you going to keep the relationship that keeps dragging you away from God?

Are you going to keep protecting the habit He keeps telling you to release?

Are you going to keep nursing that hatred?

Keep participating in the gossip?

Keep manipulating?

Keep lying?

Keep living comfortably in what you know God has called you out of?

Or…

ARE YOU GOING TO FORSAKE YOUR WAYS AND RETURN TO THE LORD?

🙏🏽🔥

Yesterday we said:

STOP PROCRASTINATING.

Today I’m telling you:

STOP PROCRASTINATING ABOUT REPENTANCE TOO!

Don’t say:

“Eventually I’ll change.”

Eventually isn’t promised.

Don’t wait until wickedness destroys something you love before you decide you’ve had enough.

Don’t wait until consequences force you to make a decision that conviction was already asking you to make.

Don’t wait until your heart becomes so callous that you barely hear God calling anymore.

If God is speaking to you TODAY…

MOVE TODAY.

If you need to delete the number…

Delete it.

If you need to leave the environment…

Leave.

If you owe somebody an apology…

Apologize.

If you need to confess something to God…

Confess it.

If you need help overcoming something…

GET HELP.

If you need to repent…

REPENT.

And if you’ve wandered away from God…

RETURN TO THE LORD!

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥

Because He isn’t standing there saying there is no hope for you.

His Word says:

“He will have mercy upon him.”

And:

“He will abundantly pardon.”

You have a decision to make.

YOUR WAY OR GOD’S WAY?

Don’t close this devotion without answering.

Reflect & Respond

Take a serious inventory today.

What way do I need to forsake?

What thought pattern needs to go?

What relationship keeps helping me become somebody God is calling me away from?

What behavior have I renamed, justified, or excused instead of calling it what God calls it?

And if I continue down the road I’m currently traveling…

WHERE IS THIS ROAD TAKING ME?

😮‍💨

Don’t only ask God to bless the road.

Ask Him whether you should be on it.

And if He shows you that you’re going the wrong way…

TURN AROUND TODAY.

Prayer :

Father God, I come before You today asking You to search me completely.

Show me every wicked way in me.

Not just the obvious things.

Show me the things I have justified.

The things I have renamed.

The things I have hidden.

The thoughts I keep feeding.

The relationships that keep pulling me backward.

The habits I keep returning to.

The things I know are wrong but have become comfortable doing.

LORD, DELIVER ME FROM WICKED WAYS.

🙏🏽

Give me the courage to forsake whatever is separating me from the life You have called me to live.

If someone or something continually influences me away from You, give me wisdom, courage, and discipline to establish whatever boundaries are necessary.

Change my thinking.

Change my desires.

Change my behavior.

Change my direction.

I don’t want wickedness destroying my future, hurting other people, damaging my family, or interfering with the life You desire for me.

And Lord, forgive me.

Your Word says that when I return to You, You will have mercy and abundantly pardon.

So today…

I’M COMING BACK.

I choose Your way over mine.

I choose obedience over rebellion.

I choose righteousness over wickedness.

I choose repentance over excuses.

I choose Jesus.

Help me live the decision I’m making today.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🏽🔥💙