Are You Awake? ~ Episode 267

Spiritual awareness is a blessing, and the question, “Are you awake,” comes in part as a nod in that direction and toward the world we live in. How are you awake, and what precautions are you taking to notice what the Lord brings to mind? In this episode, we learn not to be afraid but to be prepared.

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When we see the things happening in our world, we want to stay asleep! Are you awake to what is happening today, and if so, what will you do? In previous episodes, I have shared with you that I have insulated myself from stressing about worldly issues by turning off the television and social media and ignoring videos that explain the horrible tragedies and oppression in our world. One of the main reasons is that I feel helpless, and I am a doer. I like to accomplish and get things done. When I see something wrong, I prayerfully consider how to help. Yet, I tend to shut down when overexposed to unrighteousness and unfairness. Especially now that I am inundated with it everywhere I look. It makes me think the end is near because our Almighty God will not let this rampant sin go unpunished. Read the Bible, there is a warning, and when ignored, there is justice.

How can we prepare? When we pray, we must ask the Lord to open our eyes to what He wants us to know. One reason is for the knowledge, another for the ability to beseech God in prayer, and another is to prepare in any way we can.

Just this week, while gathering with the ladies in my prayer ministry, several alerted me to things I had missed. I was upset, and rightly so, yet praising God because He has provided for me in my need; he has allowed me the knowledge to pray and be aware. Being awake means taking action when possible; for most of us, that means prayer and sacrifice. What is God calling you to do? Has he allowed your eyes to be opened to a specific need?

These are the questions we must ask ourselves daily. How do we pray? How should we pray?

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

That is beautiful – we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us! Praise God.

Sometimes I have spiritual awareness, and sometimes I am spiritually blinded. What does this mean? Having spiritual awareness in the Christian sense is different from the pagan. If you want to be freaked out, search for the term spiritual awareness to see what I mean. Much of it points to self-awareness that is unrelated to the true God. It talks about a sense of consciousness and understanding and the interconnectedness of all things without saying that the author of our awareness is the Trinity, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Pagan awareness centers on self and a force we can control. Christian awareness points to God and good and eyes that are open to see sin. We see that the greater power is within Almighty God. It is not in the pagan sense that we can become gods. That is a new-age fallacy.

To be spiritually aware in the sense of true Christianity means to see with eyes that are open and aware. Many scriptures attest to this, some beginning in Genesis. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they became spiritually aware. Genesis 3:7 states: Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Sin does not go unpunished, and we further read that they were banished from the Garden of Eden that God prepared for them. We must never forget that God is in control, we love the Lord, and He loves us, but we are held accountable for the knowledge he has given us. Adam and Eve had the knowledge they did not have the will to follow it, and they suffered, as well as all of us, their descendants.

Being spiritually aware of sin is critical. Those not spiritually aware can not see the sin; they do the same thing repeatedly, thinking there is nothing wrong with it. It is an evil that permeates our world and the hearts of those who seem to have lost all sense of what is true.

Ephesians 6:12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The fight is against us, yes, but it is not a human fight. It is an evil deception and lies. Let’s call it what it is.

Opening our eyes and being awake gives us a sense of fear of the unknown. And fear is a tool the enemy uses to wreak havoc in our lives. That is why putting on the armor of Christ daily is essential. Here is one of my previous podcasts on the topic. The armor of God, His word is His protection.

Let’s pray that God protects our souls, hearts, and bodies from all the evil in this world. That, my friends, is something we can do, and that is pray. We must pray daily for protection and that God opens our eyes to the light. He has good in store for us if we follow His will.

1 John 7:9: (Read on air.) ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

We have hindsight which we are told is 20-20. We can read the Bible and learn from the mistakes of those before us. The Holy men and women of God failed to continue to follow in the light and eventually were led to darkness. A past podcast dealt with the sins of King Solomon, who we read was given the gift of wisdom, but somehow common sense escaped him. He started as a wise person and ended up in a terrible place. He ended up foolishly worshipping false gods, the gods of his wives, first by marrying women of tribes he was warned not to marry. He made bad decisions, and others (his sons and the nation of Israel) were punished for his bad choices. King Solomon crossed the line – the scriptures list the false gods he set up shrines to worship, and one of them required child sacrifices. Horrible. His decisions had consequences.

Yet, so do mine. My decisions have consequences, and they don’t only affect me but others in my family and generations to come. Wow. What a responsibility. Many of us know what is right and what we should do, but often we do not have the will to do it. But we can pray for that strength; praise God!

Being awake means putting on the mind of Christ so that we are aware of the sinfulness in our own lives before we point out the sinfulness in others.

Praise God. We can repent and pray to the Lord to be spiritually awake.

Acts 2:38-41  ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words, he warned them, and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Let’s pray that a spiritual revival exists in our time and hearts. We are not in this alone. God is with us. This week ask the Lord to give you spiritual eyes that see, a heart that hears, and a will that is all for God. I pray for a blessing for you and your family today. Amen.

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