Walking in the Light

by abeCommand, Devotional, Prayer, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled

A devotional on 1 John 1:5–10

The foundation

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” — 1 John 1:5

John begins with who God is. God does not merely possess light; God is light. He is completely holy, true, and good. There is no deceit, moral darkness, or hidden evil in him.

Because God is light, fellowship with him must affect how we live. John therefore gives us five “if” statements. Each one invites us to examine whether our words and our way of life agree.

The five “ifs”

IFRealityConsequence
If we claim to have fellowship with God while walking in darkness (v.6)Our conduct contradicts our claim.We lie and do not practice the truth.
If we walk in the light, as God is in the light (v.7)We live openly before God and allow His truth to shape us.We enjoy fellowship, and Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all sin.
If we claim to have no sin (v.8)We deny our present sinful condition.We deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins (v.9)We agree with God about our sin instead of hiding or excusing it.God faithfully and justly forgives and cleanses us.
If we claim that we have not sinned (v.10)We reject God’s testimony about our guilt and need.We make God out to be a liar, and his word is not in us.

Walking in the light does not mean being perfect

It would be easy to read this passage and conclude that walking in the light means never stumbling or sinning. But John immediately warns us against claiming to be without sin.

Walking in the light is not sinless perfection. It is honest direction.

A person walking in darkness hides, excuses, or denies sin. A person walking in the light brings sin before God, calls it what God calls it, and trusts Christ for cleansing. The difference is not that one person needs grace while the other does not. The difference is that one hides from grace while the other steps into it.

Light exposes what is wrong, but its purpose is not merely to shame us. God’s light leads us to the cleansing that is found in Jesus.

Two responses to sin

False response to sinTrue response to sin
Claiming fellowship while continuing comfortably in darknessWalking openly before God
Hiding or excusing sinAllowing God’s light to expose it
Claiming to have no sinful natureAcknowledging our continuing need for grace
Claiming never to have sinnedConfessing our particular sins
Depending on appearancesDepending on Christ’s cleansing
Results in deception and broken fellowshipResults in forgiveness, cleansing, and restored fellowship

The danger of spiritual claims

Three times John speaks about what “we say.” We may say that we know God, that we have no sin, or that we have not sinned. But our words do not determine spiritual reality.

John asks us to look beyond our claims:

  • Does my conduct agree with my confession?
  • Am I willing to let God’s truth examine me?
  • Do I admit my sin, or do I instinctively defend myself?
  • Am I living openly before God and other believers?

Christian faith is more than saying the right things. It is living truthfully in the presence of God.

The promise of confession

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9

Confession means agreeing with God. We stop renaming our sin as a weakness, mistake, personality trait, or reaction caused by someone else. We come honestly before God and acknowledge both what we have done and our need for His mercy.

God’s response rests on his character:

  • He is faithful: He keeps His promise to forgive.
  • He is just: Christ has dealt with the guilt of our sin.
  • He forgives: our guilt is removed.
  • He cleanses: He works against sin’s pollution and power in us.

We do not confess to persuade a reluctant God to be merciful. We confess because God has already provided cleansing through Jesus Christ.

Fellowship in the light

Walking in the light also produces “fellowship with one another.” When we hide from God, we often hide from people as well. We protect an image, fear being known, and keep others at a distance.

Grace gives us the freedom to be honest. We no longer need to pretend that we have no struggles. Christian fellowship grows when believers can say, “I need Christ’s mercy too.”

This does not mean sharing everything with everyone. It means abandoning hypocrisy and developing relationships marked by truth, humility, forgiveness, and grace.

Questions for reflection

  1. Is there an area of my life that I am trying to keep out of God’s light?
  2. Am I excusing, minimizing, or blaming someone else for a particular sin?
  3. Do my daily choices support my claim to have fellowship with God?
  4. When God exposes sin, do I hide in shame or come to Christ for cleansing?
  5. Is pride preventing me from being honest with another trustworthy believer?
  6. What would one practical step of “walking in the light” look like today?

A practice for today

Take a few quiet moments with God.

  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart.
  2. Name specifically whatever He brings to your attention.
  3. Accept responsibility without defending or excusing yourself.
  4. Thank God that forgiveness rests on Christ’s work, not your worthiness.
  5. Ask for strength to make any necessary change, apology, or restitution.
  6. Walk forward in the freedom of being fully known and deeply loved.

Prayer

Father, you are light, and there is no darkness in you. Shine your light into every part of my heart. Show me where my actions do not agree with my words and where I have hidden, excused, or denied my sin.

Give me the humility to confess honestly and the faith to receive the forgiveness you have provided through Jesus. Thank you that you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Help me to walk openly before you today. May my life be shaped by your truth, my relationships be marked by genuine fellowship, and my confidence rest in the cleansing blood of Jesus. Amen.

Thought for the day: Walking in the light does not mean pretending to have no sin; it means refusing to hide from the God who forgives and cleanses.

To see Jesus – 2 [Keep seeing Jesus]

by abeDevotional, Prayer, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled
Everything else is consequence.

Reflection 1 begins with the prayer: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Reflection 2 is the Lord’s gracious answer: “Keep seeing Jesus.”

The first is the cry of the disciple. The second is the pathway of the disciple.

And I have a feeling that every reflection that follows can simply be another facet of that one lifelong invitation.

Keep Seeing Jesus.

Until ‘that Day.’

“…so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
Colossians 1:18 (NASB2020)

As I have lingered over Christ in the Scriptures, I have come to realise something very simple.

The Christian life is not first about trying to change myself.

It is about keeping my eyes on Jesus.

The more clearly I see Him,

the more clearly I see everything else.

When Christ is seen in His true glory,

He naturally has first place.

Then everything else begins to find its rightful place.

My perception changes.

His rightful position is established in my heart.

My posture becomes one of worship, humility, trust, and obedience.

My priorities are quietly reordered.

Not because I forced them into place,

but because Christ has taken His rightful place.

He simplifies without diminishing | He distils without reducing | Until what remains is the Person Himself.

Then I realised something that brought great peace to my heart:

Keep seeing Jesus. Everything else is consequence.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Keep my eyes upon You.

Guard me from becoming occupied with everything except You.

May I continue to see You more clearly through Your Word.

As I behold You, continue to transform me.

May You have first place in everything.

May all else find its rightful place beneath Your lordship.

May I see You more clearly, love You more dearly, and walk with You more closely, until that Day

when faith becomes sight, and I see You face to face.

Amen.

Quote: Wish to see Jesus, Keep seeing Jesus, all else is consequence

To See Jesus – 1

by abeDevotional, Prayer, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled
"Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
(John 12:21, NASB2020)

Notice how Jesus answers their request.

The Greeks ask to see Him, and Jesus immediately speaks of His hour:

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (John 12:23)

Then He says:

“Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

John is showing us that to truly see Jesus is to behold Him in the glory of His cross.

This is where we see the fullness of who He is.

Here we behold the weight of His holiness, His justice, His mercy, His love, His humility, His obedience, His grace, and His worth(glory, weight).

These simple words have become the cry of my own heart.

Then Paul’s words in Colossians came alive to me:

“…so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
(Colossians 1:18, NASB2020)

Older translations say,

“…that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.”

As I have reflected on these Scriptures, I have realized that when I truly see Jesus, everything else begins to find its rightful place.

Seeing Jesus clears my perception.

His rightful position is established in my heart.

My posture becomes one of worship, humility, trust, surrender, and obedience.

He Himself reorders my priorities until everything finds its rightful place beneath His lordship.

Christ does not become pre-eminent because I see Him.

He is pre-eminent.

But when I behold Him more clearly, my life begins to reflect that reality.

So may this become the daily prayer of each one of us.

perception, position, posture and priorities 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, We wish to see You.

Help us to see You more clearly.

Help us to see Your Word more clearly.

May seeing You transform our perception.

Establish Your rightful position within our hearts.

Shape our posture in worship, humility, trust, surrender, and obedience.

Reorder our priorities until everything finds their rightful place beneath Your lordship.

May they see You more clearly, love You more dearly, and walk with You more closely. May You have first place in everything.

For You alone are worthy.

Amen. 

Quote: To see Jesus is the beginning but keep seeing Jesus is discipleship

Keep seeing Jesus is the next blog – go here.

Take your pump

by a.abeDevotional, PrayerPosted on Comments are Disabled
Matthew 14:13–16 · 2 Corinthians 10:3–5

John the Baptist was beheaded. Jesus Himself said there was no one born of women greater than John. He was righteous. He was faithful. And yet he was imprisoned, silenced, and murdered, not on a battlefield, but in a prison cell, at the request of a young dancer, as part of a calculated attempt to hide sin within a king’s household. John was not just a prophet. He was Jesus’ family.

And when Jesus heard the news, Scripture says He withdrew to a secluded place. Most of us instinctively know why. Jesus withdrew to pray. This was not avoidance. This was not weakness. This was wisdom. Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray, but this moment was different. This was grief. This was injustice. This was personal. And if Jesus was fully human, as Scripture declares, then this moment would have carried a storm of emotions: sorrow, anger, confusion, even questions that pressed hard against the soul. The battle was not external. The battle was in the mind.

And Jesus knew something we often forget: Battles of the mind must be fought before God, not before people.

I suffer from asthma. It came later in life. There are triggers, laughter, exertion, sudden strain. My wife often checks “take your pump with you “.  When an attack comes, I don’t argue with it. I don’t power through it. I withdraw, take out my blue pump, take a deep breath, pause and only when my breathing is restored do I return to what I was doing. The relief is immediate. Order is restored in my body. I can function again.

Jesus models the same principle for prayer. When the pressure surged, when the emotions threatened to cloud the mind and disturb the heart, He withdrew. He knew that “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of strongholds.” He took every thought captive to the obedience of God before it could take Him captive. Prayer was not optional, it was oxygen.

After that time alone with the Father, Scripture tells us something remarkable: When Jesus came back, He saw the crowd and He felt compassion. After prayer, Jesus felt the correct emotion and made the correct decision. The disciples wanted to send the people away. After prayer, Jesus fed them. Prayer reset His heart. Prayer recalibrated His emotions. Prayer realigned Him with the will of God. Prayer was medicine and treatment for the soul. It is essential.

We too have such “asthmatic attacks” of the flesh. Surges of anger. Waves of discouragement. Impulses of lust. Floods of self-pity, pride, resentment, fear. If left untreated, these attacks will drag us away. If indulged, they will end in sin. The problem is not that the attack comes. The problem is when we refuse to take the medicine, prayer. Instead of praying, we react. Instead of withdrawing, we vent.

Instead of kneeling, we justify. And then we wonder how we fell.

Like chronic illness, the flesh may not be cured overnight, but it can be managed. Scripture does not just diagnose the condition; it provides the treatment. Prayer is not a religious activity, it is survival. So, take your pump with you. Withdraw early. Pray honestly. Bring thoughts and emotions captive before they become actions. Because when we return from prayer, we return able to feel rightly, decide wisely, and act obediently. Prayer is the reset button that restores sanity to the soul.

Prayer

Father God, teach us to withdraw before we react. Forgive us for fighting spiritual battles with carnal strength. When emotions rise and thoughts rage, draw us into Your presence. Train us to take every thought captive before it takes us captive. Restore our breath through prayer. Reset our hearts through Your Spirit. And send us back into life aligned with Your will, Your compassion, and Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Quote: Prayer realigns the mind before it rewrites the moment.

My Hiding Place

by abePoems, Prayer, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled

I will not be afraid
For You are my hiding place-
A secure refuge, the safest space,
A shelter free from all condemnation,
A haven of unshaken confidence.

I will not fear,
For You are my hiding place.
No danger can draw near enough to harm;
I am safe, encircled by Your arms
Secure in You as in an impregnable fortress

I will not be found by the enemy,
For you are my hiding place.
I am hidden with Christ in You;
None who intend harm can see me through,
For I am concealed, O Lord, in You.

I will not be anxious,
For You are my hiding place.
None can disturb this perfect peace;
My confidence is in You-and You are my confidence;
My trust is in You-and You are my trust.

And more than this: 
You cover me with songs,
Songs of deliverance.
The Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

A new one – inspired by Psalm 32:7, Colossians 3:3, Jeremiah 17:7, and echoing the timeless hymn, the “Rock of Ages” by Agustus Toplady in 1776. May these words lift your heart and turn your soul to the praise of His glory!

To download a pdf copy with a decorative sepia tone click here

A prayer for leaders

by abePrayer, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled

There is every possibility that if you are a Christian you attend a church. I don’t mean a building but in its true sense a group of people trusting and following Jesus. I see many leaders in these churches face great troubles. The enemy seeks to sift them all! Some have fallen, others persevere but we need to pray for them all, earnestly. Let us commit to pray, devote time and effort, set aside for them. They need it, desperately….Here is one if you need one. This could also be a prayer for you.

Fix their eyes on Jesus & their mind on His word

*Hebrews 12:1-3 SINGULAR & STEADFAST

looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. 

That fixing their eyes on Jesus they will endure their cross. Despite all that is around including the distractions, let them not look anywhere else. Let them not be discouraged or led astray by anything or anybody for He alone is the same yesterday, today and forever, our rock and refuge. Help them bear the cost and be resilient as He bore His reproach.

*Deuteronomy 11:18 MEDITATE & MEMORISE

18 “You shall therefore take these words of mineto heart and to soul; and you shall tie them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead.

Help them invest in His word which is eternal, think deeply and commit it by heart, for then they will be like a tree planted by the waters bearing fruit in its season.

Their faith may not fail & strengthen their church family

*Luke 22:31-32 PERSEVERANCE/PROTECTION & PERSUASION

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you men like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

That their struggles and battles may not defeat them, pray He protect them. In their perseverance may they also strengthen others.

Words & boldness to declare the gospel

*Ephesians 6:19 CONTENT & CONFIDENCE

19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

Teach them what to say and how to say it – the good news. Both are necessary in gentleness. Help them be intentional in preparation to respond appropriately with confidence. Help them prepare for content and confidence

Be the faithful & sensible steward

*Luke 12:42 steWARDSHIP & WISDOM

42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

Be faithful in the little things for we know they will be faithful in greater. Consistent even when no one is watching. God give them wisdom in all responsibilities to execute. 

PRAY!

My prayer and need

by abePrayer, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled
Search me and know my heart
(Psalms 139:23)
Heal me and restore my soul
(Psalms 23:3)
Teach me and test my ways
(Psalms 25:4)
Refine me and let me shine
(Psalms 66:10)
To manifest your pure glory
(2 Corinthins 3:18)

We need Him every hour for this to happen.

Lord I need you, Oh I need you
Every hour I need you
My one defence, my righteousness
Oh God how I need you

Listen to the song by Matt Maher and may God bless you

Mediation & Intercession

by abePrayer, Scriptural, TheologyPosted on Comments are Disabled

Sooner or later the teaching about mediation and intercession crops up. Here is a summarised Biblical narrative on this aspect. For a deeper dive go to this page.

Jesus: The Exclusive Way to God

Jesus declares Himself the sole path to the Father, emphasising His unique authority as the way, truth, and life. No other intermediary suffices. Authority is key and sets the stage.

  • John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus: The Eternal Intercessor

Positioned at God’s right hand, Jesus intercedes perfectly, rendering additional mediators unnecessary.

  • Romans 8:34: Christ, who died and was raised, intercedes for us at God’s right hand.
  • Hebrews 7:24-25: His permanent priesthood ensures complete salvation for those who approach God through Him.

The Holy Spirit: Aligned Intercession

The Spirit intercedes in our weakness, always pointing to Jesus and aligning with God’s will.

  • Romans 8:26-27: The Spirit intercedes with groanings, according to God’s will.
  • John 15:26; 14:26: The Spirit testifies of Jesus and reminds us of His teachings.

Mary’s Role: Honoured but Limited

Mary was a blessed vessel, but her role as Jesus’ earthly mother ended at the cross. Obedience, not biology, defines spiritual significance.

  • Luke 2:19, 33, 48-49: Mary and Joseph marvel at Jesus, who clarifies His divine Father.
  • Luke 11:27-28: Jesus prioritizes obedience over Mary’s maternal role.
  • Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21: Those who do God’s will are His family.
  • John 19:26-27: Jesus publicly transitions Mary’s role, entrusting her to John.

Jesus: The Sole High Priest

Only Jesus, sinless and God-appointed, qualifies as High Priest, mediating atonement and access to God.

  • Hebrews 2:17; 4:14-16; 5:1-4; 9:14, 15, 22, 24, 28: Jesus, unblemished, offers Himself for our sins and appears in God’s presence.
  • 1 Timothy 2:1, 5: One God, one Mediator—the man Christ Jesus.
  • Hebrews 2:18: He helps in temptation, having suffered it Himself.

Other Mediators: Ineffective

No one else—living or dead—can mediate. Scripture warns against seeking intermediaries beyond Christ.

  • Luke 16:19-31: A chasm prevents post-death mediation, as seen in the rich man’s plea to Abraham.
  • James 5:14-16: Prayer is among the living, not through the departed.

Direct Prayer Through Jesus

Jesus invites prayer in His name, ensuring direct access to the Father for complete joy.

  • John 14:13-14; 16:24: Ask in Jesus’ name, and He will do it.
  • Hebrews 9:15: He mediates the new covenant through His death.

Completeness in Christ

Christ’s fullness eliminates the need for other mediators. Traditions that add to Him distract from truth.

  • Colossians 1:19-20; 2:8-10: All deity dwells in Christ; in Him, we are complete.

Conclusion: Christ Alone

Scripture unequivocally establishes Jesus as the only Mediator. Praying through others, like Mary or saints, lacks biblical support and distracts from knowing Jesus personally. His sacrifice alone secures salvation, and His priesthood grants direct access to God’s grace.