“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15, 16, ESV)
Is More Truly More?
Our lives are packed to the brim with so many things we want to pursue. In a society that is madly driven by consumerism and marketing, we are easily lured into believing that the more we have, the happier we are. Because of the tempting advertisements all around us, we wrongly desire to have it all. Sometimes we extend this thinking even to our work for God. We want to serve God, but at the same time, we don’t want to miss out on anything else that crosses our path. And so we desperately try to harmonize our desire to serve God with the endless pursuit of more and more things. This leads to a whirlwind of activities. In a restless hurry, we fool ourselves into believing that we can follow God without letting go of everything else that vies for our attention. When we apply this false thinking to our walk with God, we are deceived.
Being Willing to Let Go
We cannot have it all—we cannot embrace both the world and its luring pleasures and the blessings of God. To think so is a fatal mistake. This mentality of consumerism infects our thinking and inflicts disastrous effects on our spiritual lives. We cannot have God on top of everything else, like icing on the cake, without purposefully making room for Him in the crowdedness of our hectic lives. We first must be willing to live with less to experience the blessings of things that matter more. We must let go of the things that distract us from God’s presence and deplete our physical, mental, and spiritual energies. When we try to juggle jam-packed schedules at ever-increasing speeds as our to-do lists grow longer and longer, we quickly find ourselves exhausted physically and deeply depleted spiritually.
Live With Less
Is the clutter in your life holding you back from fully living for God? Crowded lives leave little room for the Creator of the universe. We must understand that less is more. We cannot experience more spiritual blessings, more prayer time, more of anything in our spiritual life if we only try to add it to an already full plate. Such overcrowding only leads to more emptiness. Instead, we must make an intentional decision to live purposefully with less so that we can enjoy more of what matters to God. Less is more!
Let’s pray together.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
All prayer groups have different ways of praying together. We encourage you to spend the next 30-45 minutes in united prayer, in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads. We encourage short conversational prayers (1-3 sentences). This allows for more people to pray multiple times. Below are some examples of praying through Scripture based on the theme. You may pray through other passages also and include other subjects in your prayer time. See the Leader’s Guide and World Church Prayer Requests for prayer ideas.
Praying God’s Word — Eph. 5:15, 16
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
“Look Carefully Then How You Walk, Not as Unwise but as Wise”
God, in our brokenness, we seek Your grace and provisions. We have filled our lives with too many activities and distractions. We need a reformation, a cleansing, a re-prioritization of the things that truly matter. Teach us what it means to live with less so we can focus on what matters most. We desire to be wise with wisdom from above. Guide us, we pray. Amen.
“Making the Best Use of the Time”
Precious Jesus, You always have perfect timing, and You know what needs to be said and done at each time in history. Thank You for Your perfect ministry to this world. Please teach us how we can make the best use of our time for You, especially in the context of the last days. Reveal to us where we waste our time and give us victory over the things we know are taking up too much space in our lives. Amen.
“Because the Days Are Evil”
God, we understand that the world is coming to an end very soon. The signs are all around us. Yet, at times we get so distracted by our busyness, or deceptions, that we forget that we are on the edge of eternity. Lead us into a total commitment to You and the ministry You have for us individually. Recalibrate our lives to be in tune with Your will. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness. Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness. Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests). Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.