“Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do
away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body.  Now God
has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power” (1
Corinthians 6:13-14).

Get your priorities
straight.  We live in a time that accentuates
the physical pleasures, and living for what feels good.  This is not helpful; it is destructive.  When you do not have the right priorities,
you wander and stray.  The Lord comes and
asks you to follow Him, and you will need your full attention to be on
Him.  Come then and learn to not be
distracted by this world.

Lord, help me to clear my mind that I may see the many ways I am attracted
to those things which grab my attention. 
Lead me to learn to meditate and ponder on the greater things.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You
is all hope.  May I learn to listen as
You speak, go where you send me, and do what You would have me do.  Lead me in the way of salvation.

Lord Jesus, You alone are the
Savior.  In You alone is there hope.  You have modeled the godly life and called
for me to follow You.  Lead me in the way
I should go that I may now and always abide in Your teaching.  Grant that I would be an example of godly
living, practicing what You give me to do so that others may know that I am
Yours.  Lead me, Lord, wherever You know
I need to go.  Amen.

“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified,
but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit
of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable.
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1
Corinthians 6:11-12).

Notice what is said here.  The law no longer matters: not in the sense
of its condemnation.  All baptized and
walking in forgiveness by the cleansing blood of Jesus are among the
redeemed.  Do not live in the former way,
but into the upward call of the Lord Jesus. 
Learn to become like Him and grow in His likeness.  This is the calling for everyone who walks in
the way of truth.

Lord, I want to make laws out of everything.  I see a pattern and then want to say that
this is the way things are.  Instead,
help me to look to You knowing that You alone know all things and are shaping
the universe according to Your will. 
Lead me, O Lord, in the way of goodness that I would now and always
humbly abide in You as You abide in me, walking ever closer with You into
eternity.

Lord Jesus, You alone have paid
the price for all of my sins.  It really
doesn’t matter that I can’t fully keep the Law as long as I am walking,
abiding, and dwelling in Your forgiveness. 
Lead me today and every day according to Your goodness that I would
humbly abide with You and You with me. 
Lift me up to see more clearly that I would not fall into the traps of
the wicked one, but walk freely with You. 
Amen.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians
6:9-10).

Is your identity in yourself, or is it in the Lord?  Do you live working to gain what you desire, or are you living abiding in the Lord?  This is not some law re-expressed.  This is a declaration of living in the salvation which Christ alone makes possible.  Are those who “were” going to be in heaven?  Yes, because that will include all of us.  The question is: what is your identity?

Lord, help me see that there is not a particular lifestyle that is damning, for they all are.  We are sinners in need of redemption.  Lead me into the life that knows that true life is found only in You.  Guide me to simply abide in You and You in me.  Help me to see that salvation is not by merit or chosen lifestyle, but through the shed blood of Christ.  I need to be led in righteousness.

Holy Spirit, guide me according to Your goodness in the way of everlasting life.  I too am included in this list.  Remove from me those behaviors in my life which hamper my godly growth so that I may learn to simply abide in Your grace and mercy.  Grant me honesty in my spirit to see that only by Your leading will I overcome these things that have separated me from You.  Holy Spirit, lead me now and forever.  Amen.

“Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits
with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?  On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and
defraud. You do this even to your brethren” (1 Corinthians 6:7-8).

Why is it so important that you
think you are right?  Even if you are,
what will it accomplish?  Yes, if one is
harming the fellowship, remove them, but do not do so simply because you
believe them wrong.  Following the Lord
is not about being right; it is about putting on the righteousness of
Christ.  You do not know all the Father
is up to, so relax and let God be God.

Lord, teach me to be discerning so that I do not live my life in such a
way that I feel I must assert what I believe to be right.  I only need to look at the history of the
church to see how much damage has been done in the name of “right.”  Lead me into a life that seeks to be in
harmony with Your will and Your ways. 
Guide me into a life that seeks to mirror Christ in all things.

Lord Jesus, You know all that is
needed.  You are the Savior, I am not.  Guide me in the way You know will feed my
soul and guide me along Your pathway. 
Help me to be humble, knowing that there is more than enough contention
in this life.  Teach me to be at peace with
all insofar as I am able.  Help me to be
content in all of life’s circumstances, turning to You for the right way to
respond in every case.  Amen.

“I say this to your shame.  Is it
so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between
his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before
unbelievers?”  (1 Corinthians 6:5-6)

What kind of people are those
who follow Christ supposed to be?  Are we
to quarrel with one another, asserting dominance and fighting over trivial matters?  Following Christ is about learning to put on Christ
and seek the Father’s will in all things. 
Sinners abound in the church, but are you going to follow the crowd, or
follow Christ?  Be earnest in your
commitment to Christ.

Lord, teach me the way to go.  The world tugs at me and I am tossed about by the waves of ideas in this world.  Simplify my thinking that I would walk humbly with You and learn.  Teach me the better portion that I would abide in Your presence and purpose.  When wronged by a neighbor, teach me how to respond as You would respond that I may grow to be more like You in all things.

Lord Jesus, I need the salvation
which only You can provide.  Help me to
see more clearly those times and places where I do act like the world.  Show me the way in which to deal with the
daily struggles that will strengthen me in faith and charity.  Guide me, O Lord, according to Your purposes
that I would now and forever humbly abide in You and Your ways.  Teach me to be like You in all things.  Amen.

“Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of
this life?  So if you have law courts
dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no
account in the church? (1 Corinthians 6:3-4).

We were created in God’s image
to be with Him forever.  What we will be
we do not know, but we do know that we shall be like Christ.  Be firm on your commitment to live the
Christ-life to which you were called with all humility, letting the Lord of
your salvation guide you in all of His ways. 
Be resilient and step into the life He gives as He leads you by grace in
His salvation.

Lord, I often try to figure all of these things out.  Instead, give me a willing spirit to trust
that You will lead me all the days of my life. 
Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always abide in
Your leading and trust that You will take me where I need to go.  Help me to listen and follow as You
lead.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of
truth.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who
has come to lead the way.  The world is
already judged because of sin.  You have
come that we may have life and have it abundantly.  Lead me, O Lord, this day in the way You know
I need to go.  You who have come into
this world and lived as one of us knows all that is needed.  By Your wisdom, grant me a heart that is
willing to always follow You.  Amen.

“Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to
go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?  Or do you not know that the saints will judge
the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute
the smallest law courts? (1 Corinthians 6:1-2)

In the beginning, Adam was given
dominion over the earth.  He relinquished
that dominion to sin and sin reigns in this age.  In eternity, the redeemed will once again
have dominion, for this is one thing grace restores.  If this be true, then ought we not to put
into practice the way things are meant to be? 
We are called to live by the truth of the Lord and not according to the
ways of this temporary age of sin.

Lord, original sin lies deep in me and I default to the old Adam.  Teach me discernment that I may see things as
You would have me see them.  Guide me
according to Your goodness to be discerning in all things and to live according
to Your purposes.  Lead me, O Lord, in the
way of truth that I might now and always abide in You as You abide in me,
seeing things as You do.

Lord Jesus, without the grace You
have purchased for me from the cross, this would be impossible.  With You, I can do all that You require in my
life.  Lead me in Your strength to see
that in You I am able to discern what is right and true that I may live
according to the Father’s will.  Help me
today to put into practice those things that will prepare me for eternity.  Guide me always, Lord.  Amen.

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those
who are within the church?  But those who
are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” (1
Corinthians 5:12-13).

Listen carefully.  We are to judge those inside the fellowship,
but note the judgement.  This is not the
judgement of eternal separation.  This
has to do with behavior.  There is a
behavior which is unacceptable.  Such
behavior should not be accepted in the church. 
Remove those who are doing wickedness and let the Lord do as He
will.  But within, be on guard against
those who bring the world in.

Lord, I hear, “You should not judge,” so often.  Help me to understand Your word that I may
properly discern between right and wrong and stand firm upon what is
right.  Lead me in all of Your ways, O
Lord, that I would hold fast to the truth of all that You have spoken.  Guide me according to your word to be bold
enough to confront those who bring the world into the fellowship.

Lord Jesus, You said that the
world is already condemned, so I need not speak condemnation.  But You have also given us many instructions
concerning how we live with one another. 
Teach me first to always love and be motivated by love and not the
hatred of the old Adam.  Guide me to see
through the wiles of the wicked one to live humbly and firmly in the truth You
have spoken.  Amen.

“But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler – not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:11).

You will become like those you
hang out with.  If you walk with Jesus,
you will become like Him.  We have been
created in such a way that we do not think it true, but we do conform to our
surroundings and to those with whom we associate.  This is not a cause for shunning others, but
of recognizing that we need to protect our boundaries.  Be on your guard that you remain faithful.

Lord, show me how I am influenced by those around me.  Guide me to see clearly that I need to
protect myself from some.  Guide me to
always be gracious, but to realize that I need not accommodate everyone who
wants my attention.  Help me to continue
faithfully walking with You amidst all the noise of this world that I would be
conformed to the image of Christ.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who
has come to save us.  We need what You
alone can give.  Help me to understand
how to walk in a world that is filled with sinners like me.  Help me to walk the narrow path You have
planned before me.  Guide me to walk with
You always knowing that You alone have the words of eternal life.  Lead me into faithfulness, Jesus, that I
would always walk beside You.  Amen.

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did
not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and
swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world”
(1 Corinthians 5:9-10).

The idea is not one of isolating
oneself from the world, for we are born in a specific time and place, but one
of seeking to have the fellowship be one that is safe, filled with those who
are not double-minded, but of the same mind concerning things of the Lord.  We are influenced by those whom we
trust.  Trust carefully and do not be
caught up in wickedness through the wanton behavior of others.

Lord, help me to see clearly those who do not repent and are unwilling
to work on their own salvation.  Lead me
according to all that is right to hold fast to Your Word of truth and to be
uncompromising in those things which are essential.  Lead me according to Your purposes to abide
richly in the grace You have given, sharing that grace with all whom I meet,
but also holding fast to what is true.

Lord Jesus, You know all that lies
ahead of me.  Guide me according to Your
purposes that I may live humbly in the circumstances You have placed me in.  Lead me to walk the narrow way in a world
filled with wickedness that I may reach out to others without accepting their
behavior as my own.  Guard my mind and
heart that I would always be focused upon You and the truth You have
revealed.  Amen.