Happy Friday! Turning 18 was a milestone in my life. It was the age I dreamed of from the time I entered high school until the day I finished. I thought it would be a special age where I would no longer be in high school and would be classified as an adult. I knew I would be capable of doing anything I wanted to do, but I didn’t realize that I would not be mature enough to do everything I would be legally able to do. I had to learn a lot, avoid a lot and recover from risk that weren’t the best options for me. Young adults now coin this phase as “adulting”. Today, we will conclude 1 Corinthians chapter six. Paul continues his address to the Corinthians as he explains that while the members of the church claim they can do anything, not everything is good for them. Join me as we finish this chapter. 

Bible Verse – 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 NLT

“¹² You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. ¹³ You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. ¹⁴ And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

¹⁵ Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.”^[d] 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

¹⁸ Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

Reflection

Sisters and brothers, yes, we are allowed to do anything we want to do, but not everything is good for us, and at what cost. We consistently battle or struggle with what is good versus what we want to do.

As believers in Christ, we have a Savior who is Lord over all things, God created all things and those things are good. We also know, God has a purpose for everything, a season and a reason. His word directs us with loving guidance to help us overcome temptation of sin and darkness. 

Sisters and brothers, if you struggle with the sins Paul discussed in the verses mentioned yesterday, listed above or any other sin, I want you to know that you can call on the name of the Lord and he will be faithful to bring you out of that sin. He will be your help as you allow him to release the chains that have you bound to sin. You just need to ask and be willing to allow the Lord to set you free. Are you ready? Tell Him that you are ready?

Prayer

Thank You, God, for promising that no temptation has seized us except what is common to man. And You, God, are faithful; You will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when we are tempted You will also provide a way out so that we can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Lord, forgive us of our sins and strengthen our faith so that we may persevere and become mature and complete in you. Lord, remove our desires to fall back into sin and help us as we battle against our old self. Lord, continue to make us new in you. Lord, we pray for those who have been forced into sexual relations and treated as prostitutes/victims of human trafficking. Lord, we ask that you heal their brokenness, and restore them and make them new in you. Lord, may your unconditional love be manifested in their hearts and minds. Lord, continue to work in us. Continue to transform our churches and members to be examples of you in this dark world. Lord, help us to be a light to those who don’t know you and those who know of you but have refused or found it difficult to walk in obedience with your word.

Lord, there are several people we want to lift in prayer today:

• We pray for the women and men who are ill today (physically, mentally, and emotionally), and we ask for healing in their body.
• We pray for the women and men who have cancer, and we pray for a cure. We pray for their treatments to go well. We pray for their healing and for you to give them strength through the process.
• We pray for those seeking employment and we ask for you to open up opportunities for them to obtain permanent positions that will work best for them and their families. Lord, give them favor in interviews and with the hiring committee. Lord, bless them.
• We pray for the gentlemen on unexpected long term leave. Lord, heal him and cover his family. Help him to feel your presence as you work in his situation.
• We pray for those who recently had a loved one pass away. Lord, comfort them and help them as they prepare to make funeral arrangements.
• Lord, we pray for the mother who is about to undergo surgery. We pray that the surgery is successful and will allow her to get her mobility back. We pray for her family and ask that you give them strength and patience as she continues through this process.
• Lord, we continue to pray for those recovering from surgery or procedures and ask that you will reduce their pain, and continue their healing.
• Lord, we pray for those struggling with depression and anxiety. Lord, remove those spirits and voices that keep influencing depression and anxiety within your children. Lord, speak to your children louder than the negative thoughts and voices. Strengthen them and their resolve, and give them the peace, power, and positivity that they need to overcome their battles. Lord, they need you and your strength. Don’t let them give up. Keep working in them.

In Jesus name, amen. 

Keep praying! Keep Trusting! Keep believing!

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Bible Study

We will meet via Zoom from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PST. We will be studying One in a Million written by Priscilla Shirer. Come join us. For more information or for the Zoom link send an email to:contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

Year End Contribution Statements 

A special thank you to those who contributed and supported this nonprofit ministry in 2025. Your contributions and in kind donations helped us to host three 12-week Bible studies, provide hygiene essentials and supplies to partner facilities, and have our annual retreat. We could not have accomplished what we did without your generosity. Year End Contribution Statements will be mailed/emailed in January 2026.

Board and Volunteer Meetings:

Here’s the schedule for our bi-monthly meetings, on the second Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m.:

• March 14
• May 9
• July 11
• August 8
• October 10
• December 12

Do you have a prayer request? We would love to pray for you. 

Send your prayer request to: contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

Bible Reference: http://www.biblegateway.com

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