November 7, 2025

FIGHTING FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING (PART 3)

Apst. Emmanuel Osezele

KEY TEXT: Hebrews 12:1 KJV – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: Fighting for the prize requires casting off every weight that hinders intimacy with God. Many believers stumble because they attempt to run while holding on to sinful habits, worldly pleasures, and unnecessary burdens. Beloved, your relationship with God must be marked by total surrender and separation from sin. As a runner sheds every excess weight to move faster, you too must rid yourself of all that weakens your spiritual walk. God cannot share His glory with sin (Isaiah 42:8). The prize belongs to those who are willing to let go and fully follow Christ.

YOUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION: To win the prize, patience is essential. The race is not a sprint but a lifelong marathon. Weariness, trials, and setbacks will come, but you must keep running with endurance. Those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength and mount up with wings as eagles (Isaiah 40:31). A spiritually impatient believer easily faints, compromises, or turns back. But those who remain steadfast and patient will finish their course with joy. Remember, the crown of life is for those who are faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10).

THE VOICE OF YOUR CONSCIENCE: Your conscience must continually remind you of the dangers of hidden sins and unconfessed faults. The “easily besetting sin” is often subtle, ignored, or justified, but it has the power to disqualify a believer. A pure conscience will not allow you to live comfortably with secret faults (Psalm 19:12–13). Beloved, take heed to the voice of your conscience, allowing the Holy Spirit to expose and cleanse every hidden sin. Only those who run with a pure heart and clean hands will stand before the Lord (Psalm 24:3–4).

PRAYER:

Lord, grant me the grace to lay aside every weight and besetting sin, and help me to run this race with patience until I obtain the eternal prize, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name, Amen.

REFLECTION:

James 1:12 KJV – “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

PRAYER POINTS:

1. My Father and my God, give me the grace to lay aside every weight and sin that hinders my walk with You. Help me to live a life of total surrender and holiness, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

2. O Lord my Father, strengthen me to run this Christian race with patience and endurance; let nothing cause me to faint or turn back, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

3. Heavenly Father, purge me from every hidden sin and secret fault that can disqualify me from Your eternal reward, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

4. Lord Jesus Christ, renew my spiritual strength daily; let me soar above weariness, temptation, and distraction as I press toward the mark, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

5. O Lord, my Father, keep my conscience pure and sensitive to Your voice; let me always walk in sincerity, truth, and obedience until I receive the crown of life, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.