Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
Memory verse:
”For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;“
‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Fire is good when used properly, but it can destroy a life and even a whole community when misused. Likewise, sexual desire is good when used under the control of the Creator but destructive if used otherwise.
Unlike animals, human beings were created in the image of God, with His eternal Spirit in us. We can not understand our life purpose unless we are connected to Him.
God’s design for human sexuality was that it would be a physical and spiritual consummation of a man and a woman becoming “one flesh” in a lifelong covenant relationship (Gen 2:21-24; Matt 19:5-6). Sexual urge is therefore an integral part of humans and not sinful in itself, but it was designed to be brought under the control of its Creator. In other words, it is designed to be expressed only within the marital relationship.
Unlike in humans, sexual urges in animals are merely physical drives like hunger and thirst and nothing more. In humans, sexual urges involve emotional bonding, spirituality, self-control, and intimacy. When these are absent, man is not different from an animal. Since we are the highest form of His eternal creation, our sexual desires shouldn’t determine our lifestyles or our behaviours, like animals. God expects us to master our sexuality instead of allowing it to master us. “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then, each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.“
‭‭(1 Thes 4‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬)
Sexual desires, though created as a blessing for humans, become a curse when they go outside the boundaries that God established for them (1 Cor 3:16-17; Rev 2:20-23).
Satan has always corrupted whatever God creates as good. He takes advantage of the selfishness in man’s heart to keep perverting the good gift of sexuality, teaching them to allow their sexual desires to determine the course of their lives. Healthy sexual desires have been turned to something dirty, evil, and harmful, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, rape, sex trafficking, abortion, transgenderism etc.
Friends, when sexual desires are used outside the Creator’s boundaries and given free rein, like animals and the Gentiles who don’t know God, they attract curses rather than blessings. Receive grace to possess your body in sanctification and honour, in this perverse world, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer points
1. Father, I rededicate my body to You today and I ask for grace to live in control, in holiness and honour, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, I pray that You will save and deliver all Your children under the deception of satan and bondage to sexual sins, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. Sexual urge is to be expressed only under God’s boundaries, so I won’t allow any sexual desire to determine the course of my life.
2. It’s God’s will for me to be pure and holy, so I keep myself from sexual uncleanliness and promiscuity.