Out of Prison
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:10-14
You can only have God as your savior if you take Him as your Lord.
As you grow in spiritual understanding and wisdom, you will be strengthened to be fruitful in every good work. Since Jesus is your savior and has delivered you from the power of darkness, you are qualified to partake of the inheritance of the saints. You were in a prison, cuffed and chined to your cell. Once Jesus unlocks your chains, you are free to walk out of prison, but you aren’t out of jail till you decide to walk with Jesus. You could sit in your cell after your chains are loosed, but you won't experience your freedom if you don't walk out of prison. To experience God as your savior who frees you from your chains, you have to follow Him as Lord and let Him lead you out of prison.
God's love language is obedience.
God offers to free you from your chains, and He offers you the strength to help you walk with Him. You don’t have to walk out of your prison cell alone, and you don’t have to walk out on your own power. You can walk out leaning on Jesus for strength. But you do have to walk or at least desire to walk as He picks you up when you slip and fall. The obedience that God desires comes by leaning on Him as He walks you out of prison. “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20). Anger and emotions often motivate you to try harder, but the righteousness God wants comes from letting Him lead you instead of running frantically around the prison looking for the exit. Obedience has to be done God’s way; you can’t obey your own way.
Worship doesn't always look like what you expect it to.
Worship isn’t always bowing down in front of something. Worship can be looking around at all the other cells and wishing you were there. The more you visit other cells, the harder it is to leave when you don’t want to be there any more. Worship is generally what draws your attention more than what draws your actions or words.
“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:13-14, also Matthew 15:8).
God didn’t simply free you from your chains so that you could walk around prison on your own. The marvelous work that He does is that He guides you by the hand out of the prison by His spirit.