This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis [ts@godspeak.org]

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                         Set Apart

Come and set yourself apart for Me, for I am holy and I am asking you
to be likewise.

Do you understand what it means to be holy? It means that you are set
apart for My use and dedicated to My purposes.  It means that you are
careful to allow nothing to corrupt you from the things that I have
called you to do.  There are many things you can do which do not seem
wicked or sinful, yet they prevent you from being Holy.  That is because
those things become a higher priority in your life than I am; you give
yourselves to them and you are no longer available to Me.

There are times that I would send you to comfort the hurting, but you
are too busy visiting with your friends or doing various activates.
Child, don't you realize that as soon as you are no available for Me to
use you for My purposes, then you stop being set apart for Me and you are
no longer holy in My sight?  Yes, child, I know you need friends.  I want
you to have friends and I will make allowances so that you are able to
spend time with them.  But I must remain your highest priority and My
agenda must take precedence over your agenda any time that there is a
conflict.

There are times when I would like to send you as My representative to
this one or that one, but you would rather watch television or see a
movie or listen to a concert or chat on the internet.  Yes child, there
are times when you put your entertainment above My bidding and you make
yourself unavailable to Me.  How do you think that makes Me feel?  Do you
wonder why I seem far away at times when you are not doing anything you
know is overtly wrong.  Could it be because you have fallen out of that
place of holiness and are no longer available to do My will?

Child of Mine, don't you realize that your holiness will effect our
intimacy together?  The greatest depths of intimacy with Me are only
achieved from a place of complete holiness before Me; from a place of
being completely available and yielded to Me.

Look at My own Son Jesus. When He walked this earth, He maintained great
intimacy with Me. He was also holy in that He was completely and totally
available to Me to do My will.  Yet He still had times of fellowship. I
even gave Him a special time to spend with His closest friends (with His
disciples) the night before I asked Him to lay down His life for you
sakes. He made Me His highest priority, and I made time for Him to do
the other things that were important to Him.  Even thought it is not
recorded explicitly in My word, He also had times of entertainment.
There are times when He relaxed and just had fun. There are times when
He rested from ministry and just enjoyed Himself. I gave these things
to Him because I give good gifts to My own.

Yet in all of this, He remained holy before Me because He knew He was
set apart for My purposes.  He did not miss a single opportunity that I
bought to Him because His priority was to yield to Me and to do My will
above His will in all things.  He was truly set apart for My purposes,
a holy vessel Who I could work through to accomplish My will.

Child of Mine, I am asking you to follow in My Son's footsteps.  You are
called by His name, and I want you to behave like He did. I want you to
set yourself aside for Me, that I might use you any time I want to. I
want you to be available to Me, for you are Mine and I have great plans
for you.  I want you to put a priority on spending time with Me in
prayer, so that I have an opportunity to communicate My will to you.  My
Son Jesus spent many whole nights in prayer. Look to His example and begin
to increase your own prayer life accordingly.  Don't just come to Me with
a list of requests for yourself and others.  Instead, come before Me with
ears that are ready to listen to Me and ask Me to show you My will for
the coming day and for the coming week. Come to Me in prayer to be set
aside for My purposes and to hear from Me what plans I have for you.

Be holy before Me, child of Mine, and set yourself apart for My use.
Then I will use you for My glory. I will set My anointing upon you and
empower you to do the very works that I am doing.  If you make yourself
available to Me, I will work through you in ways that amaze you and that
bring great glory to My name. So child of Mine, set yourself apart for
My use and be available to Me.  Be holy before Me.