Jesus, make it clear to me that I must realize that the way my life is now isn’t the kind of life You want me living. Life with Satan tempting me, pressuring me, driving me, depressing me and my body causing me all kinds of problems, isn’t anything like what You have to offer me. You are saying to me in John 10:10 (AKJV) The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am moving from Satan the thief who is trying to steal my life away from me to You; You want to give me a full, abundant life. Help me see that the experiences I have had with life aren’t any kind of representation of what life is like with You. Help me give life another chance; show me what You can do to make my life a wonderful life.

Rev 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. Jesus, teach me that the pressures of life, like my issues with spending, are not coming from You; help me see that my relationship with You will be totally different from what I am used to. Where the things of my body and the world have come at me with great force, You are standing at the door of my life and knocking. Instead of You coming at me with great force, I have to ASK for Your help. Teach me that through salvation You gave me my God-given free will back which gave me the control of my life back. For me to be set free from my struggles with spending, I will have to PURSUE Your help. John 8:36 (NIV) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Make it clear to me that this made me FREE to “do what it takes” to get Your power to be set me free from my difficulties with spending.

Jesus, help me see that You are giving me emotions that are wonderful: Gal 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Show me that these are the emotions You are wanting to fill my heart with; but, show me that I only get them by asking for them. If I ask, they will stick with me through this difficult time of struggle, defeat, confusion, frustration, and weakness.

2 Cor 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Jesus, teach me that You aren’t going to just improve my old life; You are giving me a new life. What I have experienced before isn’t what I will be experiencing in my future. It is difficult for me to see how it is possible for You to remove me from my old life and give me a new one; but, make it clear to me that You are much more powerful than I can ever imagine. I ask You to help me see a little bit of my future and how You are going to help me with my difficulties with spending; show me a way of life that is awesome. Help me see that it doesn’t matter how difficult, demanding, enslaving, and controlling my old life has been, You will set me free from it. You will empower me to move into a new life that is wonderful! And, this new life is what I need for winning over my issues with spending.

Mat 6:25 (NIV) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Jesus, teach me that the rat race I have been running in was all about survival; I had to have food, clothing, a place to sleep, protection from the elements, and transportation for getting places. This required money so I could buy those things and pay the bills they created. It didn’t take long before my life was dominated and controlled by money. Because I didn’t know that life is more important than food, and the body more important than clothes, I became a slave to a job, a career, the needs of my body, and the demands of my life. Teach me how to live a different way of life. Teach me that this rat race and the demands it puts on me are the reasons I am now struggling with spending.

Jesus, when I spend most of my time, effort, and money on preparing for a career, advancing in my career, making money, and doing what it takes to get ahead, I don’t have time for You. I don’t have time to spend being trained Biblical principles. The rat race is using up all my time, my energy, and all my resources. Help me see that I need all the things You are offering me. Help me have the time, the energy, and the desire to put in the time with You and Your training.

Phil 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Jesus, I didn’t know that when I opened the door to You, You would help me make the right decisions as to how to get all my needs met. When I, the world, and the devil were making these decisions, the needs of my life enslaved me and took control over every moment of my day. I became dominated by physical needs that cannot bring the happiness, satisfaction, and enjoyment that I need. It just became a rat race that left me little room for my happiness. I was too busy staying alive to be able to enjoy the life I have. That drove me into doing things that actually enslaved me even more. I got pressured with responsibilities, requirements, duties, obligations, commitments, and needs that I HAD TO respond to or things would have gone bad for me. Help me find a way of life were I come to You and You give me the rest, peace, joy, and happiness that I need. Show me that it is TIME I need; I need to be able to spend time getting my issues with spending dealt with.

Luke 12:15 (NIV) Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Jesus, there are goals, plans, and purposes that I have set for myself; there are things I think will make me happy. So, since I believed that THEY would make me happy, I pursued them. Teach me that the main issue is, You have the happiness I seek. Make it clear to me that if I get an abundance of money, possessions, positions, power, prestige, popularity, pleasure, or accomplishments, I have invested myself in THINGS to bring me happiness. You said in Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these THINGS will be given to you as well. Help me understand that happiness comes through me seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness FIRST. Show me that once I get happiness through God, then I can start getting THINGS while already BEING happy.

Gal 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Jesus, help me see that if my emotions are down, frustrated, stressed, or fatigued, I won’t be able to deal with my struggles with spending. Teach me and train me with this list of God’s power-emotions that inspire and empower me to go through life with great positive feelings. Show me that happiness exists for as long as things are going well for me; but, when things go bad or circumstances get difficult, happiness leaves me just at the point where I really need it.

John 15:11 (NIV) I have told you this so that My JOY may be in you and that your JOY may be complete. Jesus, show me that You give me JOY; teach me that it is a new kind of happiness that is faithful, powerful, inspiring, and supportive. It floods my heart and inspires my life NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING! Help me see that joy gives me the power to attack, change, and handle some of the most difficult times in my life. Teach me that it isn’t influenced by my struggles, difficulties, challenges, or problems. It keeps me excited and happy so I can defeat those things that are coming against me. Help me see that happiness will abandon me just at the moment when I need encouragement, faith, hope, and confidence to deal with my problems with spending.

Rom 8:37 (NIV) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. Jesus, my issues with spending make me feel weak and helpless at times. Even if I have been a person who typically can beat most things in my life, my issues with spending sometimes make me feel like I just can’t win. Give me Your supernatural power that makes me more than a conqueror through You Who loved me. Give me Your supernatural power that enables me to do things I couldn’t do before.

Phil 4:13 (NIV) I can do everything through Him (Jesus) Who gives me strength. Help me NOT be disappointed that I wasn’t able to defeat this problem; let me see that it actually helped me look outside myself. It helped me realize I needed someone bigger than myself. Make it clear to me that not only will You empower me to defeat my issue with spending, You will be teaching me how to use Your power to defeat all those things I struggle with. Help me see that, that makes it worth it for me to give You a chance to show me what You want to do WITH and THROUGH me.

John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth AND THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus, You created me; You caused me to come into existence; You gave me my life; and You did it for a very special purpose. Help me see that You have an awsome plan for my life; but, I, the world, and the devil have had plans for me as well. I have already experienced my plans, the world’s plans, and the devil’s plans for my life. Empower me to give You a chance to be my new life. Show me what life is all about; show me what YOUR life is all about. Help me see that You are a life that is wonderful, powerful, and exciting. Join me in life and show me what my full potential looks like. Let me have my God-given free will back so I can allow You to lead me into the most dynamic life beyond anything I have ever dreamed of. Help me not allow my difficulties with spending decide or define who I am. I am a child of God; and, that makes the solutions to my problems definite.