Gal 5:19-21 (NIV) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus, I pursued happiness, tried to have fun, and did my best to avoid pain. But, in the pursuit of having fun and being happy, I discovered things that brought me a lot of pleasure. Teach me that You provide me with things that make me happy and provide me with a mild to moderate amount of pleasure. But, the world provides me with other things that create extreme pleasure and are a lot of fun. There have been times when I mistook this extreme pleasure for happiness and start pursuing it instead. Because I gave some of these extreme pleasure sins a chance, my body is giving me a lot of trouble. Once it experienced extreme pleasure, it now wants it all the time.

Mat 7:12 (NIV) So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.Jesus, teach me that the mild to moderate pleasure that You provide is called righteousness. Help me always be aware that the extreme pleasure that Satan and the world provide is called sin. Let me embrace righteousness, so I will always be involved in those things that will help me be an extreme success in life. Make it clear to me that sin will drive, pull, and enslave me into a way of life that will be selfish, animalistic, and individualistic. Help me join You in the win/win world of friendship, companionship, unity, and love. Help that NOT sound too mild and too boring for me. Help me see that relationships, family, marriage, and partnerships have to do with me not being alone. Show me that Christianity is all about me having friends, feeling cared for, valued, appreciated, and loved.

Mark 12:30-31 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Jesus, help me believe that the solutions to my problem with life come through real, honest, loving relationships with God and with people who can love me back. You have set me free from a world where I have to watch my back all the time. Unsaved people have a heart that is controlling their emotions; it is pushing them to make sure they get the best end of every deal. Make me constantly aware that if it is a choice between me getting something good and them getting it, they don’t have any problems with choosing themselves.

Rom 7:15 (NIV) I do not understand what I do. For what I WANT to do I do not DO, but what I HATE I DO. Jesus, I have chosen to be a Christian; I want to live the righteous life. But, I am having a difficult time between wanting and doing. Help me see that for me to UNDERSTAND the solution, I must understand You and Your plans for my life. Teach me that You want to set me free from life. But, You want to do it in such a way that I learn how to live the victorious Christian life. Help me see that it is VITAL that I learn the difference between world training and Your training. Help me realize that all the self-help training I have had up until now is USELESS. I could use it for the rest of your life and I would continue to fail at Christianity.

Rom 7:16 (NIV) And if I DO what I do not WANT to do, I agree that the law is good. Jesus, help me see that this is me! I have a problem with life that I know isn’t good for me or the people around me. But, I can’t seem to just start living the way I know the Bible is telling me I can live. I am not sinning; I am just not living the victorious Christian life. I know the Bible tells me to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph 6:10). but, for some reason, I am not doing it. I agree that the Bible is right. I want what the Bible is telling me to do. I know You want to empower me to live like that; but, I am just not DOING it.

Rom 7:17 (NIV) As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. Jesus, help me with this complicated part! Show me that this is why I am a Christian who isn’t getting the full benefits of what You provided through Your wounds and Your death. I AM USING THE WRONG METHODS! I have been a human for quite a while; I have been trained how to be a human through some hard effort and study for a long time. I have a lot of skill, talents, successes, and abilities for being a human. But, I don’t remember anyone telling me that all that training, experience, and skill as a human WON’T WORK in the Christian life. I have been delivered from SIN; but, make it clear to me that my BODY hasn’t.

• As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it: Help me realize that this won’t make sense until I learn that I and my body are not the same. Show me that it is also important for me to realize that my body isn’t just some collection of flesh and bone that responds to signals from my brain mechanically. Make it clear to me that it has a will, desires, system programing, and goal oriented motivations. When the Bible talks about the sinful nature, it is talking about the “programming” that my body operates on the basis of. It is complex, powerful, and functional.


• But it is sin living in me: When you accepted You as my Lord and Savior, You forgave me of all my past, present, and future sins: 1 John 1:7 (NIV) But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from ALL sin. So, help me understand how can Romans 7:17 can say there is sin living in me. Teach me that it isn’t saying the sin is living in the spirit me (which is the real me), it is living in the body me. Rom 7:23 (NIV) But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.