Jesus, help me understand this illustration and get its spiritual meaning: Show me that just like a branch would die if disconnected from the vine, I will never get true victory over my struggles with alcohol if I don’t remain in You. Just like a branch would die if disconnected from the vine, I would lose all my power, my successes, my healings, and my victories if I disconnect from You. Help me see that it is vital for all my future success to learn how to do what it takes to remain in You. Show me some vital Biblical principles that train and empower me to remain in You.

Mat 7:7-8 (NIV) Ask and it WILL be given to you; seek and you WILL find; knock and the door WILL be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door WILL be opened. Make it clear to me what happens when I ask God for something. Teach me that It WILL be given to me. So, why wouldn’t I learn to ASK rather that rely on human effort, human reasoning, human training, and human wisdom?

Isa 55:8-9 (NIV) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Jesus, empower me to ask you so I will be consulting you. Teach me that to remain in You is to consult Your knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Rather than me going about my day consulting my brain or some other human’s brain, help me always pray and ASK You to help me with my moment-by-moment and issue-by-issue decisions. Help me see that I won’t just get BRILLIANT ideas popping up in my mind, I will get ideas that will bring success in the long run. You have foreknowledge of the future; You know how things will turn out before they turn out.

Luke 12:33-34 (NIV) Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus, as You bless and prosper me, show me that I will gain money, possessions, positions, popularity, power, prestige, pleasure, and accomplishments. Teach me that those who remain in You will USE these things to help people. Those who don’t remain in You will USE people in order to get these things.

Mat 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Help me understand that those who remain in You will pursue their healing, blessings, miracles, and transformations FOR THE PURPOSE OF sharing every breakthrough they get with hurting people. Those who don’t remain in You will seek their healing, blessings, miracles, and transformations so they can go do what they want.

John 8:31 (NIV) To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus, I came into Christianity only knowing world training and philosophies. As I read down through Romans 7:15-24, it described the life of new and untrained Christians who are trying to use their world training to live the Christian life. Those who remain in You will allow Your training to crowd out their world training. Those who don’t remain in You will reject Your training and keep using their world training.

Rom 8:17-18 (NIV) Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Jesus, this wasn’t why I joined You in these studies and prayer. I came trying to get rid of suffering not add suffering to my suffering. But, teach me that as long as I stay debilitated by my suffering, I can’t help hurting people be set free from their suffering. But, if I get healed and then start helping hurting people, I would assume that everyone will love me and appreciate what I am doing; but, help me see that a lot of them won’t.

Mat 5:11-12 (NIV) Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Jesus, help me always be aware that there are people out in the world that do not want to lose the people who are dependent on their drugs, alcohol, sex addictions, bad relationships, “parties,” and various other sins. The people they are hurting will appreciate me reaching out to them. But, help me understand that I will have to go through these other, evil people to get to the hurting people. That will cause me suffering.

Rom 1:32 (NIV) Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Jesus, I can see that there are all kinds of support for sin; it is being taught, advertised, promoted, encouraged, praised, passed from one person to another, and rewarded. It is killing all who are infected by it; but, people like me are the only ones who are telling people the truth. Even though God isn’t going to allow one sin into His eternal Kingdom, none of these people are being warned about their eternal destiny. Show me that when I present righteousness, I will be speaking against all these people’s lifestyle. They will persecute me.

Mat 5:13-14 (NIV) You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Jesus, if Your people don’t lead the unsaved into the wonderful things You have to offer, who will? Sin is tormenting all these people and they are surrounded by people who fully support those things that are tormenting them. Teach me that light shines and reveals what is actually there; it helps people see clearly what they couldn’t understand when they were in the dark. I am that light. You want to help and heal me so I have a story to tell.

Gal 5:19 (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, help me always keep in mind that this life is VERY short; show me that eternity isn’t just a long time; it NEVER ENDS! People who remain in You learn how to explain the eternal perspective to those who are selling out for a few moment’s extreme pleasure.

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 as I remain in You, Jesus, I will embrace this lifestyle more and more; and, I will learn how to help others understand its benefits. People are hurting because of the sins listed in Galatians 5:19-21; these sins are actually killing them during this period of time and separating them from being God’s children, members of His family, and citizen in His eternal Kingdom. Make it clear to me that I am one of the few that is willing to face the persecution and tell them the good news.