We come into Mark 10:14-15 (NIV) right after the disciples were telling parents that the children couldn’t be brought to Jesus. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the KINGDOM of God like a little child will NEVER enter it. Our ATTITUDES either filter out Biblical truths or embrace them; if we don’t agree, don’t like, or don’t want Jesus’ Kingdom truths, we block them out of our mind and heart; that keeps us from entering into it because we have bad CHARACTER traits.

Here is a great place for us to use our workbook and go over the ATTITUDES presented in Matthew 5:3-12 and the CHARACTER traits in Galatians 5:22-23. So, after we have read the truths in this textbook, in our workbook we will ask Jesus to help them become OUR attitudes and OUR character.

Matthew 5:3-12 lists the Kingdom ATTITUDES that must come into your heart and Galatians 5:22-23 lists the CHARACTER traits of the people who will live in God’s Kingdom. The attitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 open the door to these character traits in Galatians 5:22-23. In our workbook we will be praying for God’s power-attitudes to enter into our attitudes so we become RECEPTIVE to these character traits.

Being “poor in spirit” so you will be teachable, being able to “mourn” over those things you are still doing that hurt you, others, and God, being “meek” enough to allow God to be your ONLY source of truth, being a person who is able to “hunger and thirst for righteousness” so you only do good things to yourself, others, and to God’s plan, being “merciful” so you are empowered to do good things to people who don’t deserve it, being “pure in heart,” being one of God’s “peacemakers,” and being willing to be “persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” are all vital so you will grow into a mature, adult child of God.

2 Tim 3:2-5 (NIV) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

These are attitudes that people allow to fill their heart and mind. They become the doors that close them off from the Bible, the Holy Spirit speaking to their conscience, the Father drawing them to Jesus, and Jesus being able to cure them from all their past, present, and future sins. If they don’t allow Jesus’ power-attitudes to crowd out all these evil attitudes, they will NOT be allowed to enter God’s eternal Kingdom. Their attitudes and character would infect and destroy His eternal Kingdom and its citizens.

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. These power-characteristics empower you to treat yourself, other people, and God’s plan with right, good, and righteous thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds. They help you have the ability to establish a good record not only with God, they start perfecting your record with people.

There are also certain characteristics for you to pray against. They are the works or wants that your body will have tendencies to desire; they are listed in Galatians 5:19-21. You would want to pray FOR the characteristics of Galatians 5:22-23 first and then AGAINST the human characteristics of Galatians 5:19-21 afterwards. We will be praying that the characteristics of Galatians 5:22-23 will drive out the human, worldly, and satanic characteristics of Galatians 5:19-21.

Mark 1:15 (NIV) “The time has come,” He (Jesus) said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” It would be good for you to make a list of the people you know who do not have Jesus as their Savior, Lord, and King. You could start praying for them that God’s Kingdom would come into their heart. Go ahead and pray: “Your Kingdom come.”