Rom 12:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your BODIES as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this WORLD, but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND. Then you will be able to test and approve what GOD’S WILL is--His good, pleasing and perfect will. Jesus, empower me to take the four steps into closing all three doors of my body, the world, and the devil. Help me see that as long as I continue this process for the rest of my life, I will walk in the light, as You are in the light.

I Am Doing What It Takes:

1. Jesus, train and empower me to offer my BODY as a living sacrifice. Help me not just offer it once; help me keep on offering my body as a living sacrifice.


2. Jesus, teach me how and empower me to not conform any longer to the pattern of this WORLD. Help me cease living like the world lives from now on.


3. Jesus, show me how and empower me to be transformed by the renewing of my MIND. Let me start yielding to You renewing my mind as a lifetime process.


4. Jesus, bring me to the place where I am able to test and approve what GOD’S WILL is. Open my mind and heart to receive the ability to test and approve God’s will moment by moment and issue by issue.

1 Th 4:3-7 (NIV) It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

Jesus, help me see that for me to live a holy life is to only do good things to myself, other people, and God’s plan. Help me understand that the only way for that to happen is for You to give me the power to live like this. I believe that You will give me power to:

• Make my body read and study the Bible, like I am doing now.


• Make my body have good devotions everyday.


• Make my body listen to good Christian music.


• Make my body read good Christian books.


• Make my body go to church or to a good small group.


• Make my body think on Philippians 4:8 things.


• Make my body yield to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Mat 6:22-23 (NIV) The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Jesus, in this passage, as You talk about what I expose myself to, help me close all doors. Teach me that to leave a door open is to allow myself to be exposed to something. Show me that the way I can accidently, ignorantly, and even purposefully leave the door open to Satan’s influence is, to fail to see the importance of closing it. Show me what I need to do to no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world:

• Jesus, help me examine the words and the beat of the music I listen to. Guide me to the music You want me to listen to.


• Jesus, help me evaluate the content and concepts in the shows and movies I watch. Set Your standards for what I should be exposed to.


• Jesus, help me critique the kind of literature I look at and read. Help me eliminate anything that expresses principles and belief systems that are contrary to the Bible.


• Jesus, help me honestly and sincerely examine what kind of people I spend time with. Tell me which ones I should spend time with and which ones I should avoid.


• Jesus, help me go over my typical conversations and see if they are representative of a true Christian. Help me only say those things that You want said.


• Jesus, help me look at what I do together with other people. Help me see whether or not I am doing those things the Bible instructs me to do. Also, help me see if I am doing what the Bible speaks against.

Jesus, if there is any area where I am struggling with yielding to Your leadership and change, make it clear to me that, that is the place where I need to keep praying and asking You to help me become willing to submit. If that area remains open to my body, the world, and the devil, I will continue to have problems. Help me keep this list of evaluations so I won’t have to wonder why I am having problems. I will be able to go over the list and You will make it obvious to me.

Jesus use these steps to renew my mind:

1. Allow Jesus To Set Your Mind: Rom 8:5 (NIV) Those who live according to the sinful nature have their MINDS set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their MINDS set on what the Spirit desires.
   
   Jesus, set my mind on the Holy Spirit’s desires so that His desires are my desires. Empower me to only desire those things the Holy Spirit desires. Jesus, I pray this general prayer asking for Your power to be there at a MOMENT when I am facing a certain ISSUE. Let this general prayer get me ready for all moments and issues; but, help me understand that it doesn’t force me to desire what the Holy Spirit desires at the moment I am facing that certain issue.
   
   Jesus, when I am at a moment facing a certain issue, help me pray a specific prayer asking You to help me desire what the Holy Spirit desires for that decision I am about to make. Teach me that every decision I face that day will only conform to the Holy Spirit’s desires, if I pray asking You to help me with IT.


2. Allow The Holy Spirit To Control Your Mind: Rom 8:6-7 (NIV) The MIND of sinful man is death, but the MIND controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful MIND is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
   
   Jesus, show me that when I bring my mind under the control of the Spirit, it is a God-given free will decision. And, make it clear to me that it is a decision that is also made moment by moment and issue by issue. I can pray a general prayer asking God to help me allow the Holy Spirit to control my mind; but, that only makes Your power available for helping me yield to the Holy Spirit. It does NOT make me yield at the MOMENT I am about to make a decision. I am still in control because of my God-given free will.


3. Allow The Holy Spirit To Give You His Ideas: Rom 8:26-27 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He Who searches our hearts knows the MIND of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Jesus, empower me to let the Holy Spirit cause issues to pop up in my mind. Let Him help me experience a renewing of my mind by leading me to pray for things I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.


4. Let This Guide Your Thoughts: Phil 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers, whatever is TRUE, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE--if anything is EXCELLENT or PRAISEWORTHY--think about such things. Jesus teach me that this verse makes all of the above verses of Scripture work. I ask You to empower me to do this so that it sets my mind on the Holy Spirit’s desires. Let it give me the power to allow the Holy Spirit to control my decisions and life. Let it help me hear the Holy Spirit when He causes ideas to pop up in my mind.

1. Let Jesus Grow You Spiritually: Col 1:9 (NIV) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Jesus, show me that the reason You are leading me into spiritual growth is because the knowledge of God’s will comes through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.


2. Stay In God’s Will: Heb 10:36 (NIV) You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will RECEIVE what He has promised. Jesus, help me NEVER give up.


3. Live A Righteous Life: 1 Pet 2:15 (NIV) For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Jesus, produce a righteousness that comes from Your power; let it enable me to do good to myself, other people, and God’s plan.
   
   1 Pet 4:1-4 (NIV) Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. Jesus, train and empower me to not live the rest of my earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God


4. Live Eternally: 1 John 2:17 (NIV) The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Jesus, help me keep this in mind all the time. Let getting eternal life, living in God’s eternal Kingdom, living in a glorified, immortal body, and ruling and reigning with You forever motivate me now. Help me see why I am applying myself to all of Your truths. Show me that I will not only be victorious now, I will spend eternity enjoying all those things I prepared for now.