James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Help me see and understand the meaning of the two aspects to this verse. Teach me that the first part is submitting to God; teach me that the second part is resisting the devil. Jesus, I thank You for teaching me in the previous series to submit to God by me growing in my love for Him. Now You are helping me grow in my HATRED for the things of my body, the world, and the devil. Show me that hatred toward things that are trying to get into my life to hurt me, will help me resist.

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, teach me that the main requirement of God after I have been born again is to WANT to do the right things and HATE doing the wrong things. Help me learn that the right things are me doing right, good, and righteous things to myself, other people, and God’s plan. The wrong things are me doing wrong, bad, or evil things to myself, other people, and God’s plan. I thank You for putting the WANT and HATE attitudes in my heart when I accepted You as my Lord, Savior, and King.

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 accept my responsibility to maintain the WANT attitude for right, good, and righteous things. And, help me accept my responsibility to maintain the HATE attitude for wrong, bad, and evil things. Teach me that the way to maintain these two attitudes is to apply The Three Keys To All Of Christianity to them. Let me be ASKING, SEEKING, and KNOCKING so that You will install and empower me to do the right, good, and righteous things. And remove and empower me to resist the wrong, bad, and evil things through this prayer.

Rom 1:18 (NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Jesus, in order for me to resist bad things trying to get into my life requires I knowing what to resist. So, teach me how these people got in this condition. Obviously, they weren’t born that way. And surely, they didn’t suddenly become that kind of person. Show me that they not only didn’t allow You to teach them how to WANT to do the right things, they wouldn’t allow You to train and empower them to DO the right things. Take me beyond HATING the wrong things to actually resisting the wrong things. Keep showing me how these wicked people got where they are and how to resist it.

Eph 4:22-24 (NIV) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Jesus, I haven’t just been listening to God all my life. I have been exposing my brain and my mind to all kinds of schools of thought. My brain is filled with a mixture of many different types of information and principles. Some of them are neutral; they don’t have any spiritual connotation to them. Others have a lot of spiritual implications. Like everyone else, I have listened to my body’s demands, the world’s reasoning, and Satan’s temptations. Make it clear to me that at those moments when I did, I was being trained by the opposite educational system.

1 Pet 3:12 (NIV) For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Jesus, because of the training I received in my previous life, some of my thinking is in direct opposition to the truth of God. As long as I stay in that condition, it makes me unusable by God in that area of life and ministering to others. While in that condition, when God talks to me Spirit-to-spirit, help me see that I will disagree with various concepts I am receiving from Him. Some people are unaware it is God dealing with them. Others go into direct disobedience against Him. That is what they believe and no one is going to change their mind. Help me not be like these people.

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.

Jesus, I want to head in the opposite direction of wicked people. Help me let You deal with those areas where I have built a close and intimate relationship with the body, the world, or the devil. Let me spend extra time getting help from God. Show me that these are going to be places where closing the door will be extremely difficult. But, if I don’t, I will always find myself failing in life and being unable to share with others in those spots.

1 John 1:8 (NIV) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Jesus, help me see that in a particular area of my life where I am convinced I am right, it becomes shut off from all information to the contrary. If it is false information, I am locked in it and don’t want out. The door to my heart will be left open to that false information. I will be unwilling to close the door because the information makes sense to me. And, it keeps me from being willing to hear any opposing views.

1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus, help me understand that walled areas of my heart and mind are caused by me being so convinced that it is best for me that I don’t even want views from God and His Word. Show me that when I hear an opposing view from God’s Word, I will often assume that all the facts just aren’t in yet. I will especially be tempted to ignore Scriptures that seem to be saying the complete opposite to my view. I will typically decide that the Bible doesn’t really mean that. This arena of my life and ministry becomes a fortress against God’s Word and God’s Truth. Make it clear to me that whether I know it or not I am heading into wickedness.