Jesus, help me not be a person who has no excuse, one who passes judgment on someone else, help me realize that whatever point I judge the other, I am condemning myself, because I who pass judgment do the same things (Rom 2:1). Show me that one of the hardest things for me, as a Christian, is to not take credit for the wonderful work God has done in me and for me. I can look at myself and my life and see how much I have changed. Then I struggle with thinking that it has to be because of something I have done. When I start thinking like that, it causes me to start comparing myself with others. I see my growth; and, I see others LACK of growth. That is when I judge them harshly and judge myself graciously.

Jesus, it is by grace I have been saved, through faith--and this not from myself, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that I can’t boast (Eph 2:8-9). When I prayed all those parts of Your prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, I was earnestly seeking God. Help me realize that my earnestly seeking God brought rewards, grace, and gifts from Him. Grace means God responded to that prayer and made me His child and a citizen of His Kingdom. I couldn’t earn it, buy it, trade for it, steal it, or demand it; it came to me as a gift from my heavenly Father.

Jesus, who makes me different from anyone else? What do I have that I did not receive? And if I did receive it, why do I boast as though I did not (1 Cor 4:7)? If I get to feeling superior to others as if I didn’t get everything I have from grace through faith, then I will tell people I have made You my Lord and that I know You were raised from the dead; but, I will tell them from the motivation of pride. Rather than loving, respecting, and trying to share what I have with them, I will see myself as above them, reaching down to help an inferior person.

Teach me that I have EVERY GOOD THING I have because God is giving them to me as a gift. If there are any wrong, bad, or evil things in my feelings, thoughts, words, or deeds, all I have to do is keep on earnestly seeking God and He will heal me, deliver me, and fill me with right, good, and righteous things. But, I must not pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point I judge the other, I am condemning myself, because I who pass judgment do the same things. Show me that the only way I will stop doing wrong, bad, and evil things is to get a reward and a gift from my heavenly Father that sets me free.

Jesus, help me know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth (Rom 2:2). When people hurt me, lie about me, say damaging things about me and to me, and I feel like I need to defend myself, I must never forget what I prayed in Your prayer: Forgive me my debts, as I also have forgiven my debtors (Mat 6:12). Help me understand that God’s forgiveness to me is based on my forgiveness of others. So, even though it may be IMPOSSIBLE for me to be able to forgive some people, all I have to do is ask You to give me Your power-forgiveness and You will empower me to do it.

Jesus, teach me that if I forgive men when they sin against me, my heavenly Father will also forgive me. But if I do not forgive men their sins, my Father will not forgive my sins (Mat 6:14-15). But, Jesus, this is sometimes impossible for me; however, it isn’t impossible for You. Teach me that I will ALWAYS be able to take these impossible situations to You and You will ALWAYS empower me to do what I need to do. All I have to do is WANT to forgive even though I can’t and You will honor my “want.” All I have to do is ask You to help me WANT to forgive and You will help me desire to forgive. All I have to do is ask You to give me the power to forgive and I will be empowered to forgive.

Jesus, if I am convinced that I am a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because I have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth--I, then, who teach others, do I not teach myself? I who preach against stealing, do I steal (Rom 2:19-21)? Help me realize that this is a VERY important part of my sharing my life and spiritual growth with others. Since I have been born again, it is good that I am sharing that experience with those around me. Since I know God raised You from the dead, it is good that I am helping others know this. But, there are areas in my life where I don’t have the breakthrough YET.

Jesus, since I am in You, my Christ, I am a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Cor 5:17)! Show me that one of the first things I have to realize is, even though this verse is describing me, I will still struggle with my old life. Make it clear to me that me being free, having freedom, and being able to do what I want is VERY important to God.

Before I was born again, my body, the world, and Satan were actually controlling me. They offered me pleasures; they offered me the right to be filled with pride; I could lie to protect myself; I could mislead people for my own benefit; and, I could hoard all my possessions and not share with the needy. Teach me that these “rights” were bait that lured me into a life I was actually addicted to.

Jesus, You had to make me free from those things that my body, the world, and the devil were using to enslave me; BUT, my mind still remembers them all. Why didn’t me being born again remove all memories, feelings, and past experiences from me?

Teach me that if the Son sets me free, I will be free indeed (John 8:36). Help me understand that, if there is ANYTHING that I am having a hard time letting go of from my old life, there is a pleasure or a dependency attached to it. The reason I feel I NEED something that You are telling me it isn’t good for me, is because I am addicted to it. BUT, help me realize that You will NOT take it away from me because I have been made free. I have to ASK You to empower me to let it go.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34).” Jesus, teach me that being born again gave me my freedom back so I could decide whether I wanted to move forward with You or I wanted to go back to my old life of sin. So, You let my old life stay in my memories and feelings. But, teach me that You are about to give me new memories, feelings, and experiences. You are giving them to me so I have Your life to compare with my old life. Make it clear to me that if I don’t allow You to set me free from my old habits, lifestyles, and addictions, I will get cheated out of finding out how great being born again is. If I allow You to empower me to be set FREE from ALL of my old life, You will set me free from the slavery I was involved in.

Jesus, I actually chose You, when I chose to be born again; but, explain to me that I have to keep choosing You. My old lifestyle, habits, addictions, and experiences will try to draw me back in. I am free through You; so, they can no longer FORCE me to go back. But, they can beg, lure, threaten, and bait me back into them and their slavery. Empower me to USE my freedom of choice that You have given me; when I am tempted to do something You are telling me not to do, help me not just TRY to make the right decision. Help me call out to You and ask for Your power to help me make the right decision.

Jesus, teach me that all I have to do is ASK and it will be given to me; SEEK and I will find; KNOCK and the door will be opened to me. For EVERYONE who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Mat 7:7-8).

Jesus, get my heart read for when we can spend time working on SEEK and KNOCK. In the mean time, teach me that ASKING is simply me replacing my best human efforts. They can be replaced by me using my mouth and heart to lead me into prayer for the things I am TRYING to do. Rather than looking to myself, help me pray and ask You to empower me to do the right things and give up the wrong things.

Jesus, teach me that prayer is VERY powerful; it is my line of communication with You. Help me always keep in mind that my relationship with God is a permission based relationship. I can’t make God do anything that isn’t good for me or those around me. And, He won’t make me do anything I don’t want to do. Show me how this is totally different from Satan and the relationship I had with him, my body, and the world. They weren’t above forcing, bating, luring, lying, misleading, and addicting me. God requires that I ask Him; teach me that, that is how I give Him permission to do those things I need.