What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness (Rom 3:1-3)? Jesus, teach me about these Jews that God gave them His instructions. Help me see that He gave them to them so they would know how He wanted them to treat themselves, other people, and His plan. Help me understand where they went wrong so I can pray to be set free from that mistake. As the Jews started learning all God’s rules, laws, and instructions, they misunderstood one VERY IMPORTANT thing. Teach me what that very important thing is.

Jesus, it seems strange to me that God would give laws that were too hard for me to live. Help it make sense to me when I think about relationships. People always expect too much of me; the way they want me to treat them is far better than I am capable of performing. From time to time I even disappoint myself. Help it make sense to me that, if I can’t live up to my own expectations, how am I ever going to live up to other peoples rules, laws, and expectations? And, if that is hard, then what would give me the impression that I would be able to fulfill all of God’s laws? So, help me understand why it is important for You to provide them.

Jesus, help me understand the principles behind Your laws. Show me that if laws were all that was required, then law enforcement people wouldn’t be needed. Police, soldiers, sheriffs, judges, wardens, and penalties wouldn’t be needed. All that would have to be done was to put the laws together, make sure everyone knew what they were, and explain how to apply them and we would have law-abiding citizens. Everyone would simply follow the laws to the very best of their abilities. BUT, help me see that, that isn’t the way I think, feel, believe, behave, and react to laws that have been created with my best interest in mind.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin (Rom 3:19-20). Jesus, I am more familiar with human laws and their purpose. But, I now understand that human laws have one purpose and God’s laws have another. Humans make laws and require that I live according to them. God causes laws to be written so I will be informed as to what is right and what is wrong. Help me see that if I apply human reasoning to God’s laws, I will fail to live a life that God had planned for me.

Jesus, I am used to human laws that place all the responsibility on me; teach me that God’s laws point to all the provisions He provides for me. If He requires that I stop doing something, then He makes power available to me so I can stop it, IF I WANT TO. If He requires that I start doing something, then He makes power available to me so I can start doing it, IF I WANT TO. Show me that all I have to do is follow God’s instructions for establishing a relationship with Him. Then, from that point on, He makes all kinds of provisions, power, attitudes, character traits, miracles, and blessing available to me. From there, I am to use them to fulfill all the laws of God, IF I WANT TO.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His GRACE through the REDEMPTION that came BY Christ Jesus (Rom 3:21-24). Thank you for helping me establish a family relationship with You. Thank You for doing this so I can start receiving the power and provisions of God. And that relationship will enable me to live God’s laws, rules, and commandments. They are designed to work miracles and blessings in my life.

Jesus, the words “apart from law” makes it sound like my relationship with God is going to be a lawless one. But, help me understand that before I can deal with God’s laws I have to be able to get God’s power, provisions, and wisdom. I had to FIRST be born again before I could get anything else from God. I had to follow God’s instructions for establishing a relationship with Him. So, I prayed Your prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and I obeyed the instructions in Romans 10:8-10. Now, I am ready to start getting all the power, provisions, and wisdom. Plus, God is now hearing and answering ALL my prayers BECAUSE I am His child.

Jesus, teach me that I don’t nullify the law by this faith. Not at all! Rather, I uphold the law (Rom 3:31). Show me that if I hadn’t learned how to use my mouth and heart, I wouldn’t be born again now. I wouldn’t be God’s child or a citizen of His Kingdom. And, if I hadn’t learned how important my mouth and heart are in the spirit realm, I wouldn’t be ready to start living according to God’s instructions, commandments, rules, and laws. And, if I couldn’t live by them, my life would NEVER change in my relationship with myself and other people.

Jesus, help me understand that people who TRY to be good, TRY to do what is right, and TRY to not do anything wrong, bad, or evil will fail. I, as a human, lack the power, adequate desire, the necessary commitment, and the needed compassion to always do the right things with myself and other people. However, help me be one of those who put their faith, trust, reliance, and dependency on God. Help me see that I WILL HAVE AVAILABLE to me the power, adequate desire, the necessary commitment, and the needed compassion to always do the right things with myself and other people. Help me not fail to take advantage of these AVAILABLE things; help me know I can get those provisions from my heavenly Father, IF I WANT TO.

Jesus, teach me that the provisions of God are too valuable, too expensive, too important, and too God-sized for me to be able to earn them. No matter how hard or how long I work, I will never be able to afford or deserve God’s provisions. Show me that work can only provide me a wage; faith is free! Help me understand that I can get the gift of faith from You; I can speak faith through my mouth and use it to believe with my heart. Make it clear to me that if all the things of God are going to be AVAILABLE to everyone everywhere, then it has to be free, a gift, and by faith.

Jesus, when I prayed Your prayer and obeyed the instructions in Romans 10:9-10, I saw how EASY it was to be born again into God’s family and Kingdom. It was so easy, that some times it didn’t feel like I had done enough. I thought, “It can’t be this easy!” But, it is!

Help me keep in mind that because it is by faith as a free gift from God, I become His child and a citizen of His Kingdom. And I get it through a power that flows generously from a loving God. Help me not doubt the results just because it came with such ease. Help me believe that all the things of God DO come to me VERY easy; but, that easiness doesn’t make the things that come to me to be insignificant. Teach me that this is just the way God works; He makes everything come to me as a free gift and to come with great ease.

Jesus, once I was born again through faith that was confessed through my mouth, my mouth confessed that You are Lord and that You are MY Lord. And, once I used faith to believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead, being born again came to me as a gift from God. It didn’t matter how important I was, how rich I was, how smart I was, or how hard I worked. Help me know that I became God’s child and a citizen of His Kingdom as a gift. Make it clear to me that once that happened, God started hearing and answering my prayers because I AM His child.