Jesus, I have met some Christians who are living very defeated lives. I have seen them going around trying to get others to become Christians. This was very confusing to me and has caused me to doubt Your plan for helping me. Help me understand that most of these people aren’t “doing what it takes” to learn Your methods and principles.

Jesus, help me understand that if the principles of my life become so powerful and transforming that people can see the successful life I am living, they will start submitting to these Biblical principles for their lives. Let me be an example for helping and bringing healing to those around me.

Jesus, help me learn from this example: Let’s say I lack the ability to evaluate people and opportunities that You give Christians. Suppose I make decisions that are mostly wrong and end up surrounding myself with people, a job, a career, training, and habits that bring great stress and disappointment to me.

• But, let’s say I start realizing that You love me more than I love myself.


• Suppose I start seeing that You know everything.


• What if I started recognizing that You are a lot more powerful than I am?

Help me realize that this would help me allow You to start showing me where my problems and difficulties are coming from. This would help me see where You and I would need to make changes in my life. If You start opening my eyes and helping me know in advance what kind of people, opportunities, jobs, careers, hobbies, training, recreation, vacations, and life’s decisions to make, I can see how it would greatly improve my life.

Jesus, let’s suppose I provided all kinds of special benefits and programs for my friends. But, inspite of all my efforts to help them, they ignored my provisions and went ahead and messed up their lives. Show me that if I try to force them to take advantage of my help, I would be trying to take away their freedom of choice. If I get mad and take away all my provisions, I would be taking away their opportunity to change their minds. If I punish them for not taking advantage of my help, I would be trying to make my gifts a law. Let me see that, that is the dilemma You are faced with.

Jesus, You have great provisions for me to take advantage of; but, I frequently ignore those provisions and go ahead and ruin my life. It is true that, when I fail to take advantage of all You offer, my life gest messed up; however, help me understand that You aren’t punishing me. It is just the results of me using bad principles to try to live life. You have provided me with incredible things that will transform my life into wonderful experiences. You keep offering them, but allow me the freedom to decide whether or not I want any of them.

Jesus, teach me that it is all about freedom of choice. If I understand this main principle about You, let it help me get all my needs met by You. Help me realize that it is important for me to know that You ONLY help those who believe in and ask for You provisions. Also, help me understand that You only help those who are willing to put in the effort to read about and study how Your provisions work. Show me that it will be hard for me to take advantage of those things You have to offer, if I don’t know what they are or how they work.