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I Am Using The Six Biblical Principles
To Be Willing To Be Persecuted
Jesus, help me practice using The Six Biblical Principles to be WILLING to be persecuted. Since persecution is a difficult, scary, challenging thing, help me “do what it takes” get the DESIRE to be WILLING to be persecuted. Help me STUDY the Bible and learn how to be WILLING to be Persecuted. Let me PRAY and ask You to help me be WILLING to be persecuted. Empower me to fix my spiritual eyes on You and wait until You give me the faith. Then let that faith empower me to BELIEVE that You are helping me be WILLING to be persecuted. Help me yield to God’s LOVE; let God’s love help me care enough about people to be WILLING to be persecuted. Empower me to NOT get discouraged by persecution. And, help me take FAITH-ACTION and start joining You in living on the basis of the fact that I am WILLING to be persecuted.
Jesus, when the Bible and You are asking me to face something that sounds painful, difficult, scary, or harmful, help me understand that DESIRE doesn’t come easy. Teach me that this is where STUDY has to preceed DESIRE by helping me find out why the Bible is leading me in that direction. Teach me that this is where I PRAY and ask You to help me understand why I need to DESIRE such a challenging issue. Teach me that this is also where I fix my eyes on You, the Author and Perfecter of my faith, Who for the joy set before You endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2). so I can BELIEVE persecution is the right attitude and character for me. I ask You for the ability to LOVE people enough to keep pushing forward. Let God’s love help me find the power to DESIRE to be willing to be persecuted. Once that happens, empower me to take FAITH-ACTION.
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Mat 5:10-12 (NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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I Am Being Persecuted
I Am Dealing With Abuse
Jesus, how can I believe if I accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God (John 5:44)? Show me that it’s easy to succeed if I have everyone’s support and approval. Teach me that the place where my attitudes and character get tested is when I get criticized, verbally abused, rejected, and lied against. Help me NOT be a people pleasers so persecution will NOT be hard on me. Help my confidence and esteem NOT be based on the opinions of people so I won’t be deeply hurt when persecuted. Help me NOT use human systems and efforts to not care what people think or say; show me that it will cut me off from being able to love others. Teach me that the only way to be WILLING to be persecuted is to allow You to empower me.
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Who Am I Trying To Impress?
Jesus, I make it my goal to please You, whether I am at home in the body or away from it (2 Cor 5:9). Teach me that there ARE people who want to be helped by You; however, very often they aren’t the most verbal people in the crowd. Show me that most of these people suffer quietly and don’t let anyone know about their pain. Make it clear to me that in between these hurting people and me are people who hate You and Christianity. If they find out I am a Christian, they will make it one of their top priorities to shut me up. Help me understand that if Your enemies can hurt me, persecute me, and that resistance can stop me from getting to those who want Your help, then Satan has succeed in his goal. But, if I care about hurting people and what You think, I will be able to “do what it takes” to push through all the resistance.
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Giving My Attitudes And Character Joy
Jesus, help me fix my eyes on You, the Author and Perfecter of my faith, Who for the JOY set before You endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2). Teach me that if I don’t let You fill my heart with the joy of all the benefits I am going to receive, I won’t be able to endure persecution. Help me understand that it will get easier to be persecuted as I see You do wonderful things in people’s lives. As I look back at all the things people did to discourage me in sharing You, and, as I compare that with how blessed and happy the new Christian is, I will get stronger in my ability to be persecuted.
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My Rewards
Jesus, blessed am I when people insult me, persecute me and falsely say all kinds of evil against me because of You: Teach me that first of all, this Scripture is telling me that I get the blessings of God for being willing to face persecution. Teach me that second, because I am willing to be persecuted, mine is the kingdom of heaven. Teach me that third, You are ready to put some wonderful emotions into my heart when I am persecuted: Rejoice and be glad. Make it clear to me that You aren’t asking me to produce rejoicing and gladness; You are speaking it into my heart. Teach me that fourth, rejoice and be glad, BECAUSE great is your reward in heaven. Make it clear to me that persecution is causing me to lay up special treasures, rewards, and opportunities in eternity. I am making great investments in my eternal future. Teach me that fifth, I am in great company: Rejoice and be glad, because great is my reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before me.
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My Attitude And Character Adjustment
Jesus, I consider that my present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in me (Rom 8:18). I make this my confession of faith that this same attitude is in my heart that is expressed in this verse.
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This concludes
“Submitting Your Attitudes” Week Two
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