MY STRENGTH
I Am Getting More Power To Submit My Will-Power
Jesus, teach me the will-power principles in James 4:1 (NIV): What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? Show me that the problem is, my will-power isn’t always in control. I may DESIRE to do the right thing and not do the wrong thing and my heart and mind can override my will. 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. Make it clear to me that if I am going to get my will-power in charge of my decisions and actions, I am going to need God’s help.
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Even If You And Your Will-Power Are On The Same Page
Jesus, teach me the will-power principles in James 4:2 (NIV) You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. Help me see that I can spend a lifetime pursuing something that I never end up getting. Just because I want something doesn’t make it happen. Teach me that there are thing that are out of my reach. But, help me see that I can either find that out by wasting my entire life pursuing it; or, I can ASK God and He will tell me whether or not it is worth the battle.
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When God Says No To Me
Jesus, teach me the will-power principles in James 4:3 (NIV) When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Show me that my heart and mind can be contaminated by my body, the world, or the devil. I can actually want something that IS God’s will for my life; but, my heart and mind want it for the wrong reason. So, show me what’s wrong with having a bad motive. Show me that my body, the world, and the devil can take a good thing and use it for wrong, bad, or evil. They can take a good career, a good marriage, a good friendship, or a good business deal and contaminate it.
Jesus, teach me about bait, lures, and traps; show me that they can be made up of good things but with an evil intent. Show me that a fish hook typically has something good wrapped around the hook. A lure just looks good; it is a fake good with hooks attached to it. A trap can have something good close to the trigger; the good entices the animal to the trigger for them to step on. Make it clear to me that if my will-power isn’t connected to God’s will, I can be fooled by worldly and satanic bait, lures, and traps. Teach me that the Holy Spirit can warn my conscience, the Bible can make me familiar with what baits, lures, and traps look like, and You can give me the power to resist them. But, teach me that the main thing is, when I pray for everthing you get, God will say “no,” and that will keep me from being fooled.
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Spiritual Bait, Lures, And Traps
Jesus, help me see these sins as temptations that will destroy me: Gal 5:19-21 (NIV) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Teach me that God labelled these as sins because they offer extreme pleasure so as to addict, enslave, and control me. Empower me to allow God to set my will-power against them.
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Spiritual Blessings, Power, And Transformation
Jesus, help me see these items of righteousness will bless, heal, and transform me: Gal 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Teach me that God labelled these righteousness because I can safely involve myself with them and they won’t hurt, enslave, addict, or control me. Empower me to allow God to set my will-power for them.
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The Romans Chapter Seven Life
Jesus, teach me that Galatians 5:19-23 is what Romans 7:15-25 is all about. Show me that Romans 7:15 lays out the problem: 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. Teach me that when the new or untrained Christian says: “For what I want to do I do not do,” they are talking about those things like found in the Galatians 5:22-23 list. And, when they say: “what I hate I do,” they are talking about the things like found in the list in Galatians 5:19-23. Teach me that their will-power has been transformed and submitted to You. Show me that salvation and justification did a major change to their will-power.
Jesus, make it clear to me that DESIRE isn’t just the first step in The Six Biblical Principles. It is my first step into all of Christianity. Teach me that the new and untrained Christian described in Romans 7:15-25 is born again and in a right relationship with God because of their transformed DESIRE. They are failing on so many levels that it is almost hard to read about them. But, that is me and all of the rest of new and untrained Christians. Teach me that every new and untrained Christian starts out in Romans chapter seven. Show me that some go through it and right on into Romans chapter eight faster than others; but, no Christian skips it. Help me submit my power-will to You like You want me to so I will move right through my Romans chapter seven phase and my will-power will get empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let this lead me into The Victorious Christian Life.
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