Jesus, help me not say, shall I go on sinning so that grace may increase? Now that all my past, present, and future sins, mistakes, failures, shortcomings, and misdeeds have been cleansed from my record with God, help me understand why God did that. Therefore, since I have been JUSTIFIED through FAITH, I have PEACE with God through You, my Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom I have gained ACCESS by faith into this GRACE in which I now stand (Rom 5:1-2). And I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Help me keep in mind that He did it so I could have access to Him, His power, and all His provisions. Help me not start sinning on purpose, or, I will lose my access.

Jesus, teach me that my access to God and all He has to offer is based on a clean record. If I go on sinning so that grace may increase, I am doing it on purpose. It isn’t because I am fighting and losing, trying and failing, wanting but not getting, or giving my best effort and it not being enough. Help me understand that my desire rather than my performance is much more important to God. You have the power, training, and provisions to transform my performance. However, I MUST provide the WILLINGNESS to not go on sinning so that grace may increase. But, help me keep in mind that, if I ever struggle with my desire or willingness, all I have to do is pray and You will help me with that too.

Jesus, help me confess and believe this Scripture and say: By no means! I died to sin; how can I live in it any longer (Rom 6:2)? When I prayed Your prayer and obeyed Romans 10:8-10, it provided me with the right to consider Your death on the cross as my death. It is probably impossible to find a law anywhere on earth that allows me to get a substitute to die for me in a capital punishment case. BUT, thank God, His laws allowed You to take all my past, present, and future sins on Yourself; then You died in my place. But, help me realize that there is one requirement; I must accept the fact that You died in my place. I have to consider Your death as being the cure for my sins. God is willing to accept Your death as my death to all my past, present, and future sins. All I have to do is accept it myself; and, I do accept Your death as my death to the law and sin.

Jesus, help me know that I who was baptized into You, Christ Jesus, was baptized into Your death. Teach me that when I was baptized in water and was submerged into that water, it symbolized that I died with You on Your cross and was buried with You in Your tomb. When I was lifted up out of the water, it symbolized that I was raised to a new life in You. And, because I believe that I died with You, I can now say, I died to sin; how can I live in it any longer? Help that question take on an incredible meaning for my current Christian life and my future Christian life.

Jesus, I was therefore buried with You through baptism into death in order that, just as You were raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, I too may live a new life (Rom 6:4). Introduce me into the training and explanations about the grace, power, and transformation of God. Make it clear to me that when I used my mouth to confess and my heart to believe, all the death and resurrection things happened to me. Even though all these things weren’t clear to me at the time, they did happen to me so I could take advantage of them now that You are teaching me these things.

Jesus, since I HAVE been united with You like this in Your death, I WILL certainly also be united with You in Your resurrection (Rom 6:5). This is my confession and my belief: I HAVE been united with You like this in Your death. Now teach me that the next thing is to start LIVING the power life. This is my next confession and belief: I WILL certainly also be united with You in Your resurrection. Like a healthy baby or young child, I have received all the EQUIPMENT to be successful. The problem is, like healthy babies and young children, I don’t have the skills, training, and experiences to successfully use that equipment YET.

Jesus, I KNOW that my old self was crucified with You so that the body of sin MIGHT BE done away with, that I SHOULD no longer be a slave to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin (Rom 6:6-7). We don’t expect babies and young children to be able to use their physical equipment like an adult. That attitude by adults with babies and children is similar to God’s grace. If we apply adults rules, laws, and expectations to them, they will be held accountable for things impossible for them. Help me realize that I have entered into a world where God is giving me a “grace period” so I can be trained, equipped, and given experiences to grow.

Rom 6:8 (NIV) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. Jesus, teach me what to do with the “if’s” in the Bible. If we died with Christ: Teach me that when I believe, I must take that “if” and convert it into “since.” My faith must say: SINCE I died with Christ. Show me that if I can’t confess this with my mouth and believe it in my heart, the next verses that follow won’t apply to me. Jesus, since I died with You, I believe that I will also live with You. I can see that those who don’t know how to use their mouth of confession and their heart of faith will read the Bible but not get its power.

Jesus, I KNOW that SINCE You were raised from the dead, You cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over You. The death You died, You died to sin once for all; but the life You live, You live to God. In the same way, empower me to COUNT myself dead to sin but alive to God in You, Christ Jesus. THEREFORE empower me to not LET sin reign in my mortal body so that I obey its evil desires (Rom 6:9-12).

In the same way, COUNT: Teach me that “Count” is my way of believing in my heart the fact that I am dead to sin but alive to God in You, Christ Jesus. Jesus, I now use my mouth and confess to You that I COUNT myself dead to sin but alive to God in You, Christ Jesus. And I believe in my heart that I COUNT myself dead to sin but alive to God in You, Christ Jesus.

Now, Jesus, help me KNOW that once I have used my mouth to confess Romans 6:9-11 and believed it in my heart, I have the power to apply the “THEREFORE” of Romans 6:12. THEREFORE do not LET sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires (Rom 6:12). Reveal to me that from Romans 6:12 on, the fight begins.

As I practice not LETTING sin reign in MY mortal body so that I obey its evil desires, I will make a lot of mistakes, have failures, and misunderstand a lot of truths; but, I will be on my way to LEARNING HOW to use my spiritual equipment and start winning. Teach me that I will get more and more success in not LETTING sin reign in MY mortal body so that I obey its evil desires.