Jesus, God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in You, and through You to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, and He did this by making peace through Your blood, shed on the cross. Once I was alienated from God and was an enemy IN MY MIND because of my evil behavior. But now God has reconciled me by Your physical body through death to present me holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Col 1:19-22). I thank You for making all this possible for me. Lead me through the process of getting and keeping my helmet of salvation on.

Jesus, You provided the peace between me and God by making peace through Your blood, shed on the cross. Before salvation I was alienated from God. Your Word says: Once you were alienated from God. I couldn’t expect God to do anything for me. My mind made me an enemy with God because it was dedicated to evil behavior. Your Word says: And you were enemies IN YOUR MINDS because of your evil behavior. Then, through salvation, my mind started WANTING God and started WANTING to do the things of God. But, even though my WANT changed, my behavior didn’t. So, I came to the place where I did not understand what I did. For what I WANTED to do I did not do, but what I HATED I did (Rom 7:15). Thank You for influencing my mind and will so I could start wanting God and the things of God.

Jesus, help me understand that my WANT is VERY important to God. Help me ignore the “do” part for right now and just concentrate on my want, as I examine Romans 7:15. Since the “wanting” issue is huge with God, teach me how to have a strong want in my relationship with Him. Prior to salvation I didn’t WANT God or the things of God. As a matter of fact Colossians 1:19-22 says that I was an “enemy in [my] mind because of [my] evil behavior.” But, salvation changed my mind and my will and brought me into agreement with God about right and wrong deeds. For in my inner being (my spirit) I delight in God’s law (Rom 7:22). Teach me how You helped me to get to the place where I WANTED God and the things of God.

Jesus, show me that prior to salvation, the Holy Spirit had been convicting me about right and wrong issues. When He came into my life, He convicted me of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). He started infiltrating my conscience (belief system) and caused my heart to start making me feel bad about doing things that God said were wrong and not doing certain good things that God said were right. On a certain level He was helping me “start” to agree with God before I was saved. I thank You for that special work of Your Holy Spirit in my conscience.

Jesus, teach me that even though there was a conflict growing in my heart I still loved to sin and couldn’t hardly stand doing righteous things. When I was a slave to sin, I was free from the control of righteousness (Rom 6:20). As the Holy Spirit kept turning up the “heat,” I became more and more miserable about the sins I was committing. I started feeling a deep internal struggle going on inside me. This was my heavenly Father drawing me. Since the Bible says that no one can come to You unless the Father Who sent You draws him, and You will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44), I thank You heavenly Father for giving me permission to receive Jesus and His salvation.

Jesus, since the gospel message is Your instructions for how to be saved, I thank You for causing someone to come to me with these instructions. It came to me at a point where I could hardly stand the way I was living. It introduced me to Your saving power. I thank You for helping the person who came to me to not be ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation for me who believed. (Rom 1:16). It was at that point that I accepted Your help and my mind changed. I gave in to the pressure the Holy Spirit was putting on me. I start WANTING to come into agreement with God. Thank You for making all this possible for me.

Jesus, You taught me that once I confessed that You are my Lord and believed that God raised You from the dead, my attitudes would change concerning SIN, which are those deeds that hurt me and others and RIGHTEOUSNESS, which are those deeds that bless me and others. You told me through the Bible that if I confess with my mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead, I would be saved (Rom 10:9); and I was! I started WANTING to do the right things and HATING to do the wrong things. I entered into my first phase of Christianity where I did not understand what I was doing. For what I WANTED to do I did not do, but what I HATED I did (Rom 7:15). I thank You for creating this dilemma in me so I would reject my world training and start learning from You.

Jesus, a wonderful thing happened to me at that point. Salvation brought proof to me that I was saved; I received evidence from the Holy Spirit that I am God’s child. The Spirit Himself testifies with my spirit that I AM God’s child (Rom 8:16). Teach me that when I received that evidence from the Holy Spirit, I could know that my helmet of salvation was available to me. My mind, my heart, and my will are now all pointing toward God. They “want” to do what God says is right. They “want” to stop doing the things God says are wrong. Thank You for that great transformation taking place in my mind, my heart, and my will.

Jesus, teach me that if at the moment of salvation the helmet of salvation is put on, my mind, my heart, and my will, will be SET in agreement with God. Teach me that those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds SET on what the Spirit desires (Rom 8:5b). But, also teach me that the thing that often keeps me from putting it on is a lack of YIELDING to God’s love. Since God has poured out His love into my hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given me (Rom 5:5b), help me to yield to its great power. Keep me aware of the fact that I HAVE GOD’S love, I just have to learn how to yield to it. Show me that the more I build an intimate, love relationship with God, the more I put on and keep on the helmet of salvation.

Let 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 give me a full list and a full understanding of all the things God’s love will do for me. Reveal to me what God’s love has the power to do to my behavior. Teach and empower me to yield to Your love that is patient, and is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Your love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Your love never fails. Help me yield to God’s power-love, so it can empower me to put on and keep on the helmet of salvation.