Jesus, help me understand that my words are pretty powerless; I am fortunate when people actually get my full meaning when I talk. BUT, when You talk, Your words are supernaturally powerful. Show me that they go inside me and produce pictures, feelings, and power. You said in John 6:63 (NIV) The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life. Help me see that as I read the Bible, and as You produce ideas and feelings in my mind and heart that they are more than information. Help me believe in them so they can instantly change my opinions of what I should allow in my life. Through Your and the Bible’s words let me be able to recognize wrong, bad, and evil things that I have been allowing to come into my life.

Heb 12:2 (NIV) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus, empower me to learn how to fix my eyes on You so I will know, be convinced, and be sure of the words You speak to me through the Bible. Empower me to be so sure of Your truth that I will resist anything that tries to get into me that You and the Bible say are wrong. Let Your faith be so powerful that I won’t doubt You for even a second. So, when something is different from what You say, I will resist it coming into me.

Jesus, I have trusted a lot of people and allowed them to teach me things that were wrong. I have trusted myself and allowed myself to take me in directions that hurt me. Help me understand that there are things I believe that are errors and misconceptions. Show me that there are things I thought would make me happy that are actually doing great damage to my life and relationships. Empower me to take my trust away from myself and other people and put in You, the One Who is totally trustworthy. Show me that once I start REALLY trusting You, You will prove to me that You are my true answer to life and relationships. Let this help me resist any outside information that is trying to get me to trust it. Even those things that I have been allowing in my life for a long time. Help me only trust what You and the Bible say.

Jesus, I have made up my mind, made a final decision, committed myself, and determined to do a lot of things. But, like the rest of the human race, I have found that my commitment was inadequate for staying on course. Plus, I often found out that those things I committed to were no good for me in the first place. Help me allow Your power-commitment to lock me on the right path for what I should allow to come into my life. But, teach me that I will have to resist any detours that try to distract me and take me to the wrong path; let this help me commit to the right path.

Jesus, there were times when I was sure I was right and then found out I was wrong. There are things in my life that I am sure are right but are actually hurting me. You are the truth: John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, “I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Reveal and make clear the truths of life so I can be amazed at how many things I believed but were actually wrong. Make it clear to me that I didn’t stand a chance of winning. Show me that no one can succeed at life if they don’t know the truth. Help me cooperate with You as we resist a lot of erroneous things that are trying to drastically mislead me.

Jesus, teach me that only being able to see things from my perspective will hurt all my relationships. Help me understand that the people around me are using all kinds of methods, systems, and procedures to get me to do what THEY want me to do. They have learned that they aren’t going to get their needs and wants met if they can’t convince me that they care about me. They act like they are trying to do me a favor. But, I learned a long time ago that they only have their best interests in mind. If I go their way rather than Your way, then I am being used. Help me yield to Your love rather than their selfish desires.

Jesus, make it clear to me that love will turn me into a person who is real, sincere, trustworthy, and caring. You will help me be able to see things from other people’s perspectives. As I resist wrong things that I was regularly allowing to enter into my life, people will GRADUALLY learn to come to me for truth, honesty, care, and friendship. They will come to me at first while not trusting ANYBODY. BUT, they will slowly learn that I am totally different from anyone they have ever met. However, keep empowering me to join You in resisting a lot of things that will keep trying to hinder me from BEING that person. Continue empowering me to keep all of them out of my life.

Jesus, the people around me have learned that they can’t trust anyone. They have developed all kinds of ways of protecting themselves. When I purchase something, there has to be a moment of exchange. When I am at the drive-up window of a fast food place, they won’t give me the food I ordered UNTIL I give them the money for it. They are afraid I might drive off without paying. They aren’t used to being around people like me that You have transformed.

Jesus, teach me that most of my human relationships and transactions are designed in such a way that we are able to protect ourselves. Help me understand that the people around me protect themselves by ACTING nice, ACTING trustworthy, ACTING caring, and ACTING sincere; but, they can turn on me in a moment. Set me free from ACTING nice, trustworthy, caring, and sincere. Show me that there is a huge difference between ACTING like a Christian and BEING one. Make clear to me that renewal, transformation, creation, and being born again MAKE me into a person who lives the way I do because that is who I now am. Let renewal empower me to keep the old me out so I can BE the new me.