Jesus, You are teaching me incredible things as You show me how to take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. You are taking Scripture after Scripture and showing me how to use the sword of the Spirit. I am seeing how to use it to win over all my life situations. You are teaching me these things so I will not only pass Your final exam, I will be producer of a hundred times what was sown.

Jesus, at first I experienced fear when I learned that You are going to hold me responsible for this final exam: Mat 25:35-36 (NIV) For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me. Since this exam decides WHERE I will spend eternity, I wanted to learn how to pass this final exam. But, You have taught me how to pass it with such skill, I now see that I won’t just barely make it into Your Kingdom. You are teaching me how to use the sword of the Spirit with such effectiveness that I am becoming the very best there is in You.

Jesus, when I first learned that there is an additional exam for those who pass Your final exam, that caused me to worry about it. But, You are teaching me that this exam helps me know what to do. It makes it were I can go far beyond just passing Your final exam. In 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 (NIV) I am learning that I can get Your power and training to only do those things that really matter. That is helping me to restructure my life.

Keep teaching me how this is the test that helps me go far beyond passing Your final exam: If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. You are teaching and empowering me to not become a Christian and just desire, study, pray, believe, love, and take faith-action to fulfill the basic minimum requirements. You are teaching and empowering me to put everything I have into the Christian life.

Help me make and keep this commitment in Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV): I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Jesus, Satan, people’s opinions, rejection, persecution, and punishment are all trying to keep me from sharing You with those around me. Help me take up my sword of the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to give me boldness, love, and power to resist all this opposition and speak boldly. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31). Let this mighty outpouring of Your Holy Spirit fill me and empower me to speak the word of God boldly.

Jesus, as You have already shown me, there are great quantities of things that come my way bidding for my time and attention. Even when I am using my sword of the Spirit to fight off distractions, there will be legitimate things come my way trying to get me off course. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables (Acts 6:2).” Even though it was very important to take care of widows needs, they still didn’t allow it to distract them. Instead, they used the sword of the Spirit and appointed special people to take care of that need. Help me do like them and go on doing what God has called me to do. I believe my sword of the Spirit will help me keep my priorities straight.

Jesus, Satan and his people don’t want me spreading the Word. They will do everything they can to block me off and discourage me. Help me realize that this is where my sword of the Spirit must be used to keep these people from stopping me. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). Even though persecution was intense, these people used their shield of faith to block the attacks and their sword to proclaim the message to everyone. Help me follow their example.

Jesus, help me follow Paul and Barnabas’ example as that they answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).” Teach me that there are people who will argue with me for as long as I will give them my attention. There are those who will dominate my time, my efforts, and my resources. Cause my sword of the Spirit to bring Scriptures to my attention that will lead me away from these people. Help it direct me toward those who want to hear what You have to say through me.

Jesus, just like when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed (Acts 13:48), help me stay aware that this will happen to me. Help me see that the sword of the Spirit will keep me from getting discouraged because of those who hate me, resist me, persecute me, and say all kinds of evil things about me. Let it help me realize that there are people just beyond them that desperately want Your message through me. But, if I fail to use my sword of the Spirit and allow the people of Satan to stop me, then I will miss helping those who would have listened and been set free.

Jesus, commit me to God and to the word of His grace, which can build me up and give me an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32). Keep me aware that the needs are great, as I start yielding to the power of my sword of the Spirit. Show me that because of these great needs, I will start running out of time and energy. Help me use my sword of the Spirit when I am tempted to stop spending time with You for myself. Let my sword of the Spirit resist these attitudes in me. Let it protect me from lies of Satan that tell me that I don’t have time or am too tired to take care of my own spiritual needs.

Jesus, teach me this vital truth that “The word is near me; it is in my mouth and in my heart,” that is, the word of faith that You caused to be proclaimed to me (Rom 10:8). Let this be where my shield of faith and my sword of the Spirit work together. If I am just saying the words from the Bible, they will fail me and the people I am talking to. But, if I believe what I am saying, I will respect, honor, know, and base my life on those things I am telling others from the Bible. Help me to always use the sword of the Spirit in faith.

Jesus, by this gospel I am saved, if I hold firmly to the word You caused to be preached to me. Otherwise, I have believed in vain (1 Cor 15:2). Teach me that there is a handle on my sword of the Spirit. I can use it with a weak grip, a casual grip, an incorrect grip, or I can hold it firmly. Teach me that there will be a lot of opportunities for me to express my opinion, say things that are from world teaching, or teach things I am not living yet. Show me that to get a firm grip on my sword of the Spirit, I must EXCLUSIVELY stick with the Word of God that I am living.

Jesus, help me to be unlike so many, help me not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in You help me speak before God with sincerity, like a person sent from God (2 Cor 2:17). As a lot of money comes my way, let me allow my sword of the Spirit to help me always be a river. Cause my sword of the Spirit to constantly be pointing me to Luke 6:38 (NIV). Let it tell me to give, and it will be given to me. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into my lap. For with the measure I use, it will be measured to me.”