Jesus, take the methods, systems, and strategies that You have set up for me and empower me to overcome my spending issues. Help me see that the things You have taught me so far, I have been praying and asking You to put into my life. Help me understand that what I have just experienced through the Strategy Courses is different from the study systems I am used to. Show me that these studies are spiritual food. I may not remember what I ate yesterday; but, I don’t need to. When I allowed that food to enter my digestive system, it started doing what it was suppose to do. Make it clear to me that this is what has happened and will continue to happen as you take me through these courses.

Jesus, just like human food has materials that are used to build the cells in my body, and just like it also has energy or power from the sun, I don’t have to remember what I ate, I just have to eat it. Show me that spiritual food has materials that build me up spiritually and it has Your power in it. I may not remember much of what I have read and prayed for so far; but, because I read it and prayed for it to do its work in me, it is in me building me up and helping me yield to You and Your power.

Mat 18:1-4 (NIV) At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus, deal with my willingness to be taught and empowered by You.

Jesus, help me see that I am NOT going to agree with the Bible and You. I have beliefs, opinions, principles, and systems that I have BASED MY LIFE ON. I really believe in those things I have put my trust in. I am invested in things that You are going to refute, disagree with, talk against, and require me to replace. You will be using the Submission Courses to take me as a human and help me learn to disagree with myself and accept things that are totally opposite of what I have based my life on. Help me submit to Your leadership and authority.

Rom 3:22-23 (NIV) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus, I now pray and ask You to help me see why I have embraced wrong, bad, and evil things. Take me through these Submission Courses while helping me understand the reasons behind You teachings. Show me that as I ALLOW You to help me see why I need these new things in my life, my relationship with You will grow. I will see how wise, gracious, and loving Youare. I will learn to trust You with more and more of my life.

Jesus, I won’t mind joining You in resisting things I don’t like coming into my life. BUT, help me understand that this isn’t what these courses are all about. You will be asking me to join You in resisting things I regularly allow to come into my life. Show me that if I allow You to show me wonderful things I need to submit to in the Submission Courses, it will help me see what You are capable of providing. Once You have taken me through those courses, help me look back at all the wonderful things You helped me to submit to. Help me see that I would have never submitted to them if You hadn’t helped me see all their benefits.

Jesus, teach me that many of the things I will be submitting to during the Submission Courses willcrowd out some of the things I will be starting to resist in these courses. The Submission Courses will expose me to better, more wonderful, and more supernatural things than what I, the world, and the devil can provide. You will use the Submission Courses to help me see things I didn’t even know were options for me. As I enter into Your world, help me see that I will be given opportunities that will be far better than the choices I was given in the world.

Jesus, there are things, relationships, jobs, commitments, contracts, habits, addictions, and lifestyles that have already settled into my life. I didn’t come to You like a blank slate just waiting for a way to live. I have been actively involved in “living life.” Unless You can help me get detached from some of these things that have become a part of my life, Christianity won’t help me much.

Jesus, make it clear to me that the things You will add in the Submission Courses, the things You will help me resist and block off in the Resistance Courses, and the things that You will want to remove from my life in the Purification Courses will be miraculous. Help me understand that before all these things happen to me, my life will typically stay like it was before salvation. Show me that my record with God is clean and pure; I am a child of God, a member of His family, and a citizen of His eternal Kingdom. BUT, there are a lot of things that I allowed to attach themselves to my everyday activities. Show me that it is going to take Your supernatural power to detach these things from me.

Jesus, teach me that if I am attacked by some temptation that is wrong, bad, or evil, before salvation and justification I didn’t have Your power to resist it. After salvation and justification I got Your power to resist all the wrong, bad, and evil things that were coming against me; but, I didn’t have the training, knowledge, and skills to cooperate with Your power. Jesus, use the Prevention Courses to train me in on how to keep wrong, bad, and evil things out of my life. Rather than them getting in and me having to repent, apologize, make things right, and try to do better next time, help me get my spiritual armor on and win.

Jesus, teach me that a life of prevention is so much better than having to go back and clean up the mess. As You take me into the Prevention Courses, help me be able to think, feel, say, and do the right things in the first place. Use the Submission Courses to help me get on the same page with You. Help me see that Your way is the best way for living life. In the Resistance Courses, help me see why You labeled certain things sins. Spend time showing me the LONG TERM result of things that start out looking okay to me. In the Purification Courses, help me see that none of the wrong, bad, or evil things that are attached to me are more powerful than You are. Once I have received all this training, healing, and blessings from You, show me that I will be MUCH MORE cooperative with Your will for my life.

Jesus, help it not take long for me to learn that it is more blessed to give than receive. Acts 20:35 (NIV) In everything I [Paul] did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” However, teach me that I can’t give what I don’t have; I have to experience and live it myself before I can share it with others. Make it clear to me that giving will end up giving me a greater blessing that the one I got when I received it; but, I am a hypocrite if I try to teach something I am not living myself.

Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Jesus, use the example of people standing outside watching my house burn down. They may not have done anything to cause it; but, if they haven’t properly trained, they can’t do anything to stop it either. When the fire fighters arrive, they are so much better than spectators. They had a lot of training and experience to get; but, they “did what it took” to come help me. Use this illustration to teach me that my victories in my life will gradually become other people’s victories, as I share.