Friday July 8, 2011

Read 1 Peter 3:3-9

Most of us sin regularly in areas of repetition. Few of us go looking for sins to enter into. I certainly hope that you don’t. But when we are plagued with a sin it’s often around a similar theme or thing. Some may struggle with pornography. Others may struggle with hateful thoughts of their spouse. Some may struggle with gossip.

Think about your own life. Is there a connecting link between your sins and down falls? If you can see a common link then you are well on the way to Victory. Once you’ve identified the common thread search the Bible for a promise from God about that area or struggle. We often struggle and fall because we don’t know the promises of God. There are some very specific promises and some generic ones. Learn as many promises as you can off by heart. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

When temptation comes and you are being pulled in the wrong direction you can claim that promise by stating it, by praying it, by reminding God of it. If you have a close mate, ring him or her (guys to guys, gals to gals) and ask them to be praying for you as well. Get yourself involved in something godly and productive as soon as temptation starts so that you busy your mind and hands with other things. The worst thing you can do is sit alone in silence continuing to think about indulging the passions of the flesh.

We saw yesterday that God longs for all men to repent and to come to salvation through Christ. As a believer God wants you to be victorious over the struggles and to walk in His ways, every step of the way. He longs for you to be righteous and to overpower the sin/temptation. He has given you everything you need to be victorious. One of the weapons He’s given you is His promises! Use them powerfully each and every single day.

Prayer:

V Pray for the new believers in Christ that they will be encouraged and supported to grow emotionally and spiritually in their new found faith.

V Pray for those people you know are yet to make a commitment to Christ and that God will reveal His desire to have a personal relationship with them.

Developing Godly Habits #2

If we are to have Jesus’ Victory in our life we have to cultivate a heart that is with Christ. We have to start seeing the world and the people in it as Jesus saw it all. Psalm 51:10 is a great prayer to be praying daily or even hourly!!

But to help get that cultivation going, read one of the gospels and see if you can figure out what Jesus felt towards the various people he met. As you read the gospel, ask yourself questions like ‘What is Jesus feeling towards this person?’ ‘Why is He feeling it?’ ‘What is Jesus’ response to this person?’ ‘Why?’

As you read and glimpse at the heart of Jesus, pray that God would change your heart and make it like Jesus’.

We need to remember that sin originates from selfishness. If we are going to walk in victory we have to kill the selfishness within us.