Two Entities—Depraved Flesh and the SPIRIT

FATHER, when I bow my knee and ask You to search me for sin clue me that I set two entities into motion: my natural, depraved flesh searches for sin as well as Your SPIRIT (ref#100, p83). Flesh brings to my mind unrighteous actions that I’ve committed; the SPIRIT reveals my unrighteous motives.

The search engine of natural flesh only finds obvious willful sins of rebellion—one or two unholy deeds. These are the sins I feel I can correct myself, with better effort.

The search engine of the SPIRIT scans the heart and finds innate rebellion—obstinate roots imbedded in my very character.

The SPIRIT brings my real fleshly self to my attention, while flesh overlooks itself and attempts to change bad actions. Flesh will not believe that its very self is bad. Therefore, FATHER, “I fall short of the purity thou requirest because in thinking I am holy I do not see holiness, or, believing I am impotent, I do no more” (ref#76, p96).

Motivate me to stay on my knees past admitting a few recent sins. For if I consider my confession done I will have only met with my self—my depraved flesh—and not with Your SPIRIT. My flesh will only prompt me to deal with my symptoms not my sickness. I wish to be obedient to You, FATHER, and wait until a thought enters my mind that requires more than my own efforts to correct.

I thank You, SPIRIT, that You will not only convict, but also correct as You give me solid directions to work beside You for accomplishing the correction. Yes, how I thank You for not only directing but also I thank You for changing my very nature day by day making me able to obey Your commands.

FATHER, in my routine of confession prompt me please to warn myself to not stumble over JESUS, the rock of offense (Rom 9:33) by listening to my flesh and attempting to eradicate sin by working at it in my own strength. Direct me to stumble onto JESUS. For He, working through the SPIRIT, is the only One able to make me righteous. FATHER, increase my faith, not my abilities (Rom 9:30-33).

“…we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment;…Therefore, the reason God seeks our praise is not because He won’t be complete until He gets it. He is seeking our praise because we won’t be complete until we give it. This is not arrogance. It is love” (ref#124, p161-162).

Drawing Water from the Wells of Salvation

You are the MOST HIGH over all the earth;

Your name alone is the LORD (Ps 83:18).

You forever remain the same—
Your years have no end (Ps 102:27).

You, LORD, are the everlasting GOD—

Creator of the ends of the earth.
You do not faint or grow weary;
You’re never fatigued or exhausted (Isa 40:28).

There is no searching Your understanding
You must be infinitely wise.
Your boundless skill is proved
by the works of Your hands (ref#16, [Isa 40:28]).

You are righteous in all Your ways,

Everything You do is true.
Kind, You are, in all Your works,
Yes, Your trademark is love (Ps 145:17).

With joy I will draw water from the wells of Your salvation—

from those ever-flowing fountains from You, the great Giver (Isa 12:3).

CHRIST Justifies, Then Sanctifies

“Thou hast shown me that because thou art mine I can live by thy life, be strong in thy strength, be guided by thy wisdom; and so I can pitch my thoughts and heart in thee” (ref#76, p167).

FATHER, CHRIST does not remove the gap between You and me that sin causes, then sit back and expect me to make and maintain a relationship with You, no—He actually transforms me into a creature that brings You joy (ref#35, p289). He makes me suited to fellowship with You. He makes me…

“He [CHRIST] does not only justify his saints from the guilt of sin, but also sanctify and wash them from the filth of sin….He makes us not only accepted, but acceptable” (ref#35, p 291, [bracket mine]).

He is as a refiner’s fire so whatever in me that is of the SPIRIT, remains and whatever is of my natural self is consumed. CHRIST does not let me be independent. CHRIST never lets me alone to rely on my depraved natural self. In every minute of life He provides new supplies of grace through the SPIRIT. I must have new grace for every new morning. It is He, Himself Who is constantly working in me to will and do His good pleasure (Phil 2:13) (ref#35, p293).

FATHER, I can observe Your magnificence by looking at creation, but Your lovingkindness can only be seen through CHRIST JESUS (ref#35, p185). Give me the countenance to comprehend such adoring provision.

Prayer Facts:

“Prayer is an act of worship inasmuch as it is the prostrating of the soul before Him; inasmuch as it is a calling upon His great and holy name; inasmuch as it is the owning of His goodness, His power, His immutability, His grace, and inasmuch as it is the recognition of His sovereignty, owned by a submission to His will” (ref#152, p136).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You know the secrets of the heart (Ps 44:21), I will wait for You.
Because You do not regard the rich more than the poor (Job 34:19), I will wait for You.

Because You are a shield to those who put their trust in You (Prov 30:5), I will wait for You.
Because You will not abandon Your heritage (Ps 94:14), I will wait for You.

You Satiate

Who is a GOD like You (Mic 7:18)?
You are valid—well-grounded,
able to withstand criticism—
You are sound and effective (ref#110, p1473).

Gracious are You—and merciful (Ps 116:5).

You fill and fully supply—
completely satiate—
satisfy and gratify (ref#110, p1192-1193).

You are a GOD who pardons iniquity;
You do not retain Your anger forever (Mic 7:18).

You are unselfish;
and You are generous (ref#110, p1463).

Because You delight in steadfast love (Mic 7:18)—

You are devoted with deep attachment,
good will and passionate affection—
fondness and concern for me (ref#110, p801).

The Beginning Interaction Between GOD and His Creatures

FATHER, in Genesis, chapter three, is the account of the first human lapse from You and godliness into sin and lostness (ref#56, p13, “The Fall”). Adam and Eve were deceived and sought to decide what was good and evil for themselves disregarding Your direction and in the process determining the destiny of their descendants (ref#56, p13, “The Fall”). But, immediately You, in mercy, altered Eve’s affections away from satan to Yourself (ref#56, p14 [Gen 3:15]). You addressed the snake: “I will put enmity between you and the woman…” (Gen 3:15 ESV).

FATHER, in Your endless mercy You made Eve hate satan and so, I, too, hate satan. Though I sometimes love his ideas, I detest him. It is true that when I find out what I naturally love is provided by satan, I bristle, quickly desiring to be back in fellowship with You (ref#15, [Gen 3:15]). Disliking my enemy and all that he does helps me turn to You. I don’t want him to win. It’s a competition and I hate to lose. Thank You for putting love in me for You, and hate in me for satan.

The Final Judgment

FATHER, speed Your grace and mercy to ____ as (he/she) speaks on Your behalf. I pray (he/she) puts into practice what Your Word declares.

“The only message with power is that which is preached from a pure heart…” (ref#138, p45). A message with power also must come from a person with clean hands (ref#138, p45). Pierce ____ with the imperative to be holy and blameless before (he/she) attempts any speaking to others. Witnessing does not off-set the need to be holy.

Yes, give ____ incentive to thoroughly describe the judgment seat of CHRIST. “All people of all times will be raised for the judgment and take their place before Christ’s throne” (ref#56, p1404, “The Final Judgment”) (Rom 2:6).

“The regenerate, who…have learned to love righteousness and desire the glory of heaven,…and on the basis of Christ’s merit…will be awarded the righteousness they seek” (ref#56, p1404, “The Final Judgment”). “The rest will go to…a place assigned to them on the basis of their own demerit” (Rom 2:6-11) (ref#56, p1404, “The Final Judgment”).

Balance ____’s message of judgment with the following truth: “…God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (Acts 11:18 ESV). “…a message by which you will be saved,…” (Acts 11:14 ESV). “…Jesus…is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead….that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name’” (Acts 10:38,42-43 ESV).

Reasons For Affliction – To Be Drawn Back to GOD

FATHER, moving into Your house is ____’s happiness in this hurt. Before (he/she) was afflicted (he/she) went astray (Ps 119:67) but Your “chastisement must be felt to be grievous before the tenderness and sympathy of Jesus will be sought” (ref#61, Aug 30th). Don’t allow ____ to deny the compassion JESUS holds out to (him/her).

As much as ____ resists pain, still it’s true “the infliction of sorrows harmonizes the mind to the fear of God…” (ref#16, [Haggai 1:12]). Therefore, I pray for all Your strength, even to the measure of Your divine majesty, till ____ attains “to all enduring patience and forbearance, which exults under suffering” (ref#38, p165, [Col 1:11]).

The Battle of Sanctification

“Believers find within themselves contrary urgings. The Spirit sustains their regenerate desires and purposes, but their fallen instincts (the ‘flesh’ obstruct their path and drag them back. The conflict of these two is sharp. Paul says he is unable to do what is right, and unable to restrain himself from doing what is wrong (Rom 7:14-25). This conflict and frustration will be with Christians as long as they are in the body. Yet by watching and praying against temptation, and cultivating opposite virtues, they may through the Spirit’s help ‘put to death’ particular bad habits (Rom 8:13; Col 3:5)” (ref#56, p1650, “Sanctification: The Spirit and the Flesh”).

FATHER, I learn the severity of my battle from the Apostle Paul in Romans 7. How humble You make me when I realize I can do nothing right and must depend on the SPIRIT to rescue me.

My plight may be pathetic but I can always be rescued. The SPIRIT has the victory as I cling to Him. “The Lord will draw me to himself away from every pernicious work actively opposed to that which is good, and will keep me safe and sound for His kingdom, the heavenly one, to whom be the glory forever and forever…” (ref#37, p507, [2 Tim 4:18]). Life may seem as if I am tossed too and fro by overpowering waves, but forever under me is Your everlasting arms (Deut 33:27).

Because of Your great rescue, FATHER, I want to be pleasing to Your penetrating gaze. I want to be habitually keeping with solicitous care all Your commands (ref#37, p571, [1 John 3:22]). I don’t want to summons the SPIRIT only when I feel an overwhelming battle coming. Guide me FATHER, to walk continually with the SPIRIT so You can continually keep me (Gal 5:16).

“…sing to the Lord a new song,… Make a joyful noise to the Lord,…break forth into joyous song and sing praises” (Ps 98:1,4 ESV)!

Your Name, O LORD, Endures Forever

“It is good…to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,” (Ps 92:1-2 ESV).
“For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds” (Ps 57:10 ESV).

“Your righteousness is like the mountains…
your judgments are like the great deep;…” (Ps 36:6 ESV).

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations…” (Ps 145:13 ESV).

“…’Great and amazing are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations” (Rev 15:3 ESV)!

“Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
…for your righteous acts have been revealed.’” (Rev 15:4 ESV).

“Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages” (Ps 135:13 ESV).

“How great are your works, O LORD,
how profound your thoughts” (Ps 92:5 NIV)!