False Sanctification

FATHER, backsliders have walked in Your ways long enough to have “…seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit,…” (Heb 6:4 MSG). They have personally experienced the sheer goodness of Your Word and the powers of the age to come (Heb 6:5) but have, at some point, turned away from CHRIST to pursue Christianity in a way of their own choosing.

CHRIST warned the church at Ephesus for they had abandoned their love for Him. They toiled and patiently endured, and could not bear those who were evil, and judged those who were false. They did not grow weary in their work, but they had forgotten CHRIST which made it impossible to continue growing spiritually (Rev 2:1-4).

Eugene H. Peterson describes “backsliding” as he interprets the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians regarding the process of growing spiritually (sanctification):

“You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough. Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you?…only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?…It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up” (Gal 3:1-4 MSG)!

FATHER, I pray for ____ whose actions prove (he/she) is working in (his/her) own strength in (his/her) own way to please You. (He/She) has fallen into choosing work “that is not impossible to perform but indeed quite possible, though difficult and meticulous at times” (ref#3, p10). Enlighten (him/her) for (he/she) does not realize the standard (he/she) has set for (himself/herself) is just “difficult enough to weed out the undesirables but not so difficult as to become overly burdensome” (ref#3, p10). This sin of pursuing Christianity by human methods disguises itself as spiritual enlightenment. This sin FATHER is what I pray against for ____. (He/She) is blind and thinks (he/she) can see. Help (him/her) please.

My Declaration

FATHER OF ALL, I come to You having washed my robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14). I present myself before You, LORD of all the earth (Zech 6:5). With my heart I have believed and with my mouth I have confessed that JESUS is LORD (Rom 10:9,10). This JESUS who is LORD of all, bestows His riches on me as I call on Him (Rom 10:12). Here I stand calling upon Him.

I submit the members of my body to CHRIST as slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:19), rejecting sin that produces death in me (Rom 7:13). I consciously present my body as a living sacrifice to You, FATHER (Rom 12:1). Since I was bought with a price, I intend to glorify You in my body (1 Cor 6:20).

HEAVENLY FATHER, I ask that You give me the HOLY SPIRIT (Luke 11:13). I submit to You filling me with Your SPIRIT (Eph 5:18). I commit myself to the renewing of my mind in order to prove that Your will is good, perfect, and acceptable for me (Rom 12:2). All this I do by the name (Acts 4:10) and authority of JESUS CHRIST.

FATHER, You have raised CHRIST and seated Him at Your right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion—above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (Eph 1:20,21). In CHRIST’s name, I will accomplish everything good by doing Your will, as He works in me what is pleasing in Your sight. To CHRIST be glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb 13:21).

Cause me now to cast out the slave for I am not a child of the slave but of the free. For freedom CHRIST has set me free. Quicken me to stand firm and not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Gal 4:30-31). I speak out all these statements to make myself accountable to You, declaring to live weak, leaning on Your help constantly.

GOD’s Care and Daily Provision

FATHER, ____ is suffering and in (his/her) afflictions it is difficult, if not impossible, to see Your constant underlying provisions. Swing ____’s eyes off the conflict and onto Your Son. (I realize this is a supernatural request.)

“It will be well with the righteous….he is well fed; he feeds upon the flesh and blood of Jesus. He is well clothed; he wears the imputed righteousness of Christ. He is well housed; he dwells in God. He is well married; his soul is joined in the bonds of marriage union to Christ. He is well provided for; the Lord is his Shepherd. He is well endowed; heaven is his inheritance. It is well with the righteous…” (ref#34, April 14th PM).

Move ____ to believe You, FATHER, more than (his/her) eyes and feelings tell (him/her). Help (him/her) throw (his/her) entire dependence on Your goodwill. Praise You for allowing ____ the opportunity to recognize Your hourly dependence by permitting (him/her) to pray daily. Teach (him/her) to pray often so (he/she) can recognize Your constant love.

“Oh how rich is the grace that supplies us so continually and does not refrain itself because of our ingratitude” (ref#34, July 16th AM). “When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows” (ref#130, p58). FATHER, favor ____ with the ability to turn (his/her) thoughts toward You for the purpose of giving You thanks for Your provisions.

Intuition

“As the power of man’s intellect searches out things pertaining to man, so does our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit understand heavenly things” (ref#67, [1 Cor 2:11]).

“To know things in our intuition is what the Bible calls revelation. Revelation has no other meaning than that the Holy Spirit enables a believer to apprehend a particular matter…” (ref#101, p77).

The definition of “intuition” is— “…learning of something without the conscious use of reasoning…” (ref#110, p709). Kenneth S. Wuest’s, The New Testament, An Expanded Translation, talks of Christians as having a “instinctive perception” of You, FATHER (ref#37, [John 15:15] p252).

I am a subject of the teaching of the HOLY SPIRIT; He makes known truths to me by His illumination (ref#16, [1 Cor 2:10]). His spiritual sensing impinges on me directly without reason or cause (ref#101, p71). This makes it unnecessary to ask for the opinion of others or even to question myself (ref#101, p74). And, the moment I cease to follow my intuition at that very moment I begin to walk after the flesh and end up mingling spiritual things with things of the flesh (ref#101, p31).

“Walking after the spirit involves both the initiation of a work by revelation and execution of it through the Lord’s strength” (ref#101, p30). FATHER, give me faith enough to follow Your voice in my heart.

SPIRIT Check

“Let me faithfully study my character, be willing to bring it to light, observe myself in my trials, judge the reality and degree of my grace, consider how I have been ensnared or overcome” (ref#76, p84).

FATHER, “sin is…my viper born in my birth, alive all my life, strong in my character, dominating my faculties, following me as a shadow, intermingling with my every thought…” (ref#76, p41). I recognize it is only Your compassion that I am not consumed (ref#76, p39). Therefore I wish to be searched to find and confess the wicked ways in me (Ps 139:23-24).

• Have I flattered You, my WAITING FATHER, with only my lips (ref# 76, p39)?
• Do I set before myself some pleasure or profit or even striving for Your acceptance (ref#35, p150)?
• Do You live in my thoughts (ref#35, p151)?
• Do I covet by hoarding, improvidently squander, and not consecrate everything to You (ref#76, p87)?
• Do I go this way then that with various thoughts and ways, dreaming in my imaginations (ref#35, p150)?
• Do I resist “rebukes of conscience, admonitions of friends, leadings of providence” (ref#76, p192)?
• Am I settled yet experiencing peace and resting in Your “assurance of everlasting blessedness” (ref#35, p151)?
• Do I ungratefully receive Your benefits—forgetting to praise and thank You (ref#76, p192)?
• Have I really found CHRIST who will never grieve or trouble me (ref#35, p151)?
• Do I misuse my faculties, neglect opportunities, use words ill-advised (ref#76, p180)?
• Do I really know You in Your “excellency and desirableness” (ref#35, p151)?
• Do You have Your due place in my heart (ref#35, p151)?
• Are You my all in all (ref#35, p151)? “I repent of my folly and inconsiderate ways, my broken resolutions, untrue service, my backsliding steps, my vain thoughts” (ref#76, p180).

“…the tribute of praise which the saints are instructed to render to the Lord may arise either (a) in the acknowledgement of daily mercies, or (b) in thanksgiving for the great redemption, or (c) in contemplation of the divine perfection” (ref#65, p66).

There Is No God Like My GOD

GOD, You are the living GOD,
GOD, You endure forever;
Your kingdom shall never be destroyed,

and Your dominion shall be to the end.

You deliver and You rescue;
You work signs and wonders
in heaven and on the earth.
GOD, You are the living GOD (Dan 6:26-27).

No god is like my GOD,

descending from the heavens,

riding through the clouds
to come to my aid (Deut 33:26).

You, LORD GOD, keep faith forever,

You always do what You say—

keeping every promise,
always to be relied on (Ps 146:6).

You are slow to anger,
Huge in loyal love,
Forgiving iniquity and rebellion,
But never whitewashing sin (Num 14:18).

Your name and Your remembrance
are the desire of my soul,
I wait for You eagerly (Isa 26:8).
My spirit seeks You diligently (Isa 26:9).

Comforts of the SPIRIT

FATHER, the SPIRIT is my Comforter—comforting me as I become aware of my sin. Without the SPIRIT, satan and the law could accuse me of being an object of Your hatred because I am always sinning. But the SPIRIT bears witness with my spirit that I am Your child (Rom 8:16). Afflictions, too, would become overwhelming and I’d learn to despise hard times if it was not for the SPIRIT convincing me of Your good reasons for such circumstances (ref#35, p408).

The SPIRIT also comforts in the whole course of my obedience. Without the consolations of the SPIRIT, Christian duties would puff me up with pride. Prosperity would make me carnal and sensual and weaken me when adverse trials come. I would not be interested in the church’s problems or successes (ref#35, p408). On my own I would find no need to lean on You.

Without the SPIRIT’s intervention within, I “shall have wisdom for no work, peace in no condition, strength for no duty, success in no trial, joy in no state—no comfort in life, no light in death.” (ref#35, p 408) FATHER, I am able to continue in this world because the SPIRIT comforts me by Your love.

“Be pleased to live and move within me, breathing in my prayers, inhabiting my praises, speaking in my words, moving in my actions, living in my life, causing me to grow in grace” (ref#76, p160).

Prayer Facts:

“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness” Luther (ref#152, p135).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because for me, You foreordained, destined, and planned in love that I might be adopted as Your own child through JESUS CHRIST in accordance with the purpose of Your will because it pleased You and was Your kind intent (Eph 1:5), I will wait for You.
Because You draw me to Yourself, investing me with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in CHRIST (1 Thes 1:10), I will wait for You.

Trusting in the HOLY SPIRIT

“He breathes the mind and life of Christ in me, so that I live as He did, in and for the Father’s love” (ref#19, SEVENTH LESSON).

“…I trust the Holy Spirit. He has begun to deliver me from my innate sins, and I trust Him to drive them all out. I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness. I trust

Him to dwell in me as my life; to reign in me as my King; to sanctify me wholly, spirit, soul, and body; and to take me up to dwell with the ‘saints in light’ (Col 1:12) forever” (ref#34, Oct 7th PM).

FATHER, thank You that the SPIRIT abides with me forever— permanently—even though I may not be sensible to His presence—even though He may withhold His comfort or suspend His influence for a while when I am walking carelessly. He may even permit indwelling corruptions for a moment but even when He breaks my heart, He always binds it up. He may fill me with godly grief but then thanksgiving (ref#61, Aug 26th). SPIRIT, thank You; I rely on You.

Backslider’s Activity Toward GOD

LORD, I observe ____ is stiffnecked (Rom 3:10-12). You, and You only must draw (him/her) (John 6:44) to repentance. And when the Lion of Judah roars (he/she) will come running (Hos 11:10). You are gracious and merciful and will not turn away Your face from ____ if (he/she) returns to You (2 Chron 30:9).

Since ____, as a backslider, is filled with (his/her) own ways, it is not easy to awaken (his/her) interests again in CHRIST. “It is always difficult to reach (his/her) conscience” W.P. Lockhart (ref#127, Prov 14:14, “Backslider in Heart,”).

“Argument does not succeed. The only thing to do is to bring them back to their first experience. They must come to Jesus afresh” W.P. Lockhart (ref#127, Prov 14:14, “Backslider in Heart,”).

“Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads and look; and ask for the eternal paths, where the good, old way is; then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls….” (Jer 6:16 AMP).

The same exercise of grace is required as at (his/her) conversion—repentance. I pray that ____ come to CHRIST as (he/she) did at first. Give (him/her) FATHER, a word from You—a word powerful enough to astonish (him/her), chasing all fear away (ref#34, Oct 31st AM).

“No one can be renewed without as real and true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as they ever were” (ref#34, Oct 31st AM).

FATHER, manifest Your holiness to ____ (Ezek 20:41) so (he/she) will remember all (his/her) evil deeds and how they have defiled (him/her). Quicken (him/her) to loath (himself/herself) for all the sin (he/she) have committed (Ezek 20:43). I pray (he/she) break up (his/her) fallow ground and seek You that You may come and rain righteousness again upon (him/her).

Deal with (him/her) for Your name’s sake. I want to recognize You in ____’s life again. I want to know that You are the LORD (Ezek 20:44).