Flesh Too Busy

FATHER, Richard Lovelace has labeled the world as our “corporate flesh” (ref#108, p86). The world’s a busy place—people actively doing what seems best in their own eyes—displeasing You, FATHER, whether they are displaying open rebellion toward You or simply ignoring You.

My “private flesh” is busy, too—busy ignoring You to the point of exhaustion. In attempting to please You my flesh can never work hard enough. The laws the Pharisees created for Sabbath observance is a good example of flesh too busy.

“…the Pharisees…hedged it (the Sabbath) with repressive regulations so as to avoid the possibility of breaking the Sabbath” (ref#56, p1464, [Luke 6:1]).

Paul accuses the Galatians of observing days, months, season and years all in an effort to train the flesh to please You (Gal 4:10).

When I find myself exhausted it is because I overextend myself— trying to perform beyond my capacity (ref# 101, p122). “Permit me not to labour at work which thou wilt not bless…” (ref#76, p134). Motivate me to obey Your voice, not my flesh. Motivate me to obey what I hear from You today—only today. You do not strap heavy burdens on my back—You do not require the hectic pace the world requires.

Refuting Strongholds in My Mind

“…the weapons of our warfare are not physical…but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,…we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God;…” (2 Cor 10:4-5 AMP)

FATHER, I desire to sit before You for the purpose of identifying my strongholds. A stronghold is a fortified place. In my mind I keep certain thoughts at the ready to be quickly acted upon because I can trust them to get me through life.

These thoughts, turned to action, have worked for me. They have kept me independent. That’s why I consider them a stronghold and keep them fortified. More than anything I don’t want to abandon them for other thoughts that might not work.

But, FATHER, I know that these stronghold thoughts set themselves against the true knowledge of You for they are my thoughts, doing life my way, not Your way. I do desire You transform me inwardly by a complete change of my mind (Rom 12:2) so I can take everyone of these stronghold thoughts and make them a prisoner capturing them and bringing them into obedience to CHRIST (2 Cor 10:5). By faith I know that I can do this with Your help. My part in this process is to be willing to give strongholds up.

Stronghold thoughts that float into my mind when I’m idle, like prideful ones that serve to build up my ego, I can refute by willfully thinking of something else. So, FATHER, I ask You to call to my attention these stronghold thoughts so I can destroy them by neglect.

Thoughts though, put into actions that get me through frightening phobias, I’m not so willing to give up. But, by obtaining Your strength through faith I can also eliminate these self-preserving, strongholds. You give me the ability to do it when I willfully turn the thoughts toward You, for when my attention is on You I cannot initiate my self-preserving defenses. For it is impossible for two opposing thoughts to exist together.

FATHER, I desire to think upon You. You are true, worthy of reverence, honorable and just. You are pure, lovely and lovable, kind and gracious. You are excellent and worthy of praise ( Phil 4:8). With thoughts on You I lose the desire to think about my self-preservation and comfort at all. Strongholds vanish!

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God:

The quickening of conscience by His holiness
The nourishment of mind with His truth
The purifying of imagination by His beauty

The opening of the heart to His love
The surrender of the will to His purpose” (ref#79, p156).

GOD is Love

FATHER, You are not loving;
but, You ARE love—all love.
Love is not one of Your attributes;
it is Your very essence (ref#83, p12).

But, You “thought” me into being.

In the rapture of Your own heart,

and so, here I am—

created in Your image (ref#83, p13).

I feel You to be near me

“amid the mysteries of providence, grace…

‘a Face like my face,’

and ‘a Hand like this hand,’” (ref#83, p12).

My heart thrills flying to Your throne room

to tell of Your love all day long (Ph 26:6-8).

I am content to praise You forever.

For You are love—ALL love.

The Love Between the FATHER And the SON

FATHER, before the foundations of the earth, You chose creatures to make Your own and wrote their names in Your book (Eph 1:4) (Rev 17:8). And throughout time You have been drawing them to Your Son for salvation (John 6:37).

We belonged to You first, then You gave us to JESUS (John 17:9). And then JESUS gave us back to You:

“Now…they know and understand that all You (FATHER) have given Me (JESUS) belongs to You [is really and truly Yours]” (John 17:7 AMP).

“Jesus…promised to work for us in such a way that the very love that the Father has for the Son would be the experience of our own hearts….The love the Father has for the Son is nothing but infinitely joyful admiration and fellowship….” (ref#94, p38-39).

FATHER, because I’m steeped in sin, my old nature, that cannot be regenerated, feels Your wrath and therefore thinks that You hate me and concludes JESUS came to save me from You. But You, Yourself love me (John 16:27). I am precious in Your eyes and honored and You love me (Isa 43:4). You demonstrate Your own love toward me by the coming of JESUS (Rom 5:8).

FATHER, You love me even as You love JESUS (John 17:23). I’m thrilled that the love You have bestowed upon JESUS, can be in me (John 17:26).

Prayer Facts:

“What do I lose when I have a praying life? Control. Independence. What do I gain? Friendship with God. A quiet heart. The living work of God in the hearts of those I love. The ability to roll back the tide of evil. Essentially, I lose my kingdom and get his. I move from being an independent player to a dependent lover. I move from being an orphan to a child of God” (ref#62, p125-126).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You keep guard over knowledge, and overthrow the words of the treacherous (Prov 22:12), I will wait for You.
Because all Your decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy) (Ps 111:7), I will wait for You.

Because Your works stand fast and are established forever and ever (Ps 111:8), I will wait for You.

GOD’s Word Is Nature-changing

FATHER, I thank You for Your Scriptures. And I thank You for providing the SPIRIT who guides me as I read.

I can easily fall back into reading with the mind of my flesh, using my natural “sense and reasons without the Holy Spirit…” (Rom 8:6 AMP). But by reading this way I’m only looking for information to help me. Without the SPIRIT to help, Your Word is external. It does not change me inside. It only gives me advice to act independently of You.

“God’s word,…is still living; it is instinct with energy; it is keener than any two-edged sword: that can but pierce flesh, but this finds its way to the dividing line between the animal life and the immortal spirit: it pierces the deepest recesses of our nature; it analyses the very emotions and purposes of the inmost heart” (ref#38, p229, [Heb 4:12]).

I praise You that Your Word “is a sifter of the reflections and conceptions of the heart” (ref#37, p519, [Heb 4:12]). Its energy seeks to get into and stay with me. It has the ability to stir me and work in me to a degree
that I can’t get away from it (ref#28, p83).

All thanks to You, FATHER, that Your Scriptures are able to instruct, reproof, and train me in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). Thank You that Your Word will never pass away (Matt 24:35). The HOLY SPIRIT brings life to me through the Word which grants life to me both now and forever (Rom 8:6). Thank You. AMEN!

Backsliders Need to be Humble

FATHER, I thank You for Your Word, that encourages me. It gives me more confidence when I pray for the salvation of ____.

Second Chronicles 12 tells about King Rehoboam who ruled Judea. When he was strong he abandoned Your law along with all Israel (2 Chron 12:1). Because of their unfaithfulness, an army so huge they could not be numbered came up from the south against them (2 Chron 12:2,3).

“Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves…” (2 Chron 12:6 ESV). FATHER, when You saw that they humbled themselves, You did not destroy them (2 Chron 12:7). It is true that You only pour out Your wrath on ones who will not humble themselves—on the ones who will not repent (Rev 9:20-21).

I pray that You give to ____ situation after situation with opportunities to humble (himself/herself). I even pray for opportunities like You gave Israel—an overwhelming army against (him/her)—if that’s what it takes.

Even if ____ should humble (himself/herself) and afterwards go back to sinning, it keys me to know there is interaction going on between You and (him/her). I pray earnestly that You continue to draw (him/her). How I long to see many more glimpses of contriteness in (him/her).

You Begin a Good Work and Will Complete It

FATHER, You have chosen and appointed ____ to bear fruit. Your Son intends (he/she) bear fruit and keep on bearing fruit and keep on bearing a fruit that is lasting—that will remain forever. This is all CHRIST’s doing (John 15:16).

Therefore JESUS, because Your HOLY SPIRIT now is at work in ____, (he/she) receives power of the kind which You have and exert. And, therefore (he/she) will testify and be Your witness of what (he/she) has experienced (Acts 1:8). ____ is a co- worker with You. Directed by Your grace, (he/she) labors together with You. (He/She) is as Your “land under cultivation”—Your structure under production—Yours (ref#37, p387, [1 Cor 3:9]).

FATHER, You are fashioning Your life in ____ and are working it out into (his/her) conduct. (He/She) does not have to stop and consider how well (he/she) is doing, You will accurately reproduce Your character in
(him/her) (Eph 4:24)—even when sin is so powerful in (his/her) members that (he/she) sees no way to be free from its snares.

When ____ demonstrates (his/her) lack of fortitude, let (him/her) stop striving and know that You are GOD (Ps 46:10). Let ____ find (his/her) joy in You as You build Your edifice in (him/her).

The Divine Weapons of Warfare – The Helmet of Salvation

FATHER, instill in ____ to wear as (his/her) helmet the confidence of (his/her) salvation (I Thes 5:8). Prick (his/her) conscience to treasure Your Word—to bear in mind Your precepts—to observe Your message in its entirety. By this (he/she) will know that (he/she) is in You (1 John 2:5).

Impassion ____ to reject the craving for sensual gratification. Constrain (him/her) to not greedily lust for anything and not depend on (his/her) own resources. Cause (him/her) to cherish nothing that is in the world (1 John 2:15,16). Stir (him/her) to remembrance that (his/her) hope of conquering every adversary is through the blood of the Lamb. This blood is as a helmet that protects (his/her) head; it cannot be penetrated (ref#15, [Eph 6:17]).

Impress upon ____ that (his/her) hope of continual safety and protection rests on Your promises to (him/her). It is You, Who protects (his/her) understanding from being darkened and (his/her) judgment from being confused by temptations from satan. Also, continually remind ____ that (he/she) is in CHRIST therefore, (he/she) cannot be cheated out of the hope of living forever with You (ref#15, [Eph 6:17]).

Christlikeness Is Not Me Imitating but the SPIRIT Implanting

FATHER, my previous understanding of the term “Christlikeness” has misled me. I thought I would become Christlike by doing more and more good deeds like CHRIST did. FATHER, it is my desire to walk by the SPIRIT, not imitate CHRIST by externally acting out my perception of His good works.

But, Christlikeness is not me imitating CHRIST. Instead, Christlikeness is the impartation of the holy qualities of CHRIST in me (ref#7, July 23rd). These “holy qualities” are Your qualities, FATHER, brought to me by the Person of the SPIRIT.

The HOLY SPIRIT transfigured the Son of Man, CHRIST, and He transfigures me. It is an internal change in me. Bit by bit—from one degree of glory to another—my life improves as You, FATHER, enter more and more into my life (2 Cor 3:18).

The length to which I’m willing to be molded into Your image is the length to which the SPIRIT will help me. As long as I keep calling out for His blessing and help, the SPIRIT has fully committed Himself to respond (ref#78, p38).

“Only when we are full of the Spirit do we feel the need for God everywhere we turn” (ref#78, p58).