“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
“It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”
I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Lord God my Father,
I know you love me more than I can understand, help me to love myself for who you created me to be and turn my back on the ways I have learned that separate me from you. I am a broken sinner and need your way to find truth.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Lord God my Father,
Grab me where I am and transform me into the man you desire me to be. Make me aware of my sin and direct me to do what I must to be free from it, from there you transform me to my purpose. Give me a heart that relies only on you and not of this world.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Lord God my Father,
Again I ask you to protect me from my sinful nature, be with me and focus my desire on what pleases you alone. I am weak on my own and need your grace to overpower my guilt.
I Jesus name I pray,
Amen
The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!
He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22I love God’s law with all my heart. 23But there is another power7:23 Greek law; also in 7:23b. within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Lord God my Father,
Thank you for your law so I know the boundary of good and bad. I know I am a sinner and for that I have regrets. Take the power of sin and block it from my way, replace my way with your way and reinforce my desire to serve only you and not this world. I know you created me for your good but the sin nature I carry messes me up. Thank you for loving me so much even thou I am a sinner and thank you for the freedom you gave me by the sacrifice you made to pay for my sin.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10And he did rescue us
for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.
And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
Lord God my Father,
I rely on you, But I struggle to rely on you completely. I take control when I take my eyes off of your truth and create such a mess. Protect me from Satan’s evil scheme and deliver me to your Glory.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.
10But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.16:13 Greek Be men. Be strong. 14And do everything with love.
If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!16:22 From Aramaic, Marana tha. Some manuscripts read Maran atha, “Our Lord has come.”
23May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.
Lord God my Father,
I am not worthy of your attention, Thank you for not listening to me when I lie. You made me, I have no purpose without your direction, may I do your will with overwhelming courage. May your grace be with me.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.13:12 Greek see face to face. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Lord God my Father,
Help me to feel like an important part of your body with value and worth. Take my childish way and grow me into the purpose you wish for me.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Lord God my Father,
May I live for you and for your glory alone. I surrender the struggles I have in holding onto my issues and not trusting in you. The moment is hard but the outcome is eternity.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
sincerity and truth.
I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer5:11 Greek a brother. yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
Lord God my Father,
I wish to live in and express your sincerity and truth. Protect me from the evil plans of this world, may I express your will in all things. Remove the issues I struggle with that binds me to this world and release me to live in your light.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus,
For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.2:13 Or explaining spiritual truths in spiritual language, or explaining spiritual truths to spiritual people. 14But people who aren’t spiritual2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life. can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
And you still aren’t ready, 3for you are still controlled by your sinful nature.
Lord God my Father,
You have chosen me, I need to follow wholeheartedly. I surrender to your will for me to carry and to leave my way behind me. Allow my spirit to follow in all things and speak your truth and Love to all. Open the eyes of your people and bring us all together under your authority. Remove my sinful nature and create a boldness in me that overtakes the lies.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen