faithful Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

“Then he said to them all:

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.‘ Luke 9:23

If you are like me, the day you were saved is embedded in your mind. You probably remember every detail vividly. Do you remember your expectations of Christianity? I clearly remember mine. I was under the assumption that surrender simply meant relinquishing control of the sin in my life and learning to live a new life that turned away from those sins. I had no clue that it would entail giving up a dream I had long held.

This passage reminds us that we deny more than sinful ways. We deny the things we want to do in life versus what God wants us to do in life. Many of the desires we have are intertwined with sin, and yet we don’t seem to recognize it. That was my situation. Advancing within my career had been my utmost priority before salvation. I spent many extra hours of work to achieve success. But once I was saved, I had conflicting feelings about my life choices.

My new self lives to serve God, not my old ambitions. My motives behind my advancement were wrong — something I hadn’t noticed as an unbeliever — and I suddenly realized I had made my career an idol. It was then I knew that God wanted me to relinquish my dream and pursue him instead. Surrendering my dream was difficult, but it was what God wanted from me since it would help me be free from the rule of sin and lead me to grow closer to him.

Perhaps you’re at a crossroads too. Surrender is a daily process. We must follow what God says, no matter what we want. It’s for our good to give God our best. And doesn’t such a good God deserve our all?

Dear Lord, grant us the ability to know and do your will. Do not let sin control us, but let us be controlled by you. Amen.

By Ashlea Massey
Used by Permission

Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, into (my loved one’s) greatest need. Manifest the healing power of Jesus. Show (my loved one) You have forgiven his/her sins and are ready and have the power to heal his/her wounds. You are Jehovah-Rapha, the promise-keeping Healer. Let (my loved one) receive Your tender mercy in this time of need. In Your faithfulness, minister healing grace and love.

We bring (my loved one) under all the redeeming power of the blood of Jesus.

You are El Roi, God who sees these hurts, needs, and struggles. You have already made the Way of healing by the blood of Jesus. Heal all the woundings of childhood and more recently. Remove all the scars of rejection, shame, inferiority, guilt, fear, abuse, and (my loved one) (ask God to reveal others). Heal and remove all the barriers and hindrances in (my loved one’s) life that are keeping (my loved one) from being all Jesus died to make them to be. We bring the life of (my loved one) to the cross. Apply all the work of redemption to (my loved one’s) life for the transforming life of Christ to become theirs. We pray that (my loved one) will take everything to the cross, so that they can accept themselves as the new person in Jesus that they are.

Spirit of truth, Your truth shall set (my loved one) free.

Bring the truth of Jesus to counter the lies that (my loved one) has believed and to dispel the darkness and confusion caused by giving in to the lies. (My loved one) needs a work of your Spirit, because no amount of talking or teaching about this need will be effective.

Minister to (my loved one) these precious truths, that…

I am free from sin by my Savior.

I am free not to respond to the sins of others.

I am free not to be condemned by the sins of others.

I am free to express all my feelings to Father-God, without condemnation, secure in knowing that Jesus understands the feeling of my infirmities.

I am free to have Your truth as my truth, Your mind as my mind, Your freedom as my freedom, Your grace as my grace, Your love as my love, Your strength as my strength, Your holiness as my holiness, Your steadfastness as my steadfastness, and all the fullness of Jesus made real in my life.

I am free to receive all the new life Jesus gives me in exchange for my old life.

We thank You for heavenly Intercessors. Jesus is living in (my loved one) interceding. The Holy Spirit is agreeing with these prayers according to the will of the Father, and God of all comfort and Father of mercies is answering the prayers of His Son. Thank You for this three-fold cord of agreement that (my loved one’s) soul is being healed according to all Your perfect love, grace, and peace.

Thank You for the healing presence of Jesus the Son, God the Father, and God the Spirit, who ministers comfort, restoration, hope, trust, and rest, so that (my loved one) can live victoriously in the life of Jesus at all times. May (my loved one) receive complete wholeness from You, as (my loved one) practices Your presence each day and fixes their eyes on Jesus. Thank You that You keep (my loved one) in perfect peace as their mind is stayed on You, when they are confident in You (Isaiah 26:3), that You have begun a good work and will perfect Your work for Your glory in their lives (Philippians 1:6).