Prayers

 In my journal are many prayers. Today I share three of them with you, all based on Scriptures in I John. If you're reading this, they're prayed for you.

I John 5:12...."So whoever has God's Son has life. Whoever does not have His Son does not have life." Lord Jesus, may Your life fill every area of my life, of our lives. May there be no place where we are lifeless.

For this prayer to be a reality, Jesus Christ must have truly entered into your heart by faith. If you have received Him as Savior, then He must also be your Lord. That means no area of your life can be off limits to Him. Your past, present, and future, are all yielded to His leading and Lordship. Where Christ lives, we have the fullness of His life. If there is any place that we hold back from Him, where He isn't welcomed, in that place, we have none of His life. We are lifeless in that place. In that place death reigns. May there be no such places in your heart or mine. May we be filled with His life and may there be no place for death in any of its forms.

I John 5:18...."We know that those who have become part of God's family do not make a practice of sinning. For God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them." Lord Jesus, may we live and be held so securely in Your hands that the evil one, despite all his schemes and ploys, cannot get a hold of us. We're held tightly in Your grip of life.

For this prayer to be our reality, we have to consciously choose to follow and obey His leading each day. That choice was made in an overall way in the above prayer. Now our lives will be challenged to choose His way and life each moment of each day. Satan, the enemy of our soul will never cease to tempt, seduce, and pull us from Jesus Christ. He has a seemingly endless supply of schemes to secure his ends. We cannot overcome him in our own strength. We overcome Him in Christ, who overcame him at the cross. A life held in Christ's hand is a life that is totally secure in Him. Such a life is drawn to Him and shuns sin in all of its forms. By His grace we may live in His security. We have the choice as to whether we will live in it or not. May you, we, choose to do so this day and every day.

I John 5:21...."Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your lives." Lord Jesus, there are so many false gods and destructive desires that endlessly seek to draw us away from You. The enemy's favorite ploy is to offer what is good in order that we would miss, even reject what is best, and the best is always You.

Throughout His Word we are exhorted to "guard our hearts." The last Scripture gives excellent reason why we must. Satan will use any and all means that he can to seek to draw our hearts, attention, and commitment away from Christ and place it upon someone or something else. In the end, he seeks to get us to depend upon him and his ways rather than Jesus Christ, He who is The Way. Wherever the devil succeeds in doing this, death and not life will be at work in us. May it be that your heart and mine are constantly guarded by His presence and that our journey is one that goes ever deeper into His heart and never away from it. May nothing be able to take His place in our hearts.

These are my prayers for you today. May they be yours as well. For you, and for all those that you pray for today.

Blessings,
Pastor O