Good Morning!
Yesterday, we touched on a couple verses regarding provision. John 15:16 said, “so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” That’s an incredible promise. Here’s my verse for 2017:
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
It is to my bewilderment that I don’t regularly and consistently pray in earnest. Take my weight, for example. I have shared about how I am finally tackling this as a spiritual stronghold issue. I’ve lost weight and am getting close to where I want to be, but I have stalled out. I find myself getting frustrated that for the last month I lose a pound then gain one. I lose another and gain two, and so on. I find myself trying to justify this by thinking to myself that “old fat” must be more stubborn than “new fat”. I don’t know, maybe it is, but there are other things that likely are the problem. One is that I am no longer using a food diary. Hmmm. I wonder if accountability…. Probably the biggest thing is that I have neglected to pray about it.
This path I’m on is familiar. I’m starting to recognize landmarks. I vowed that I would give God the credit for losing weight, but I am patting myself on my back instead. I’m starting to get frustrated because I am not seeing the results I once was. I’m starting to think that it’s not worth the fight.
Can anyone recognize something at work here? Steal, kill, and destroy. This is the end game for the evil one. Am I opening the door for him? I think that should be obvious to me. What is obvious is that it isn’t obvious to me. Why do I flounder around for a month or more before I start to give this serious thought? I’ll tell you why. It’s in this passage. See if there isn’t something in this that made Jesus’ disciples swallow hard:
Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
The fact of the matter is that my heart is evil. Yes, I am born-again and even though God has removed my sin as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12), my heart is still evil. Yes, I now have a new heart through salvation (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10) that God has written on, but sin still burbles out like cesspool gases.
It’s pride, plain and simple. My pride. Pride takes credit. Pride “forgets” to give God credit. Pride “forgets” the need to pray. Pride doesn’t pray. Is it any wonder then that I have been struggling this past month? Hardly. The frightening thing is that all this time my “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) I shudder at the thought.
So, it’s time for an attitude adjustment. Repent? Check. Submit to God? Check. Resist the devil? Check. Put on my armor? Check. Stand firm? Check. Pray? Yeah, pray. I’m going to get serious about that once again. I’m going to ask and think big (Eph. 3:20) because He is able to do far more abundantly than I can imagine. It’s time to once again let him take command over my life and my strongholds.
Father, please forgive me. I am prideful and quite foolish. Please take over my life and particularly this area of my life. Refocus my thoughts and give me new perspective. Let me rejoice in your workings and praise your name everywhere I go. Amen.
Copyright © 2017 Scott Powers