Put Your Spirit in Charge

"So too the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer...but the Spirit Himself...pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance."
(Romans 8:26, Amp)




As long as you live on this earth, you're going to be saddled with a weakness. What is it? The flesh and blood body you live in. It's a body that's subject to death. A body that's subject to the physical world around you.

Your reborn spirit doesn't want to sin. It wants to be completely obedient to God. But the weakness of the flesh causes you to fall prey to the temptations around you.

Does that mean you're doomed to a life of failure till Jesus comes and that flesh body is glorified?

No! It means you need to build your spirit up, to strengthen it, until it dominates your flesh. We are told to crucify the flesh. Your spirit man must dominate your body. Praying in the Spirit by the Holy Spirit applies spirit to flesh. It causes your spirit to rise up and take charge. Just like using barbells strengthens your arms, praying in other tongues strengthens your spirit. You see, your spirit is more powerful than your flesh, and as you give it outflow, the flesh will simply have to yield to it. Most believers don't understand that. They'll be overwhelmed by some sin, and instead of conquering it by the things of God such as praying in the Spirit, they'll simply keep struggling to overcome in natural ways. So they end up failing again and again.

If you're caught in that cycle, take heart! God hasn't commanded you to be more spiritual than you can be. He knows your weakness and He's given you a way to overcome it. He's given you the ability to pray in tongues-- and with your understanding to wield the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And no matter how badly you're failing in everything else, you can do these things!

Be warned though, Satan will try to talk you out of it. He knows that once you learn how to bring the flesh in line, he'll have no foothold left in your life. You'll shut the door on him and he won't be able to get in.

Renew your commitment to praying in the Spirit today. Make a quality decision to follow the command God gives in Jude 20 and "build yourself up on your most holy faith-- make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher--praying in the Holy Spirit!"

Defining Moments

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. - Acts 9:3

. For Moses, it was the burning bush.

. For Peter, it was walking on water.

. For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it was walking through the burning furnace untouched.

. For Paul, it was being blinded and spoken to by Jesus on the Damascus road.

. For Daniel, it was deliverance from the lions' den.

. For Joshua, it was parting the Jordan River and crossing into the Promised Land.

There have been many defining moments in the lives of human beings that changed their lives forever. These defining moments often set the course for the balance of their lives.

We could go on and on. Each of these servants had years of preparation leading up to their defining moment. These moments forced the servants to be involved in something beyond their human experiences. It took them outside their own paradigms of life. God had to move them outside their own boxes. And when He did, their lives were never the same.

You may be in one of three stages of life: You may not have had your "defining moment" yet-God may be preparing you with many important life experiences. You may have had your defining moment and you are living out your call. Or, you may be toward the end of your journey and you have already experienced what I speak of.

We are all called to a relationship with God; and we are all called vocationally, which is often ushered in by a defining moment. And there can be more than one defining moment, each pointing you down a path that God foreordained from the foundation of the world. The secret of a great life is often a man's ability to discern the defining moments given to him, understanding them, and learning to walk in the path that leads him to his ultimate destination.

Once you have had a defining moment, you are never the same. Pray that you have eyes to see and ears to hear when your Master brings a defining moment into your life

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I come to You, Oh God, I know this may sound simple, but, thank You for pets. You gave mankind dominion over the earth, and many of us have found a special comfort and love in pets. Pets, whether cats, dogs, gerbils, rabbits, fish or whatever, teach children responsibility and accountability. They are companions, some are completely devoted to their masters, their friends. Sometimes are able to save our lives. Thank You for the joy they bring. Thank You for the smiles they instigate. I pray that we will be good caretakers of the pets You have entrusted to us...and that our pets will be well-behaved critters. In Jesus' name, amen.

Let the Glory of God and the Kingdom of God be advanced by all that I say and all that I do this day!

Oh, God, a song is in my head right now. It's the "Doxology" that was sung in churches I was part of as a young child. It glorifies You, so I just want to sing it to You now. "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning; is now and ever shall be; world without end. Amen. Amen." While I have enjoyed most of life on this earth (some periods have been tough as You know) and want to spend more time with my precious family and friends on earth, I really look forward to the day when all pain and suffering will be over. A day when the earth will no longer groan in sin. A day when I receive my immortal body and will forever be with my Lord. A day when I meet You face-to-face. What an awesome day that will be. I hope I will not be overwhelmingly ashamed in Your holy presence. I hope to see many loved ones and saints of old who have gone on before. Oh, to enjoy that heavenly fellowship with the saints and with You Father. What a reunion day that will be. I love You and thank You for saving my soul. I pray for all my loved ones, that each one will see themselves as You see them, realize their need for a Savior, repent and be saved--and join me in heaven on that day. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye maybe perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4)

I talk a lot about faith. But there's another force that goes along with it that's just as important. It's patience, the ability to stand fast on the Word of God even when your victory seems slow in coming. Patience is not automatic. It won't go to work unless you let it go to work. So many people don't understand that. They somehow think faith and patience will go to work for them without their help. They just let the devil tear their lives apart and then they say silly things like, "Well, I guess God sent that trial to strengthen my faith." Don't you ever get caught saying that! In the first place, James says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God" (James 1:13). And in the second place, that trial isn't going to make your faith stronger. In fact, it'll destroy it if you'll let it. If I were to give you a set of weights, would that set of weights make you any stronger? No. As a matter of fact, if you dropped one of them on your foot, you could end up painfully weaker. It's what you do with them that counts, right? Well, the same thing is true when you run into some kind of trying circumstance the devil's brought your way. If you just lay down and let it run over you, it will damage you. But if you'll let patience have her perfect work, if you'll remain consistently constant, trusting in and relying confidently on the Word of God, you'll end up perfect and entire, wanting nothing. "Wanting nothing." That phrase alone should convince you that patience is no consolation prize. It's a first-rate power that will put the promises of God within your reach. It's a force that will make a winner out of you.

The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. —Psalm 37:12

How furious Satan was at Job, a man who was “blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil” (Job 1:1). Satan continually plotted, planned, and accused Job before God until God finally gave him permission to breach the protective hedge (vv. 10-12). How could God do such a thing? He had confidence that Job would continue to serve Him, regardless of circumstances, and that Job would prevail over the enemy. “The wicked plot against the godly . . . but the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming” (Psalm 37:12-13). How can God laugh when we are under such attack by the wicked? The Bible records that God laughs only when someone threatens Him: “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from this slavery.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them” (Psalm 2:3-4). God has no problem with confidence, and He also has confidence in you, or He would not allow you to encounter trials. When you laugh at the enemy’s attack, you are simply treating Satan the way God treats him. Pass on through your trial with the laughter of God in your mouth. He is not threatened, and neither should you be!

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land." (Malachi 3:10-12)

God is vitally interested in your finances. He wants to multiply and protect them. But He won't be able to--unless you open the door for Him to do it. How? Through tithing. When you tithe, you give God the legal right to intervene in your financial affairs, to bless you richly, and to defend you against the destruction the devil brings. When you tithe, you lay a foundation for success and abundance. You establish deposits with God you can draw on when you need them. But don't wait until your back is against the wall to start. Begin now. Start developing your faith when things are going well by meditating on the blessing God's Word promises you as a tither. Learn to act on that Word now, and when Satan tries to put you in a financial corner, he'll fail. His power over you financially will have already been broken. Because you've established yourself on the covenant of God, Satan will have no chance against you. God will rebuke him for your sake. If you haven't yet opened the door and given God a way into your finances, don't wait any longer. Do it today. Then, when the pressures of tomorrow come, you'll be prepared and protected by the special privileges that are guaranteed to those who tithe.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

That verse is clear, isn't it? The instruction is plain. Yet even in these tumultuous days when our nation is so desperately in need of God's guidance, most of God's people don't do what that verse commands. Why not? I believe it's because most of us are overwhelmed by the problems we see around us. "How could my prayers make a dent in the national debt?" we think. "How could my faith affect foreign policy?" In other words, we fail to pray because we fail to realize just how powerfully our prayers can affect this country. It's time we caught hold of that. It's time we realized that if we'd just be obedient to 1 Timothy 2:1-2, there's no council of any kind on earth, no king, no president, no congress, no anything that could overthrow God's purpose for His people. God has called us to intercede. He has commanded us to pray for those in authority. He has given us His Word, His power, His Name, His authority, and His faith. We have all the tools necessary to pray effectively for our government and its leaders. I urge you to intercede. It is your responsibility as a believer to get involved in the affairs of your country. God wants this great land of ours, and the only way He's going to get it is through His ambassadors, you and me. Pray for this nation. Every day. And never again underestimate the world-changing power of those prayers.

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
One of the most exciting things I ever discovered about God's law of sowing and reaping was the fact that financial harvests are not seasonal. If you plant year round, you can be receiving year round. Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying your harvest will come instantly. It usually won't. You may have to wait for it for several months. What I'm saying is, if you'll keep planting consistently, you'll receive just as consistently. If you'll continually cast your bread on the water, eventually it will come in on every wave! Of course, some people never get to enjoy that kind of constant blessing. That's because, instead of giving, they keep waiting to receive. They stand on the beach saying, "I wonder where my prosperity is? As soon as it comes in, I'll start giving." God's economy doesn't work that way. He said, "Give and it will be given to you again. The way you measure it, it shall be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38). You have to make the first move. You have to send a ship out before your ship can come in. Think about that next time you're tempted to complain about the things life brings your way. Remember that whatever you've been casting out there is always what you find on down the road. If you've been giving doubt, unbelief and fear, that's what has been coming to you. If you've been giving nothing, then nothing is what you get. You're holding the seeds of your own future in your hand right now. Step out in faith and use them to put the supernatural cycle of blessing in motion. Start now planting one good seed after another. Eventually you'll enjoy a good harvest every single day!

Someone once said that you and I might be the only Bible someone ever reads, so we need to be something worth reading. Are you available to be that shelter for a non-believing friend? If so, then you may open the eyes of someone who has been blind his whole life. What an incredible blessing to know you were the instrument God used to bring a person into the Kingdom of God.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen -Isaiah 32:3

Oh God, I come to You today asking for mercy upon Your people. I pray that You will bless the faithful in great and mighty ways. I pray that You will convict the hearts of those who have strayed and are wondering in the wilderness, that they will return to You. And I pray for those who do not know You, that their hearts will soften and that they will be drawn to You. I pray that You will open the floodgates of heaven, and let Your blessing pour upon us. Please hold back Your wrath at our sin, and forgive those who have a heart of repentance. I pray for power and strength through Your Holy Spirit to remain faithful to the end of time...and to live as You would have me live. Thank You for Your grace and Your forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.

Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. —Proverbs 20:22

How difficult it is for our flesh to sit and wait! This proverb implores us not to take matters of revenge into our own hands and say, “I’ll pay you back for this!” God’s pace of justice is far slower than ours. He is long-suffering and full of grace, while we, on the contrary, are quick to judge and swift to repay. David said, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). Had Abram waited on the Lord for his miracle son, he would not have ventured into the fleshly union with Hagar (Genesis 16). The result of his impatience remains with us today in the ongoing problems in the Middle East. The two lessons we must learn in order to obtain a promise are faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12). A large part of faith is simply refusing to yield to the thought that God somehow will be late. Though he may have felt nervous on the outside, David stayed confident on the inside. He waited patiently for God to act and said, “Yet I am confident that I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

Glory to God!

He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says. . . . —1 Corinthians 1:8-9

This is a promise of God’s faithfulness to His own. All day—day in, day out, year in, and year out—God’s faithfulness is great. Man, in his stubbornness and rebellion, may drift away from God, but through it all, “He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). No matter what difficulty life throws your way, God has promised to “keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). David was so convinced of the faithfulness of God that he could say, “Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident” (Psalm 27:3). On the other hand, God is faithful to execute His judgment upon those who reject Him even after He has repeatedly warned them to repent. Gradually, but surely, He tightens the screws of justice until the person repents or brings about his own destruction. As hard as it is to believe, some people actually do choose the path of destruction. In 2 Chronicles 36:13, we read that “Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Following his example, the people of Israel grew more and more unfaithful, ignoring God’s repeated warnings until finally “the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16). If life is uncertain right now, cling to the one certainty: God is faithful! You can be sure that “He will keep you strong right up to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:8).

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. —Romans 16:20

You are promised victory! God is the God of peace, and it is His desire for you to have peace like a river in all areas of your life. Satan comes in to interrupt that peace and tranquility, but God is with you to help you crush Satan. Not only will you bruise him, but you will actually crush him! Besides being promised that you will ultimately crush Satan, you are promised it will happen soon. This word means “quickly,” “in haste,” “speedily,” or “shortly.” God will not leave believers fighting Satan forever, but “will grant justice to them quickly!” (Luke 18:8). Finally, the Holy Spirit describes the position in which Satan belongs: under your feet! Jesus told His disciples, “I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you” (Luke 10:19). Pursue the devil until he falls, and then crush him under your feet! Then you can boldly proclaim with the psalmist, “I have taken a stand, and I will publicly praise the Lord” (Psalm 26:12).

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. —Romans 15:30

Prayer is the key that overcomes the enemy in battle. Hezekiah prayed on two different occasions and thus overcame tremendous struggles. First, he and Isaiah prayed against the invasion by Sennacherib (2 Chronicles 32:20), and God sent His angel to completely destroy the enemy’s army. Then, in a struggle for his life, Hezekiah sought God, and God healed him in answer to his prayer (v. 24). Manasseh, too, experienced the power of prayer to change a difficult situation. While in a Babylonian jail, he prayed to the Lord, and God miraculously delivered him and restored him to power. What powerful illustrations of prayer and its ability to release God’s deliverance these examples are! Paul understood this principle of prayer when he asked the Romans to struggle with him in prayer that he might be “rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God” (Romans 15:31). David voiced a similar prayer: “Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for I trust in you” (Psalm 25:20). Your spiritual leaders need your prayers. Pray diligently today for them to be protected, fruitful, and refreshed. Your prayers may save their lives!