You Cleanse Me From ALL Wickedness

If you are a regular follower of this blog, then you will notice a bit of a change for the next 8 weeks. I am serving as a table leader for an 8 week Freedom Workshop. If you'd like to follow along, you can find the resources at the link directly above. Also, I will post here, the daily Bible reading assignment (heartwork) so you can read along. This workshop has been a life changer for me so I'm eager to share it with others. May you be blessed!

BIBLE READING HEARTWORK
Week 3 - Day 1
James 1; Psalm 31

Psalm 31:9-10

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.

Tears blur my eyes.

My Body and soul are withering away.

I am dying from grief;

my years are shortened by sadness.

Sin has drained my strength;

I am wasting away from within.

This is what confessed sin does to us. Lord, help me to always be quick to confess my sin to you!

1 John 1:8-10

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us form all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Lord, I thank you that you are faithful and just to forgive my sins AND to cleanse me from all wickedness. When I pour my heart out to you, crying out to you without holding back, it usually leads to a repentance of sin. When I do that, you forgive me and cleanse me from ALL wickedness. All that sludge that was in my pipe is GONE. If the same situation comes up again and I am tempted to feel those same emotions again, I can cry out to you but I have no obligation whatsoever to do what my sinful nature urges me to do! Thank you, Lord! In Jesus' name. Amen.

FREEDOM WORKSHOP VERSES

Romans 12:2

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 know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

Romans 12:2

Lamentations 3:37

Can anything happen without the Lord's permission?

Lamentations 3:37

MEMORY VERSES

James 1:1-4

This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the "twelve tribes" - Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings! Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it and opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1:1-4

I Failed the Test

If you are a regular follower of this blog, then you will notice a bit of a change for the next 8 weeks. I am serving as a table leader for an 8 week Freedom Workshop. If you'd like to follow along, you can find the resources at the link directly above. Also, I will post here, the daily Bible reading assignment (heartwork) so you can read along. This workshop has been a life changer for me so I'm eager to share it with others. May you be blessed!

BIBLE READING HEARTWORK
Week 1 - Day 4
Romans 7; Psalm 43

Romans 7:24-8-2

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank 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. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Lord, I confess that I forgot to remember this last night. I'd had plenty to eat and didn't need any dessert. But when RoboBoy decided to go get some, I caved. I confess that at that moment my desire for dessert was stronger than my desire to do what I knew was right. Please forgive me. Help me to put to death the deeds of my sinful nature.

Romans 8:12-14 NLT 2nd edition

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Psalm 43:2-3

For you are God, my only save haven.

Why have you tossed me aside?

Why must I wander around in grief

oppressed by my enemies? (my sinful nature)

Send out your light and your truth,

let them guide me.

Let them lead me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

Lord, you are my only save haven. I asked you to continue to help me learn and grow in recognizing and exposing my sinful nature and those other voices. I failed this test but by your grace, please help me to pass the next one. Send out your light and your truth, let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.

I want to reside in your presence, Lord, because in your presence there is fullness of joy. And at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 NKJV

In Jesus' name, amen.

FREEDOM WORKSHOP VERSES

Psalm 77:1

I cry out to God without holding back.

Psalm 77:1

Psalm 27:8

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Psalm 27:8

MEMORY VERSES

Must Receive Christ

John 1:12

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

Must Receive Christ

Must Receive Christ

1 Timothy 2:5

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

1 Timothy 2:5

Must Receive Christ

Do Those Things That Lead to Holiness

If you are a regular follower of this blog, then you will notice a bit of a change for the next 8 weeks. I am serving as a table leader for an 8 week Freedom Workshop. If you'd like to follow along, you can find the resources at the link directly above. Also, I will post here, the daily Bible reading assignment (heartwork) so you can read along. This workshop has been a life changer for me so I'm eager to share it with others. May you be blessed!

BIBLE READING HEARTWORK
Week 1 - Day 3
Romans 6; Psalm 58

Romans 6:20-22

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves to God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

Lord, for years I didn't understand this freedom I have in you. I didn't really know how to avoid doing what my sinful nature urged me to do. Sure I avoided doing really bad things, or what we humans consider to be really bad. But I didn't truly understand how to walk in step with the Holy Spirit. Now you are teaching me how to do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

Like yesterday, I was hearing two voices. One was telling me to put off doing my homeschool lesson planning and do it later this weekend. The other voice was telling me, "Don't put it off; do it now. Don't rest until you do." Proverbs 6:4 Because I was fighting a bit of a headache, I was tempted to believe that the first voice was yours. So I prayed and asked you to show me which voice I should listen to.

Then you reminded me of what the consequences of putting off my lesson planning would be. I'd most likely end up not doing it and then Tuesday I'd be unprepared for school and feeling ashamed for not doing the planning when I needed to.

Suddenly, it became crystal clear to me that the first voice couldn't possibly be yours. It was trying to fascinate me so that it could then assassinate me. I praise you, Lord, for helping me to recognize and expose that other voice. Please continue to help me learn and grow in this.

I know you allowed me to hear that other voice so that I would turn to you, and also to train me. Thank you for helping me to get my lesson planning done. Now I can enjoy the rest of my weekend without that hanging over my head.

You also helped me to ignore the voice of my sinful nature which didn't want to make dinner or do the dishes last night. But the Holy Spirit was prompting me so I did those things. My husband noticed, because usually he or one of the kids makes dinner and the kids always do dishes because it is one of their chores. I was able to tell MyHero that this is what happens when I stop listening to those other voices and listen to yours instead.

My heart is full of praise for you, Lord God!! Please continue to help me do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. I love you, Lord! In Jesus' name, amen.

FREEDOM WORKSHOP VERSES

Psalm 77:1

I cry out to God without holding back.

Psalm 77:1

Psalm 27:8

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Psalm 27:8

MEMORY VERSES

Must Receive Christ

John 1:12

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

Must Receive Christ

Must Receive Christ

1 Timothy 2:5

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

1 Timothy 2:5

Must Receive Christ

I Can Live in Triumph!

If you are a regular follower of this blog, then you will notice a bit of a change for the next 8 weeks. I am serving as a table leader for an 8 week Freedom Workshop. If you'd like to follow along, you can find the resources at the link directly above. Also, I will post here, the daily Bible reading assignment (heartwork) so you can read along. This workshop has been a life changer for me so I'm eager to share it with others. May you be blessed!

BIBLE READING HEARTWORK
Week 1 - Day 2
Romans 5 Psalm 44

Psalm 44:22

But for your sake we are killed every day;

we are being slaughtered like sheep.

Lord, when I read this, I can't help thinking of how Jesus was lead like a lamb to the slaughter. How greatly you suffered for our sake!! You did this so that I can live in triumph over sin and death.

Romans 5:17

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Because of this, I will gladly turn from my selfish ways, take up my cross daily and follow you!

Luke 9:23

Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?"

Indeed, your word calls me to die to myself daily.

Colossians 3:5

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Lord, I can't do this on my own. I need you to help me put to death all those sinful earthly desires that are lurking within me. I know that one of the ways you help me is by allowing me to hear those other voices. Help me to know when I am hearing any voice that is not yours. Please fine tune my spiritual ears to hear and recognize the difference. I want to expose them so that I can turn and listen to your voice instead. This is the way I life in triumph over sin and death!

Lord, I want to thank you for helping MyHero to fix our AC. Will you please help it to keep running even though it is past the time when it should be replaced. Please help MyHero and I to get onto a budget and stick to it.

Thank you for giving ManBoy that job working with his Grandpa. Please keep him safe there while working with those machines. I pray that you will be at work in ManBoy. Please draw him back to yourself. Give him a hunger and thirst for you.

I pray that Fashionista and RoboBoy will have a passion for you and your word. Please raise up my children as mighty warriors for YOU! In Jesus' name, amen.

FREEDOM WORKSHOP VERSES

Psalm 77:1

I cry out to God without holding back.

Psalm 77:1

Psalm 27:8

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Psalm 27:8

MEMORY VERSES

Must Receive Christ

John 1:12

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

Must Receive Christ

Must Receive Christ

1 Timothy 2:5

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

1 Timothy 2:5

Must Receive Christ

Killing My Old Man

Romans 13:13-14

Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Lord, you don't just want me to live a decent life for all to see. Lots of people who don't even know you do that. You expect more from me because I am your child and I have your Holy Spirit living in me. You want me to live a holy thought life as well.

Those evil thoughts will come. I'm so glad that having those thoughts is not the sin. It's when I indulge them that is the sin.

Even last night I found myself thinking thoughts that to a non-Christian would probably be considered tame. But for me they were starting to get a bit racy. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit helped me to see what was happening and derail that thought process. I blamed it on my "stupid sinful nature" which really wanted to indulge that evil desire. With your help, I was able to put to death the deeds of my sinful nature and move on to purer thoughts. 

I'm thrilled that I am gaining more and more victory in this area. You are training me. I'm finding that it is easier to recognize those little foxes and to catch them when I am spending time in your word, digging deep for the treasures. I love having your word memorized too. That gives me yet more ammunition in my battle to put to death the deeds of my sinful nature.

I love that this says, "And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." That tells me that there is a choice to be made. I can't help when or if the thoughts come. But it is totally my choice to indulge them or not.

Thank you, Lord, that you love me so much that you train me to be holy. That is the only way I can have a relationship with you because you can not abide any evil in your presence. Please keep on teaching me! In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSES

God Has a Purpose

John 10:10

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

John 10:10

God Has a Purpose

God Has a Purpose

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Philippians 4:6-7
God Has a Purpose

Sin is No Longer My Master

Romans 6:12-14

Do not let sin control the way you live, do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.

Lord, you are teaching me how not to live under sin's control and how not to give in to my sinful desires. It is amazing to me how many years I lived as a Christian, not really understanding this truth. I had some victory over sin, but I really didn't realize how those other voices and especially the voice of my sinful nature work to pull me back into sin. Thank you, Lord, for showing me this and teaching me to recognize the difference in your voice and those other voices.

Now I know that I have no obligation whatsoever to do what my sinful nature urges me to do! Romans 8:12 I love the way my NLT updated version translates Romans 8:13. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. You are teaching me to put to death the deeds of my sinful nature.

You are also teaching me to not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. Through this, I am learning to know God's will for me and to recognize it as good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

I can't help but praise you for what you are doing in my life. It is astounding to me that even after knowing and loving you for all these years, I'm just beginning to plumb the depths of your love and grace and mercy for me. I'm learning just how much I still have to learn. Keep on teaching me, Lord! I'm yours! In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSES

2 Chronicles 16:9a

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7