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 You have now received a glimpse of what God wants to replace in your thought
life. His desire is to bring you into the full joy and peace
that He has promised. You are ready for training, but remember…this
will take time and patience. If you persevere God will bring you through victorious!
The Bible says:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do
not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do
not be afraid." (John 14:27)
"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my
love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I
have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be
complete." (John 15:10-11)
IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN:
 Review the list of challenges and ‘put-offs’ in the previous section.
Make a list of those traits that apply to you.
- Beginning with the first "put-off" in your list, write the
associated Scripture text on a 3 x 5 card with the Bible reference (book,
chapter, verse). (This text is the one referred to in column 4)
- Carry this card with you in your pocket or purse to be used as a 'put-on'
whenever temptation overtakes you. As insurance against the temptation,
repeat the Scripture text aloud in the morning upon awaking and in the
evening, before retiring.
- It is vital to your new habit training to pray to God the Father in the
name of Jesus morning and evening as regular habits. At any other time
throughout the day you can talk to Him as a friend. Some prayer examples are
given below to help guide you in learning a few of the basic principles
until you have developed your own personalized prayer.
Morning:
"Dear Heavenly Father,
I stand on the truth of your Word that You would
give me the keys of the kingdom. You said in Matthew 16:18-19 that ‘whatsoever
I bind on earth would be bound in heaven and whatsoever I loose on earth would
be loosed in heaven. Right now, in the name of Jesus Christ, I bind my will to
the will of the Father and His purposes for my life. I bind myself to the
truth of God and His Word so that I will not be deceived through the subtle
deceptions of the world and the devil. I claim the blood of Jesus as my
covering and protection for this day.
Evening:
Search me and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there
is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of salvation. I willingly
acknowledge and repent of every wrong thought, word and action that I have had
in the area of __________________( name the sin). In
the name of Jesus Christ, I loose every wrong habit of thought, word and
action in connection with this sin.
 I bind my mind to the mind of Christ that I may think His thoughts after
Him. I do this only through the authority of Your Word and in the name of
Jesus Christ. Thank you, Father, for this truth. Amen."
Temptations throughout the day:
Speak aloud: "As a child of God I am covered by
the blood of Jesus; and in His Name I reject the thought of
___________________________." (name the temptation)
"Jesus help me to do Your will only."
CONTINGENCY PLAN:
When you find yourself under attack with discouragement
or complacency you may benefit from being in contact with another strong
Christian as a support person that you could call on for prayer. Some of Satan’s
ways of getting to you are:
Too busy
Too tired
Confused
Rebellious
Destructive habits
Fantasies
Inability to concentrate
It’s important to be wise to these attacks so that
they will not overtake you. In battles of war, a quick escape plan is usually
planned ahead of time. In this battle, it’s important to apply the same
principle.
The sins of self-belittlement,
self-exaltation, self-pity, envy jealousy, pride, covetousness and greed
are deeply embedded in the mind and heart of every person. Outside evidence is
not usually detected until they become obsessive. God desires to clean us up
from the inside out. As long as we look to Him for guidance and direction
through His Witnesses, the Bible and His Holy Spirit, He will accomplish His purposes
in us.
Open your heart to God’s loving Spirit and ask Him to
reveal your sin, your need of cleansing. Give Him time. These revelations are a
lifelong process. We couldn’t bear to see everything at one time, so He peels
them off, little by little, like onion peelings. Accept what God shows you for
today and ask Him to give you a longing to be like Him with a pure and clean
heart. (See Psalm 51)
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