MY PRAYER IS NOT THAT YOU TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD BUT THAT YOU PROTECT THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE
(John 17:15).

The Lord Jesus knew that your problem would not be with the world, but with the evil one.  He knew that your problem would not be with your circumstances, but with what the evil one told you about your circumstances—that they are impossible, unsolvable, and unchangeable. He knew that your problem would not be with what people told you, but with what the evil one told you: “Your mistakes are too numerous.  Your character is too flawed.  Your defect is non-redeemable.”  Therefore, Jesus asked His Father, the Most High, to protect you from the evil one.

The evil one sets you up with his purpose, from the start. He introduces you to his lies. These lies become your purpose from the evil one. Through them, he supplies everything you need, in order to make sure you serve him with your soul, your spirit, and your body. He furnishes you with his will, his desires, and his nature, so you may carry out the deeds he commissioned you to do, in obedience to these lies. Then, he sits back and watches you fulfill his purpose for your life.

IF YOU MAKE THE LORD YOUR REFUGE,
IF YOU MAKE THE MOST HIGH YOUR SHELTER,
NO EVIL WILL CONQUER YOU
(Psalm 91:9-10).

Don’t run from the evil one’s lies. Don’t hide from them, either. Don’t blame others for the evil one’s words in your mind.  Instead, push through your fear, your disappointment, your confusion, your anger, your jealousy, and your resentment, and bring your sadness, your badness, and your madness to the Perfect Father. Make the Lord your Refuge; then, no evil will conquer you.

Expose the evil one’s lies about you to God—that your mistakes are too numerous, your character is too flawed, and your defect is non-redeemable. Tell God what the evil one said about your circumstances—that they are impossible, unsolvable, and unchangeable. You will find that His arm is not too short to deliver you from the evil one.

WAS MY ARM TOO SHORT TO DELIVER YOU? DO I LACK THE STRENGTH TO RESCUE YOU? BY A MERE REBUKE I DRY UP THE SEA, I TURN RIVERS INTO A DESERT; THEIR FISH ROT FOR LACK OF WATER AND DIE OF THIRST
(Isaiah 50:2-3).

What has been keeping you from making the Most High your shelter against the evil one?

PRAYER: Most High, protect me from the evil one, so he would not be able to fulfill his purpose for my life.  Deliver me from his deceitful desires in me, from his spiteful will in me, from his negative, destructive beliefs in me, from his sinful nature in me. Deliver me from the evil one, so I may belong to You.

WHEN I THINK OF ALL THIS, I FALL TO MY KNEES AND PRAY TO THE FATHER, THE CREATOR OF EVERYTHING IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH.  I PRAY THAT FROM HIS GLORIOUS, UNLIMITED RESOURCES HE WILL EMPOWER YOU WITH INNER STRENGTH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT
(Ephesians 3:14-16 NLT).

Did you know that your Perfect Father, the Creator of everything in Heaven and on earth, has unlimited Resources from which He is able to supply what you need, even today?  Maybe you believe that there is no answer for your problem.  Maybe you believe that there is no solution for your unacceptable character.  Maybe you believe that there is no remedy for your sinful habits and patterns of escape.

GREAT IS OUR LORD, AND OF GREAT POWER: HIS UNDERSTANDING IS INFINITE
(Psalm 147:5).

Blessed Child, I am the Perfect Father, the Creator of everything in Heaven and on earth. I am of great Power…and I created YOU, too. Now, from My glorious, unlimited resources, I am able to empower you with inner strength through My Spirit, so you may have sufficiency in all things, from the inside out. All you need to do is DRAW from Me.

Fall to your knees and pray to Me, your Father in Heaven. My glorious Recourses are unlimited to supply everything you need for life and godliness, despite the ungodliness in your nature, the instability in your emotions, and the spitefulness in your will.

Look up, Child. I am able to make all My Grace abound toward you, so you may have what it takes to be gentle, good, gracious, faithful, patient, forgiving, and filled with self-control. My Grace is enough to cover your past failures and mistakes, to deal with your present guilt and shame, and to ensure a hopeful future.  

AND GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD YOU; THAT YE, ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, MAY ABOUND TO EVERY GOOD WORK
(2 Corinthians 9:8).

Regardless of your need, shortcoming, or defect, God is able to make all Grace abound toward you, so that you may have sufficiency in all things—in your will, your nature, your thoughts, your emotions, your desires…and your deeds.

For what problem in your life do you need to draw from the Perfect Father’s unlimited resources?

PRAYER: Lord God, how great You are! I pray that from Your glorious, unlimited resources You empower me with inner strength through Your Spirit, so I may have sufficiency in all things.

Is there something in your life that you do not like: your dysfunctional personality, the darkness in your mind, the death in your spirit, the painful feelings in your heart, the sickness in your body, or the senseless life you have lived, until now? If you could go to the pawn shop and exchange your dark mind for a new mind, filled with light, would you consider it? If you could ask a surgeon to replace your broken heart with a whole one, would you do it? If you could ask a psychiatrist to give you a pill that would eradicate your spirit of death and grow a new spirit of life, in its place, would you contemplate it? If you could ask a psychologist to replace your dysfunctional personality with a different one, would you try it? If there were a special kind of food that would heal your body from its diseases, would you eat it? If someone who is filled with life, love, and hope offered you her/his life in exchange for yours, would you take it? If someone could bring Heaven to earth, would you receive it?

FOR AS THE FATHER HAS LIFE IN HIMSELF, SO HE HAS GRANTED THE SON TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF
(John 5:26).

I have GOOD NEWS for you.  There is someone who brought Heaven to earth: into your troubled heart, into your dark mind, into your dead spirit, into your disease-ridden body, and into your broken life.  The Perfect Father has Life in Himself. He gave that Life to His Son, Jesus Christ…to bring YOU that Life, as well. When you receive that Life, in faith, you receive HIS LIFE, complete with HIS MIND, HIS HEART, HIS SPIRIT, HIS BODY, and HIS PURPOSE…and this Life lasts forever.

BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT BY BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME
(John 20:31).

You cannot lead two lives, at the same time. It will either be the Lord Jesus, living HIS LIFE in you, or YOU, living YOUR life in you. The choice is yours.

What do you need to do to receive the LIFE the Perfect Father gave the Lord Jesus to give to YOU?

You give Him yours, in faith. Then, you ask Him for His, in faith.

PRAYER: Father of our Lord Jesus, I worship You with gladness for the Life that You have in Yourself. How encouraged I am that You have granted that same Life to Your Son, Jesus, and for offering that Life to me, as well. In faith, I surrender my life to You, in exchange for Your Life to dwell in me, through Your Spirit. Thank you that this Life lasts forever.

NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH: BUT IF ANY MAN DRAW BACK, MY SOUL SHALL HAVE NO PLEASURE IN HIM
(Hebrews 10:38).

What is faith? How do we live by faith, every day, moment-by-moment?

NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN
(Hebrews 11:1).

FAITH is the substance of things-HOPED-for, the evidence of things-not-seen. What are these things-not-seen that we are hoping for? How do we receive these things-HOPED-for that we cannot see? Why do we need to hope for things-not-seen?

CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU AND TELL YOU GREAT AND UNSEARCHABLE THINGS YOU DO NOT KNOW
(Jeremiah 33:3).

In my life, these things-not-seen that I have been hoping for are the personal promises God has given me before He supplies the things-not-seen. My faith becomes the evidence that I am hoping for those personal promises to be fulfilled, in God’s time, even when the FACTS and CONCLUSIONS of my current circumstances show me there is nothing to hope for, because there is no evidence.

But, in order to have received personal promises from God—things-not-seen—I needed to have a deep, personal relationship with God, first. I needed to make Him my eternal God, my Refuge—the One who holds me in His eternal arms, during difficult circumstances.

THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE, AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS
(Deuteronomy 33:27).

God always tells us ahead of time what to expect, so we may have faith—so we may hope for things-not-seen. Do you live in a real relationship with God? Then, what are the personal promises for which you are hoping—the evidence of things-not-seen? Are your circumstances difficult, at the moment? Find out what God has already promised you in regards to your current circumstances. If you cannot find any promises to hope for, find God. Ask Him to show you something about your circumstances. Anything that God shows you about your circumstances will be a personal promise to you from God—a thing-not-seen that you can hope for. This is how you will live by FAITH, moment-by-moment, every day.

PRAYER: My Lord, I come to You during my difficult circumstances. I seek Your Presence and Your Participation. Show me the things-not-seen for which You want me to hope, today.

Oswald Chambers once said, “When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything.”

JOHN ANSWERED AND SAID, A MAN CAN RECEIVE NOTHING, EXCEPT IT BE GIVEN HIM FROM HEAVEN
(John 3:27).

I bless you to sing a new song of joy, today.  Jesus came to give you what you need, so you do not have to fail anymore.

HITHERTO HAVE YE ASKED NOTHING IN MY NAME: ASK, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE, THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL
(John 16:24).

Do you need acceptance?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need goodness?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need kindness?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need joy?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need faith?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need hope?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need comfort?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need light?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need life?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need healing?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need forgiveness?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need belonging?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need affirmation?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need love? Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need strength? Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need a miracle? Receive it from Jesus!

PRAISE THE LORD, MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS—
WHO FORGIVES ALL YOUR SINS AND HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES,
WHO REDEEMS YOUR LIFE FROM THE PIT
AND CROWNS YOU WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION,
WHO SATISFIES YOUR DESIRES WITH GOOD THINGS
SO THAT YOUR YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S
(Psalm 103:2-5).

What do you need?  At what are you failing?

Come to the Lord Jesus, just the way you are, and ask Him for what you need, in faith. It is as simple as that.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that I may ask You for anything I need, no matter how small or large my request is, so I may receive, and my joy may be full.

THE WOMAN SAID TO THE SERPENT, ‘WE MAY EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREES IN THE GARDEN, BUT GOD DID SAY, ‘YOU MUST NOT EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREE THAT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN, AND YOU MUST NOT TOUCH IT, OR YOU WILL DIE’

‘YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE,’ THE SERPENT SAID TO THE WOMAN
(Genesis 3:2-4).

Notice that there are two sources of counsel available to you: God’s Counsel and Satan’s counsel.

Listen to God’s Counsel:

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING;
IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM,
AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.
DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES;
FEAR THE LORD AND SHUN EVIL
(Proverbs 3:5-7).

Notice that Satan’s counsel opposes God’s Counsel…resists God’s instruction…attacks God’s Word:

Do not trust God,
Instead, rely on your own perceptions,
Trust your own interpretations and believe everything you think.
Try and figure everything out for yourself,
for your mind is sufficient to supply all the explanations you need.
Have faith in your own common sense.
Then, everything will turn out OK.

THE MIND OF SINFUL MAN IS DEATH, BUT THE MIND CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE
(Romans 8:6).

Do you have Life and Peace? If not, whose counsel do you heed, daily? Who controls your mind, moment-by-moment?

Are you willing to follow a different Counsel? I challenge you to stop trying to figure things out for yourself. Instead, ask God for His Perspective…and see what happens.

PRAYER: Lord God, may I trust YOU with all my heart and refrain from being wise in my own eyes, but acknowledge Your Perspective in everything I do and think.

YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
(Matthew 6:10).

The Will of the Perfect Father is the highest Power in Heaven and on earth.  Nothing can withstand it…except our own will.

ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A PENNY?  YET NOT ONE OF THEM WILL FALL TO THE GROUND APART FROM THE WILL OF YOUR FATHER
(Matthew 10:29).

On the other hand, the father-of-lies is always ready to persuade us to do HIS will: to follow his negative, destructive thoughts “God does not love you. God only wants to harm you. God only wants to punish you, because He is a villain—someone without principles.” The father-of-lies constantly promotes his own will through your will, because he knows if we chose HIS rebellious will, he would be able to manifest his own sinful nature in us, along with his own deceitful desires, his own accusatory beliefs with their painful feelings, his own evil deeds, and his own destructive purpose.

YOU ARE WORTHY, OUR LORD AND GOD, TO RECEIVE GLORY AND HONOR AND POWER, FOR YOU CREATED ALL THINGS, AND BY YOUR WILL THEY WERE CREATED AND HAVE THEIR BEING
(Revelation 4:11).

The father-of-lies will always try to persuade you that HIS rebellious will is good for your life, and that the Perfect Father’s Will is bad for you.  However, whenever you believe the father-of-lies’ negative, destructive thoughts, you will be filled with suspicion, hatred, sadness, confusion, guilt, jealousy, and anger. His beliefs of rejection, shame, condemnation, and abandonment will reign in your heart. His unworthiness will cover your soul. His hopelessness will abuse your heart. On the other hand, the more you submit to God’s Perfect Will, the more you are filled with His Hope, Truth, and Love, for by His Will you were created and have your being. Know that what the father-of-lies has been telling you about Him is not true. The father-of-lies is the real villain. He is the one without the principles. He is the one who does not love you and wants to harm and punish you. Know that when you allow the Father’s Will to reign in your life, the father-of-lies’ will has no hold on your life.  However, this all depends on YOUR will.

Whom do you serve with YOUR will: the Perfect Father…or the father-of-lies?

PRAYER: Perfect Father, with my will I choose Your Will to reign in my life: in my thoughts, in my actions, in my nature, in my desires, in my emotions, and in my purpose.