You know the story. Satan came to Adam’s wife in the form of a serpent and deceived her into disobeying God. Adam, although he was not deceived, followed suit.

When Satan came into the Garden that day, he didn’t have any power at all. He had to come in like a sneak, not even talking to Adam directly but talking to his wife.

Now Adam was standing there, and he should have kicked him out right then. But he didn’t. He set aside the command God had given him and did what Satan told him to do instead. And when he did that, he made Satan his lord.

In bowing his knee to Satan, Adam gave Satan the authority that God had given him. He made Satan the illegitimate ruler of the earth. Immediately things changed. Through one man’s trespass, death passed to all men (Romans 5:12).

The earth and everything in it was suddenly cursed.

“OK,” you say, “are we to live under this curse for the rest of our lives? Wasn’t there anything God could do?”

He could and He did! He sent Jesus. Through Jesus, He set us free from the curse (Galatians 3:13).

The moment you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you were delivered from the lordship of Satan. You were redeemed from the curse. I didn’t say the curse wasn’t out there anymore. It is! You can see it all around you. But now you have a choice. You have authority over it in the Name of Jesus, so you can stand against it.

God’s done everything that love can do. He sent Jesus to redeem you from the curse. The rest is up to you. Now you must appropriate what has already been done for you.

Scripture Reading:
Romans 5:12-21

Have you ever been in prayer and suddenly had the disturbing sensation that God simply wasn’t listening?

It’s happened to all of us. But few of us know just what to do about it. We just limp along praying the same old prayers, half-hoping those prayers are heard and half-suspecting they’re not.

Today I want to show you how to resolve that dilemma once and for all. But let me warn you, I’m not going to slap you on the back and assure you God will listen to any old doubtful, self-centered thing you say to Him. He won’t. He’s only promised to listen to prayers that are prayed according to His will. The Apostle John says when you pray like that, you’ll know that you have the petitions you desire of Him.

The word petition is defined as “a formal, written request addressed to a sovereign superior for a particular right or grace,” and that’s exactly what you need when you’re praying about something serious.

How do you put together a solid petition, one that’s in line with the will of God?

First, you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and dig in to the written Word. Find scriptures that apply to your situation and make those the foundation for your petition.

Then get on your knees and consult with the Holy Spirit. Let Him help you develop your petition in detail. The best way to do that is to spend time praying in other tongues. (See Romans 8:26-27.) Expect God to reveal things from His heart to yours. He wants you to know His will. So, while you’re praying, listen!

Last of all, write it down. Make a formal written request by writing down every scripture you find. Also, as you’re listening to the Holy Spirit for the details, write down the impressions and ideas He gives you.

Take your time. Let the Spirit develop your prayer. Let the truth He reveals to you settle in and begin to work in you. Get your petition firmly in mind, then when you’re ready, present it to God.

Believe me, He’ll be listening.

Scripture Reading:
1 John 5:1-15

So many believers wring their hands and worry about whether or not they’re praying according to God’s will. “Oh, dear me,” they say, “I certainly can’t expect God to do something for me that’s outside His will.” And they’re absolutely right.

But they don’t need to waste time standing around looking puzzled. They need to grab their Bibles and find out what the will of God is.

God has made some very specific promises in His Word and it’s His will to fulfill every one of them in your life. In fact, those promises are divinely guaranteed by a contract that’s been signed in the blood of Jesus.

Think of it this way. Your Bible is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. It is a record of your inheritance. Everything that belongs to you has been written down in that Book and the smartest thing you can do is to find out what is in it. Don’t leave it lying on the coffee table and hit the floor crying, “Oh, God! Oh, God! I’m searching for the truth.”

Pick up your Bible from the coffee table and find out what belongs to you! Find out how you need to change to get in line with God’s will.

Most people don’t do that. They try to change God instead. They’ll go on and on trying to convince God just how badly they hurt or how poor they are. They’ll beg and plead and wheedle, all the while acting as though they had to somehow change God’s mind about the situation. Those folks are in for a long wait.

God is never going to change. The Bible says He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. His will is too. So don’t waste your time wondering if your prayers are in line with it. Get the Book and base your prayers on it. Then you can rest assured the answer is on the way!

Scripture Reading:
Proverbs 2:1-12

If you’re born again and have the Word of God in your heart, you can live in victory. You may not have all the answers. There may be a great many spiritual things you don’t understand. But it’s not those things that are most likely to destroy you. It’s the things you know to do—but don’t—that usually make you fall.

Just think about walking at night down a dark, unfamiliar path in the middle of a jungle. The guide up ahead has a flashlight to keep you on the right path. But then, you just decide to wander off into the darkness by yourself. What do you think will happen to you? You’ll probably stumble and fall. Very likely, you’ll get hurt.

That’s exactly the same thing that can happen in your walk with the Lord. He knows what’s ahead and He shines just enough light for you to take one step at a time. You have to continue walking in that light in order to get where you’re going.

You may not know why He’s leading you a certain way. You may not understand all the things involved. But God will make up for your ignorance by the Holy Spirit. He’ll see to it that you have victory if you continue in what you know.

It’s good to keep studying. It’s good to keep learning. But, remember, it’s not the great revelation you haven’t yet had that will cause you the most trouble. It’s failing to walk in the ones God has already given you. So be faithful in those things. Continue in them day after day after day. You’ll make it through just fine!

Scripture Reading:
2 Peter 1:2-11