Chapter Six
Self-control
A Gift from God
2015
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my serious, convincing God, my all-knowing, dedicated Messenger, my earnest, understanding Companion, You are the One who pledges Your promises to me, We are talking about having self-control. It is an important part of maturity. At first, we are like babies in Christ. We have not learned how to fully surrender to Christ. The old man is still somewhat alive. As I grow in You, I learn that my old ways are not of You. As I learn to renew my mind, I will become more mature in You. Once I know better and have grown and still walk in the old man You say, “God forbid!” My inner cravings from the old nature, old ways, and old self turn me away from You. When I walk in the old man I seek significance, security, and satisfaction through my fleshly desires. When I lose self-control I become immature, unwise, impulsive, I lack self-restraint, I can become misled, I become negative, anxious and unrighteous and it affects my ability to make sound and righteous decisions. Self-control is one of the fruits of Your Spirit. I need You to empower me to conquer the old man. You have taught me that a lack of self-control can have devastating results.
My mind changes when I walk with Your hand holding me and giving me power. I go from having self-centered concerns and wanting worldly objects to only wanting what You want for me. When I walk in the old man, I reach for whatever I can get my hands on to get comfort. You have empowered me and You have taught me that You are the real comfort, Jesus. Lord, empower me and give me more of the fruit of Your Spirit, more self-control and more of Your free gifts. Bring them to me through Your Holy Spirit. I received Your Spirit once I became a born-again believer. Your Holy Spirit and I joined and I was offered self-control. I now understand that I need to exercise what You have already given me in my walk with You every day.
It is such a privilege, Lord, to have all this power You have given me to turn my life over to Your righteousness and goodness. This brings about a deep relationship between You and me—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your powerful and living Word of truth motivates me and empowers me to be mature and godly. You are the One who empowers me with Your strong, valuable beliefs, which are found in Your powerful and living Word of truth, to structure Your self-control in me. Thank You for empowering me, with Your understanding and wisdom, to totally surrender everything about me for Your will and plan, that I would receive Your self-control in each area of my life, to change with Your grace, mercy, and favor. As we continue to remove my old ways, addictions, and generational curses, Your self-control begins to live in my life and I receive Your blessings for Your honor and glory. I thank You for Your amazing love and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my just, mighty, orderly Authority, You are my most meek and gentle God. You are the One who gives me seasoned, disciplined guidance; You give me the very best guidance. You are my peaceful, soft, and mild Love.
You give me the invitation to obey. I am not being weak when I am meek or humble. Meekness and humility show that I have control over the power that You have given me. You give me power to change my life and resist temptation. You empower me to resist the enemy and to turn from him. You are with me because You live in me. You will empower me avoid temptations by empowering me to not put myself in situations where I will face temptations. You are the one who empowers me to do whatever I need to do to avoid temptation. I pray for You, Lord, to empower and encourage me to develop in the areas where I need more self-control. You are the One who empowers me to confess my problems and the old man’s ways that keep creeping up on me. If these ways get a hold of me, You will help me to look at You and to repent and ask for forgiveness.
Lord, I trust that You will empower me to overcome this problem of the old man and flesh. Lord, Your power will encourage me and support me to say, “No,” to the flesh and the old man. “...the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish,” (Galatians 5:17, NKJV). I must control myself, through You, with my free will. I must be true to You and Your standards. You empower me to control myself. You are my conscience and You will cry out to me before I do wrong. It is my free will to choose. Yes or no -- You give me a choice. It's like good or bad. Which one do I really want? There's no doubt that I do hear You and I can either turn away from You or turn away from sin. It is my choice this day, Lord. I choose to turn away from sin and to serve You! I thank You for Your power, my sweet Master, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my safekeeping Retreat, my Sponsorship and Backing, my Advocate, my beneficial Guardian, When I'm in need I will remember to say, “Help me, God! I am in need. Open up the doors that I need to walk through. I do believe You will empower me. Lord, empower my unbelief. I am trusting in You, Lord. Here I go, Lord; I'm stepping out to walk in faith. I will live by faith. I will pray for Your power hour by hour and for each specific situation. You, Holy Spirit, will empower me because I believe in Your powerful and living Word of truth. You will supply me with and empower me with Your strength. You have empowered me and You have taught me that I now understand Your principle of sowing and reaping. This principle states that everything I focus my energy on, I give power to and bring into my life and into the world. It doesn't only affect me, but it effects others as well, whether it's movies, music, people, words, or any kind of activity or thought. Therefore, I choose to focus my energy on You and the heavenly things of You for Your honor and glory. My zestful and efficient Lord, I love You so much, I thank You, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my defending Lawyer, my pleading Attorney, my supportive Spokesman, my Defender, my Refuge, my Sanctuary, You say that I should make note of my true spiritual condition. It is to be measured first and foremost by my inner person—my heart -- not by my external person—my old habits. My habits and behaviors are the product of and a reflection of the condition of my heart. What comes out of my heart makes me unclean or clean. When absent of self-control and Your fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the flesh, evil ideas, immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander and pride arise in my life. Your fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control -- live in me. Jesus, You empower me and give me the ability and self-control to let You rule with passion. You regulate and empower my personal life, that I am not driven or dominated by the enemy and his evil desires of the flesh. When I fall and sin You, Jesus, plead on my behalf. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” (1 John 2:1, NKJV). You go before me and stand before my Father and remind Him that my sins were forgiven by Your blood when I accepted You as my Savior. You have forgiven every future, past and present sin. When I sin today, it costs me blessings and protection and I am miserable, but I still have my salvation in Christ. I thank You for Your fabulous grace for Your honor and glory. I love You, I thank You, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my craving, my longing, my desire, my perfect aspiration, my mesmerizing, intense beauty, my fascinating, delightful, charming King, I will, through Your strength and enlightenment, determine how I will spend my time and who I will spend it with. You will teach me how to manage my money and how to have good health. You will teach me how to take care of my body and I will learn to appreciate and care for the body You have given me. Lord, Your Spirit is greater than any part of me and You have filled me with power, love and self-control. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV). Self-control begins with controlling my thoughts and emotions. Being sober-minded is having a right and clear mind. You are my just and passionate yearning. You have taught me how to not think of myself more highly than I ought. You have taught me to exercise, daily, moment by moment, some form of self-control. I am to think with sober judgment. I am to control my body in holiness and honor for You through Your strength. I am not to operate in the passion of lust.
I will, through Your strength, deny myself daily and take up my cross, moment by moment, and follow You. I will, through Your strength, say no to sinful desires, even when it hurts and when I want it so badly. I will exercise self-control by faith in Your strength, Jesus. You are the One for whom I hunger and thirst. You, my Superior Lord, will get all the glory. When I strive against my fatal desires and resist temptation, in Your power, darkness flees and You are able to do mighty works through me. By your Holy Spirit, You will put to death the deeds of the evil one in my body, soul and spirit. You want me to focus on You passionately and intently, while the devil wants me to focus on him passionately and intently. I choose You, my desirable Master and Lord. You infatuate me for Your honor and glory! I love You, I thank You for who You are, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol.
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, the One I admire, adore and respect, my highly esteemed God who is worthy of praise, honor, and worship, my awe-inspiring and loyal Friend, my fortified Vitality, my zealous Endurance, my guaranteed Safeguard, To find Your favor I am to believe and trust in You, my Master, with the highest reverence and I am to do good. You ask me to be gentle and to persevere in Your love. You have many examples for me to follow in Your steps. You are the Shepherd and Guardian of my soul. Self-control is brought about through good judgment, sound thinking, and mastering one's desires and impulses. I need to submit to You and I need to be obedient to You. You tell me to discipline my passions and appetites. You empower me and You give me what I need to be sober: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city,” (Proverbs 16:32, KJV). What You are saying here is that if I can control my anger and my spirit, through You, then I am greater than the leader of an army.
I must be focused on You in order to control that over which I have power and responsibility. You are the One who empowers me to turn from evil things as if a hot poker were about to be jabbed into my eye. You are the One who instantly empowers me to tell the enemy, “Get behind me! I will serve the Lord my God Almighty this day, as it is written in the powerful and living Word of truth!” My body and mind possess an appetite and have needs that can easily lead to sinful and excessive habits if I don't control my appetite through You. You are the One who empowers me to master this appetite and to be led in Your righteousness. You have taught me that purification always comes before victory. You empower me to do this moment by moment, through You, for Your honor and glory. I thank You for Your mighty power and Your everlasting love for me. I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, King of faithfulness; my alert and mindful Guard; my solid and safe Covering; my accurate, concerned, thorough Master; my cool, calm and collected Sovereignty; my home, my secure, safe Place; my infinite, resourceful, shielding Retreat; my spacious Hiding Place, You will empower me and You will give me whatever I need to master my mood so I can have self-control. You are the One who empowers me to watch my words and You empower me to put my mind in gear before opening my mouth. You are the One who empowers me to remember that a careless talker destroys himself. You are the One who empowers me to restrain my reactions, keep my cool, be sensible, and control my temper. You are the One who empowers me to turn away and ignore the wrong people and to bring them to You. You bring all the right people into my life.
Through You, I will be very careful how I live. In You, I can live wisely and make the most of every opportunity You give me. Through You, I receive whatever I need to stick to Your schedule. Through You, I will learn to live on less than what I make and I will invest where You want me to with the difference. Through You, I will remember that there is value in a budget. A budget tells me where my money is going, how much I have left, and what I can do with the rest. You are the well that never runs dry. “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up,” (Proverbs 21:20, KJV). You are my Lord who brings good fortune for Your honor and glory. I thank You and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your child forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my longing passion, the One who restrains interruptions, You are the One who empowers me with Your enlightening and knowledgeable principles. You are my vision of victory, triumph, and freedom. You are my sufficient and strong leader, You are my full and plentiful hope, You are my decent and agreeable general, and You are my extreme and rejoicing happiness.
You say to pay attention to three things that can arise in my life: pleasure, passion, and pride. These can become unhealthy forces in my heart that control and energize my behavior patterns. These inner forces and the enemy seek to keep me away from You, my Lord. Your powerful and living Word of truth and my values and beliefs of You diffuse the power of the enemy, the old man, and the old ways. Self-control determines the attitudes, thought processes, desires, and passions that form life patterns and habits. Lord, You empower me to put on Your full armor every day: the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind; the breast plate of righteousness, which protects my heart; the shield of faith, which protects me from the enemy's fiery darts; the sword of the spirit, to attack the enemy’s lies; the belt of truth, which keeps me strong and gives me Your confidence; and the shoes of peace, which lead me in peace everywhere I go. Thank You for empowering me to put on Your full armor, for tearing down every stronghold which keeps me from You and every arrogant obstacle which is raised up against the knowledge of You, for Your honor and glory. You have provided Your armor and it's up to me to put it on by believing that it works.
As I give them to You, You will take all my thoughts captive and they will conform and obey You. I can trust You with my thoughts, knowing that You will change them for Your honor and glory. I choose and it is my will to be self-controlled, sober, self-restrained, self-disciplined, respectful, hospitable, and gentle. In You, Lord Jesus, I have been empowered to master my appetites. Victory is achieved once the battle is won, like being delivered from drugs. Triumph is the celebration of the victory from the drugs. Through You, Lord Jesus, the victory has been won and You have given me the privilege to remain in triumph and in freedom. I can continuously believe that I'm free from the old ways, old habits, and old self for Your honor and glory! I thank You for empowering me with the privilege of sharing Your freedom with the world and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord, Jesus, You are my pleasing Director and Administrator, You are my opportunistic, liberating, and independent God. You are my planned and guided Motive, You are my high Desire, and You are my ambitious Intention. You are my Deliverer, You are my overseeing and chief Ruler, You are my executive commander, and You are my sweet and joyful delight.
You tell me that I will gain self-control through prayer with You. I am to use Your knowledge and exercise my Christian faith in You. I will develop Your wisdom and discernment between good and evil. I will use Your strength to do right. You tell me not to let sin reside in my mortal body and that I should not obey its lusts. You empower me to stand firm to make the decision to put aside and crucify my own desires. I obtain this by following You every day. A lack of self-control always leads to spiritual hurt and a painful heart. You empower me to practice self-control in all things: eating, pleasure, work, sleep, etc. Self-control must be practiced to completely abstain from fornication, lying, gambling, drunkenness, stealing, out of control temper, and my tongue such as gossiping and hatefulness. Jesus Christ, self-control results from bringing my thoughts under Your captivity and by offering myself—body, soul, and spirit—as a living sacrifice to You. Lord Jesus, empower me to live a life that is holy and pleasing to You and empower me to not be conformed to the patterns of this world. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God,” (Romans 12:1-2, KJV). Thank You for empowering my spirit to govern my flesh for Your honor and glory. My wonderful God who gives me the power of choice, I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You empower me to be self-controlled and to surrender all of my life to You. You empower me to give all of myself to You. You empower me to pray without ceasing, and that means talking to You all the time. You empower me to walk with You as I serve You and talk about Your daily plans and purposes You have for me. You empower me to worship and pray throughout the day and You live through me. When I allow indulgences and grant my appetite to live upon my senses, You convict me and say that sowing into the flesh will reap corruption, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting,” (Galatians 6:8, KJV).
You empower me, through Your strength, to bring my whole body, soul, and spirit into submission under Your authority. Everyone has the free will to say yes or no. Lord Jesus, You empower me to believe that my brain, eyes, tongue, hands, and feet must be continuously devoted to You. You empower me to lay all of these things as sacrifices upon Your altar every day. These can be costly offerings and require me to let You control them because I inherently desire to hang on to them. What I think is dear to me and what the enemy says is good for me are no good for me and can lead me in many directions away from You. Thank You for Your guidance and self-control. Your voice is music to my ears for Your honor and glory. I love You, I thank You, my God, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my dear, steadfast and thoughtful King, You are my caring, concerned, and comforting God. You are my affectionate and sacred Prize. You are my refreshing and considerate Minister, You are my renewing and replenishing Sustainer, You are my pleasant, satisfying, and polite Master. You are my good, favorable, and gratifying Lord.
You have not given me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, power, and of a sound mind. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV). I cannot have these things if I don't have the fruit of Your Spirit of self-control. When I have self-control, You live through me and I am sensible, understanding, and sober. You give me the strength to stay away from drugs and alcohol and anything else that is harmful to me. You give me Your wise discernment and You give me Your wisdom in all my decisions. You give me the knowledge to judge what I'm doing. As I live this way, You give Your Spirit to me to begin the spiritual creation that will mold me into Your image. Self-control is very important. It is an attribute of Yours, my Creator, along with courage, power, love, and compassion. You, Lord, are the Son of our Heavenly Father and You are One with Him. You are the One who gives me Your refreshing love and You keep Your eyes upon me for Your honor and glory. I thank You, I love You, I praise You, my Lord, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your child forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my restoring and pleasing Captain, You are my sensitive, noble, and forgiving God. You are my fitting, understanding, and patient Savior. You are my altogether exquisite and beautiful Friend. You are my highly experienced Organizer. You are my proper and fine spiritual Leader. You are my practical, pure, and genuine Companion.
The solution to my lack of self-control lies in my relationship with You. You have made a wonderful promise to me that You will strengthen me because I trust in You. I do trust You, Lord. I ask You to govern my life and move in me and through me by Your Spirit. By Your Spirit, I can have self-control. Through You, I will go to You daily in trust and pray and live in true communion with You. I know this is valuable. This is Your power in my life—this is our connection. You empower me to function effectively for You. Through You, I will wait patiently to exercise the gifts You have given me. Through You, I believe my life will experience Your blessings. I will succeed and prosper because You are with me. You empower me to give up any sinful practice: overeating, bitterness, anger, controlling others, etc. You empower me to bring myself under Your control. When I see these works of the enemy come into my life, You empower me to immediately turn to Your Holy Spirit and surrender.
You, Holy Spirit, give me the power to exercise Your self-control. Holy Spirit, You empower me in my weakness, which makes me able to say no to sin. Lord, You empower me with Your self-control to face trials and temptations. Thank You for empowering me to renounce all evil desires, inappropriate ways, and impulsive emotions altogether and give them to You for Your honor and glory. Heavenly Father, I know You will answer my prayer because You said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13, KJV). Christ Jesus, You are my Lord who gives me every spiritual blessing in You and produces the fruit of Your Spirit of self-control in me for Your honor and glory. I thank You for Your strength and goodness and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my God of eternal justice, You are my almighty God of kindness, compassion, and love. You are my leader, You are my Counselor, and You are my holy One. You are my Ruler, my Rock, my Deliverer, and my superior Lord. You are the Spirit of truth and of life. You are my true, committed, and loyal God; You are the One whose love for me is unquenchable. You are my honest Decision Maker.
You empower me to not be deceived, led to, or controlled by sinful acts when I'm feeling weak and when my appetites and desires for the forbidden fruit—which look so good and appealing—are strong. You are the One who empowers me to break every generational curse off of my whole body, soul, and spirit! You empower me to see, be led by, and be controlled by Your powerful and living Word of truth. You are the One who takes away the needless anxieties and appetites, that I would only be mastered by You.
You empower me, by Your Spirit, to control these powerful, evil pulls; the lusts of the body, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world,” (1 John 2:16, KJV). These are not of You, Father, but of the world; the old man, the old nature, and the old self. If I follow them, I will continue to be conformed to the world. You empower me to conform to Your powerful and living Word of truth. If I continue to conform to the world, there will be dire consequences. As You empower me to continue to conform to Your powerful and living Word of truth, by You leading me and holding my hand, I will reap great blessings. When I have pulled my hand away from You, when I have put You on the shelf, and when I say, “I'll talk to You later—when I'm done sinning.”
You will then say, “No, my child, please don't!” If I choose my own path and not Yours, I will suffer. To get relief and to get back on track—Your path—You empower me to repent and ask for forgiveness. You are happy to take me back into Your loving arms, guide me, and give me Your blessings. You are my Lord whom I regard most highly and who is merciful and gracious to me for Your honor and glory. I thank You and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord and Master Jesus Christ, God Almighty, You are my just, refreshing, and upright Author of my life, You are my close, special, and everlasting reality. You are the One who has it all together. You are my all-knowing, far-sighted, and discerning holy God. You have given me a sound mind. Through Your powerful and living Word of truth I am reasonable, sensible, and I have good judgment. In You, Jesus, I have mental soundness. You enable me to make wise decisions in all my practical affairs. You empower me to be careful in making decisions concerning my future. You empower me to make thoughtful decisions. You empower me to be sober and to stay free from every form of mental and spiritual drunkenness every day. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour...” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV). “...Be lovers of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate...” (Titus 1:8, KJV). “...Be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience,” (Titus 2:2, KJV).
Lord Jesus, You empower my mind to be prepared for action by being sober. You empower me to set my hopes completely on You and I'm free from excess passion, irrationality, and confusion. In You, You empower me to have a well-balanced mind and a sober and clear-headed temperament every day. Lord Jesus, thank You for my new life in You for Your honor and glory! Through You, I can rule over my old ways and old nature; over my flesh. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ...” (Ephesians 1:3, KJV). My Lord who pulls down strongholds and opens the doors to Your freedom, You are my Kinsman. You are my Peacemaker. You are my honest and Almighty God above all gods. I thank You and I pray in Your mighty name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol.
Self-control
A Gift from God
2015
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my serious, convincing God, my all-knowing, dedicated Messenger, my earnest, understanding Companion, You are the One who pledges Your promises to me, We are talking about having self-control. It is an important part of maturity. At first, we are like babies in Christ. We have not learned how to fully surrender to Christ. The old man is still somewhat alive. As I grow in You, I learn that my old ways are not of You. As I learn to renew my mind, I will become more mature in You. Once I know better and have grown and still walk in the old man You say, “God forbid!” My inner cravings from the old nature, old ways, and old self turn me away from You. When I walk in the old man I seek significance, security, and satisfaction through my fleshly desires. When I lose self-control I become immature, unwise, impulsive, I lack self-restraint, I can become misled, I become negative, anxious and unrighteous and it affects my ability to make sound and righteous decisions. Self-control is one of the fruits of Your Spirit. I need You to empower me to conquer the old man. You have taught me that a lack of self-control can have devastating results.
My mind changes when I walk with Your hand holding me and giving me power. I go from having self-centered concerns and wanting worldly objects to only wanting what You want for me. When I walk in the old man, I reach for whatever I can get my hands on to get comfort. You have empowered me and You have taught me that You are the real comfort, Jesus. Lord, empower me and give me more of the fruit of Your Spirit, more self-control and more of Your free gifts. Bring them to me through Your Holy Spirit. I received Your Spirit once I became a born-again believer. Your Holy Spirit and I joined and I was offered self-control. I now understand that I need to exercise what You have already given me in my walk with You every day.
It is such a privilege, Lord, to have all this power You have given me to turn my life over to Your righteousness and goodness. This brings about a deep relationship between You and me—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your powerful and living Word of truth motivates me and empowers me to be mature and godly. You are the One who empowers me with Your strong, valuable beliefs, which are found in Your powerful and living Word of truth, to structure Your self-control in me. Thank You for empowering me, with Your understanding and wisdom, to totally surrender everything about me for Your will and plan, that I would receive Your self-control in each area of my life, to change with Your grace, mercy, and favor. As we continue to remove my old ways, addictions, and generational curses, Your self-control begins to live in my life and I receive Your blessings for Your honor and glory. I thank You for Your amazing love and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my just, mighty, orderly Authority, You are my most meek and gentle God. You are the One who gives me seasoned, disciplined guidance; You give me the very best guidance. You are my peaceful, soft, and mild Love.
You give me the invitation to obey. I am not being weak when I am meek or humble. Meekness and humility show that I have control over the power that You have given me. You give me power to change my life and resist temptation. You empower me to resist the enemy and to turn from him. You are with me because You live in me. You will empower me avoid temptations by empowering me to not put myself in situations where I will face temptations. You are the one who empowers me to do whatever I need to do to avoid temptation. I pray for You, Lord, to empower and encourage me to develop in the areas where I need more self-control. You are the One who empowers me to confess my problems and the old man’s ways that keep creeping up on me. If these ways get a hold of me, You will help me to look at You and to repent and ask for forgiveness.
Lord, I trust that You will empower me to overcome this problem of the old man and flesh. Lord, Your power will encourage me and support me to say, “No,” to the flesh and the old man. “...the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish,” (Galatians 5:17, NKJV). I must control myself, through You, with my free will. I must be true to You and Your standards. You empower me to control myself. You are my conscience and You will cry out to me before I do wrong. It is my free will to choose. Yes or no -- You give me a choice. It's like good or bad. Which one do I really want? There's no doubt that I do hear You and I can either turn away from You or turn away from sin. It is my choice this day, Lord. I choose to turn away from sin and to serve You! I thank You for Your power, my sweet Master, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my safekeeping Retreat, my Sponsorship and Backing, my Advocate, my beneficial Guardian, When I'm in need I will remember to say, “Help me, God! I am in need. Open up the doors that I need to walk through. I do believe You will empower me. Lord, empower my unbelief. I am trusting in You, Lord. Here I go, Lord; I'm stepping out to walk in faith. I will live by faith. I will pray for Your power hour by hour and for each specific situation. You, Holy Spirit, will empower me because I believe in Your powerful and living Word of truth. You will supply me with and empower me with Your strength. You have empowered me and You have taught me that I now understand Your principle of sowing and reaping. This principle states that everything I focus my energy on, I give power to and bring into my life and into the world. It doesn't only affect me, but it effects others as well, whether it's movies, music, people, words, or any kind of activity or thought. Therefore, I choose to focus my energy on You and the heavenly things of You for Your honor and glory. My zestful and efficient Lord, I love You so much, I thank You, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my defending Lawyer, my pleading Attorney, my supportive Spokesman, my Defender, my Refuge, my Sanctuary, You say that I should make note of my true spiritual condition. It is to be measured first and foremost by my inner person—my heart -- not by my external person—my old habits. My habits and behaviors are the product of and a reflection of the condition of my heart. What comes out of my heart makes me unclean or clean. When absent of self-control and Your fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the flesh, evil ideas, immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander and pride arise in my life. Your fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control -- live in me. Jesus, You empower me and give me the ability and self-control to let You rule with passion. You regulate and empower my personal life, that I am not driven or dominated by the enemy and his evil desires of the flesh. When I fall and sin You, Jesus, plead on my behalf. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” (1 John 2:1, NKJV). You go before me and stand before my Father and remind Him that my sins were forgiven by Your blood when I accepted You as my Savior. You have forgiven every future, past and present sin. When I sin today, it costs me blessings and protection and I am miserable, but I still have my salvation in Christ. I thank You for Your fabulous grace for Your honor and glory. I love You, I thank You, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my craving, my longing, my desire, my perfect aspiration, my mesmerizing, intense beauty, my fascinating, delightful, charming King, I will, through Your strength and enlightenment, determine how I will spend my time and who I will spend it with. You will teach me how to manage my money and how to have good health. You will teach me how to take care of my body and I will learn to appreciate and care for the body You have given me. Lord, Your Spirit is greater than any part of me and You have filled me with power, love and self-control. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV). Self-control begins with controlling my thoughts and emotions. Being sober-minded is having a right and clear mind. You are my just and passionate yearning. You have taught me how to not think of myself more highly than I ought. You have taught me to exercise, daily, moment by moment, some form of self-control. I am to think with sober judgment. I am to control my body in holiness and honor for You through Your strength. I am not to operate in the passion of lust.
I will, through Your strength, deny myself daily and take up my cross, moment by moment, and follow You. I will, through Your strength, say no to sinful desires, even when it hurts and when I want it so badly. I will exercise self-control by faith in Your strength, Jesus. You are the One for whom I hunger and thirst. You, my Superior Lord, will get all the glory. When I strive against my fatal desires and resist temptation, in Your power, darkness flees and You are able to do mighty works through me. By your Holy Spirit, You will put to death the deeds of the evil one in my body, soul and spirit. You want me to focus on You passionately and intently, while the devil wants me to focus on him passionately and intently. I choose You, my desirable Master and Lord. You infatuate me for Your honor and glory! I love You, I thank You for who You are, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol.
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, the One I admire, adore and respect, my highly esteemed God who is worthy of praise, honor, and worship, my awe-inspiring and loyal Friend, my fortified Vitality, my zealous Endurance, my guaranteed Safeguard, To find Your favor I am to believe and trust in You, my Master, with the highest reverence and I am to do good. You ask me to be gentle and to persevere in Your love. You have many examples for me to follow in Your steps. You are the Shepherd and Guardian of my soul. Self-control is brought about through good judgment, sound thinking, and mastering one's desires and impulses. I need to submit to You and I need to be obedient to You. You tell me to discipline my passions and appetites. You empower me and You give me what I need to be sober: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city,” (Proverbs 16:32, KJV). What You are saying here is that if I can control my anger and my spirit, through You, then I am greater than the leader of an army.
I must be focused on You in order to control that over which I have power and responsibility. You are the One who empowers me to turn from evil things as if a hot poker were about to be jabbed into my eye. You are the One who instantly empowers me to tell the enemy, “Get behind me! I will serve the Lord my God Almighty this day, as it is written in the powerful and living Word of truth!” My body and mind possess an appetite and have needs that can easily lead to sinful and excessive habits if I don't control my appetite through You. You are the One who empowers me to master this appetite and to be led in Your righteousness. You have taught me that purification always comes before victory. You empower me to do this moment by moment, through You, for Your honor and glory. I thank You for Your mighty power and Your everlasting love for me. I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, King of faithfulness; my alert and mindful Guard; my solid and safe Covering; my accurate, concerned, thorough Master; my cool, calm and collected Sovereignty; my home, my secure, safe Place; my infinite, resourceful, shielding Retreat; my spacious Hiding Place, You will empower me and You will give me whatever I need to master my mood so I can have self-control. You are the One who empowers me to watch my words and You empower me to put my mind in gear before opening my mouth. You are the One who empowers me to remember that a careless talker destroys himself. You are the One who empowers me to restrain my reactions, keep my cool, be sensible, and control my temper. You are the One who empowers me to turn away and ignore the wrong people and to bring them to You. You bring all the right people into my life.
Through You, I will be very careful how I live. In You, I can live wisely and make the most of every opportunity You give me. Through You, I receive whatever I need to stick to Your schedule. Through You, I will learn to live on less than what I make and I will invest where You want me to with the difference. Through You, I will remember that there is value in a budget. A budget tells me where my money is going, how much I have left, and what I can do with the rest. You are the well that never runs dry. “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up,” (Proverbs 21:20, KJV). You are my Lord who brings good fortune for Your honor and glory. I thank You and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your child forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my longing passion, the One who restrains interruptions, You are the One who empowers me with Your enlightening and knowledgeable principles. You are my vision of victory, triumph, and freedom. You are my sufficient and strong leader, You are my full and plentiful hope, You are my decent and agreeable general, and You are my extreme and rejoicing happiness.
You say to pay attention to three things that can arise in my life: pleasure, passion, and pride. These can become unhealthy forces in my heart that control and energize my behavior patterns. These inner forces and the enemy seek to keep me away from You, my Lord. Your powerful and living Word of truth and my values and beliefs of You diffuse the power of the enemy, the old man, and the old ways. Self-control determines the attitudes, thought processes, desires, and passions that form life patterns and habits. Lord, You empower me to put on Your full armor every day: the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind; the breast plate of righteousness, which protects my heart; the shield of faith, which protects me from the enemy's fiery darts; the sword of the spirit, to attack the enemy’s lies; the belt of truth, which keeps me strong and gives me Your confidence; and the shoes of peace, which lead me in peace everywhere I go. Thank You for empowering me to put on Your full armor, for tearing down every stronghold which keeps me from You and every arrogant obstacle which is raised up against the knowledge of You, for Your honor and glory. You have provided Your armor and it's up to me to put it on by believing that it works.
As I give them to You, You will take all my thoughts captive and they will conform and obey You. I can trust You with my thoughts, knowing that You will change them for Your honor and glory. I choose and it is my will to be self-controlled, sober, self-restrained, self-disciplined, respectful, hospitable, and gentle. In You, Lord Jesus, I have been empowered to master my appetites. Victory is achieved once the battle is won, like being delivered from drugs. Triumph is the celebration of the victory from the drugs. Through You, Lord Jesus, the victory has been won and You have given me the privilege to remain in triumph and in freedom. I can continuously believe that I'm free from the old ways, old habits, and old self for Your honor and glory! I thank You for empowering me with the privilege of sharing Your freedom with the world and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord, Jesus, You are my pleasing Director and Administrator, You are my opportunistic, liberating, and independent God. You are my planned and guided Motive, You are my high Desire, and You are my ambitious Intention. You are my Deliverer, You are my overseeing and chief Ruler, You are my executive commander, and You are my sweet and joyful delight.
You tell me that I will gain self-control through prayer with You. I am to use Your knowledge and exercise my Christian faith in You. I will develop Your wisdom and discernment between good and evil. I will use Your strength to do right. You tell me not to let sin reside in my mortal body and that I should not obey its lusts. You empower me to stand firm to make the decision to put aside and crucify my own desires. I obtain this by following You every day. A lack of self-control always leads to spiritual hurt and a painful heart. You empower me to practice self-control in all things: eating, pleasure, work, sleep, etc. Self-control must be practiced to completely abstain from fornication, lying, gambling, drunkenness, stealing, out of control temper, and my tongue such as gossiping and hatefulness. Jesus Christ, self-control results from bringing my thoughts under Your captivity and by offering myself—body, soul, and spirit—as a living sacrifice to You. Lord Jesus, empower me to live a life that is holy and pleasing to You and empower me to not be conformed to the patterns of this world. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God,” (Romans 12:1-2, KJV). Thank You for empowering my spirit to govern my flesh for Your honor and glory. My wonderful God who gives me the power of choice, I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You empower me to be self-controlled and to surrender all of my life to You. You empower me to give all of myself to You. You empower me to pray without ceasing, and that means talking to You all the time. You empower me to walk with You as I serve You and talk about Your daily plans and purposes You have for me. You empower me to worship and pray throughout the day and You live through me. When I allow indulgences and grant my appetite to live upon my senses, You convict me and say that sowing into the flesh will reap corruption, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting,” (Galatians 6:8, KJV).
You empower me, through Your strength, to bring my whole body, soul, and spirit into submission under Your authority. Everyone has the free will to say yes or no. Lord Jesus, You empower me to believe that my brain, eyes, tongue, hands, and feet must be continuously devoted to You. You empower me to lay all of these things as sacrifices upon Your altar every day. These can be costly offerings and require me to let You control them because I inherently desire to hang on to them. What I think is dear to me and what the enemy says is good for me are no good for me and can lead me in many directions away from You. Thank You for Your guidance and self-control. Your voice is music to my ears for Your honor and glory. I love You, I thank You, my God, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my dear, steadfast and thoughtful King, You are my caring, concerned, and comforting God. You are my affectionate and sacred Prize. You are my refreshing and considerate Minister, You are my renewing and replenishing Sustainer, You are my pleasant, satisfying, and polite Master. You are my good, favorable, and gratifying Lord.
You have not given me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, power, and of a sound mind. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV). I cannot have these things if I don't have the fruit of Your Spirit of self-control. When I have self-control, You live through me and I am sensible, understanding, and sober. You give me the strength to stay away from drugs and alcohol and anything else that is harmful to me. You give me Your wise discernment and You give me Your wisdom in all my decisions. You give me the knowledge to judge what I'm doing. As I live this way, You give Your Spirit to me to begin the spiritual creation that will mold me into Your image. Self-control is very important. It is an attribute of Yours, my Creator, along with courage, power, love, and compassion. You, Lord, are the Son of our Heavenly Father and You are One with Him. You are the One who gives me Your refreshing love and You keep Your eyes upon me for Your honor and glory. I thank You, I love You, I praise You, my Lord, and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your child forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my restoring and pleasing Captain, You are my sensitive, noble, and forgiving God. You are my fitting, understanding, and patient Savior. You are my altogether exquisite and beautiful Friend. You are my highly experienced Organizer. You are my proper and fine spiritual Leader. You are my practical, pure, and genuine Companion.
The solution to my lack of self-control lies in my relationship with You. You have made a wonderful promise to me that You will strengthen me because I trust in You. I do trust You, Lord. I ask You to govern my life and move in me and through me by Your Spirit. By Your Spirit, I can have self-control. Through You, I will go to You daily in trust and pray and live in true communion with You. I know this is valuable. This is Your power in my life—this is our connection. You empower me to function effectively for You. Through You, I will wait patiently to exercise the gifts You have given me. Through You, I believe my life will experience Your blessings. I will succeed and prosper because You are with me. You empower me to give up any sinful practice: overeating, bitterness, anger, controlling others, etc. You empower me to bring myself under Your control. When I see these works of the enemy come into my life, You empower me to immediately turn to Your Holy Spirit and surrender.
You, Holy Spirit, give me the power to exercise Your self-control. Holy Spirit, You empower me in my weakness, which makes me able to say no to sin. Lord, You empower me with Your self-control to face trials and temptations. Thank You for empowering me to renounce all evil desires, inappropriate ways, and impulsive emotions altogether and give them to You for Your honor and glory. Heavenly Father, I know You will answer my prayer because You said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13, KJV). Christ Jesus, You are my Lord who gives me every spiritual blessing in You and produces the fruit of Your Spirit of self-control in me for Your honor and glory. I thank You for Your strength and goodness and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord Jesus, my God of eternal justice, You are my almighty God of kindness, compassion, and love. You are my leader, You are my Counselor, and You are my holy One. You are my Ruler, my Rock, my Deliverer, and my superior Lord. You are the Spirit of truth and of life. You are my true, committed, and loyal God; You are the One whose love for me is unquenchable. You are my honest Decision Maker.
You empower me to not be deceived, led to, or controlled by sinful acts when I'm feeling weak and when my appetites and desires for the forbidden fruit—which look so good and appealing—are strong. You are the One who empowers me to break every generational curse off of my whole body, soul, and spirit! You empower me to see, be led by, and be controlled by Your powerful and living Word of truth. You are the One who takes away the needless anxieties and appetites, that I would only be mastered by You.
You empower me, by Your Spirit, to control these powerful, evil pulls; the lusts of the body, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world,” (1 John 2:16, KJV). These are not of You, Father, but of the world; the old man, the old nature, and the old self. If I follow them, I will continue to be conformed to the world. You empower me to conform to Your powerful and living Word of truth. If I continue to conform to the world, there will be dire consequences. As You empower me to continue to conform to Your powerful and living Word of truth, by You leading me and holding my hand, I will reap great blessings. When I have pulled my hand away from You, when I have put You on the shelf, and when I say, “I'll talk to You later—when I'm done sinning.”
You will then say, “No, my child, please don't!” If I choose my own path and not Yours, I will suffer. To get relief and to get back on track—Your path—You empower me to repent and ask for forgiveness. You are happy to take me back into Your loving arms, guide me, and give me Your blessings. You are my Lord whom I regard most highly and who is merciful and gracious to me for Your honor and glory. I thank You and I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol
My Prayer:
My Lord and Master Jesus Christ, God Almighty, You are my just, refreshing, and upright Author of my life, You are my close, special, and everlasting reality. You are the One who has it all together. You are my all-knowing, far-sighted, and discerning holy God. You have given me a sound mind. Through Your powerful and living Word of truth I am reasonable, sensible, and I have good judgment. In You, Jesus, I have mental soundness. You enable me to make wise decisions in all my practical affairs. You empower me to be careful in making decisions concerning my future. You empower me to make thoughtful decisions. You empower me to be sober and to stay free from every form of mental and spiritual drunkenness every day. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour...” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV). “...Be lovers of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate...” (Titus 1:8, KJV). “...Be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience,” (Titus 2:2, KJV).
Lord Jesus, You empower my mind to be prepared for action by being sober. You empower me to set my hopes completely on You and I'm free from excess passion, irrationality, and confusion. In You, You empower me to have a well-balanced mind and a sober and clear-headed temperament every day. Lord Jesus, thank You for my new life in You for Your honor and glory! Through You, I can rule over my old ways and old nature; over my flesh. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ...” (Ephesians 1:3, KJV). My Lord who pulls down strongholds and opens the doors to Your freedom, You are my Kinsman. You are my Peacemaker. You are my honest and Almighty God above all gods. I thank You and I pray in Your mighty name, Jesus Christ. So be it! Amen! Your servant forever, Carol.
