Father, make me more like Jesus.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” ( 2:8 NIV)
Recently, Father, You showed me a description of “the world”–“anything that sets itself against God and His ways.” Your Word says, “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) In 1 Peter 5:8, You tell me to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” You describe Satan as our enemy, the ruler of this world. If I allow my thinking to be aligned with the way the world thinks and my behavior to be as the world supports, portrays and encourages, then I would be aligning with the enemy.
You’ve called me to be different, because You died for me, because I chose for You to be my Savior. In order for You to be the Lord of my life, I must, I need to (help me consistently want to) break from the world. Help me to recognize my enemy and refuse to be aligned with him in ANY way.
In Christ Jesus, You poured every ounce of Your Deity, Father, so that He was completely full of You. Because Jesus came to live in me, I have this fullness–You are fully in me.
Because I am in Him (You), …
…YOU’VE CUT AWAY MY SINFUL NATURE, releasing me from its control
…YOU BURIED ME WITH JESUS THROUGH MY BAPTISM, washing away the effects of sin;
…YOU RAISED ME WITH HIM THROUGH MY FAITH IN YOUR POWER, making me new.
You’ve freed me, cleansed me and renewed me. Help me to not climb back into the muck and cause You to have to clean me up again. Ingrain in my mind the depth of Your love for me. Imprint on my very being the full essence of YOUR character. Keep growing me up to be just like Jesus. Amen.
