Prayer - Free to Choose Your Will

 

Some say that God has a big struggle with Satan.  However, through Jesus' accomplished work on the cross, Satan was defeated.   Before time began though, he has "always been totally under God's authority".  After all, God is God Who always was, Who is and Who will always 'be'.

Another has said,

"God's biggest challenge is with the free will He gave all people" (Bruce Billington in Eternity Begins Now).  

That may not be a totally sound thing to say either but we human beings can get the general jist of the message.  Our free will can indeed be our biggest challenge when choosing to come under God's authority and living according to His will and ways, or not.

In Psalm 64 (NIV) and verse 6, David moans,

"Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning."

The ESV terms it,

"...the inward mind and heart..."

and that they 

"...are deep..."

Father God, we do not even know ourselves well but do have inklings at what mankind is capable of.  In David's case, unrighteous men devised cunning plans against him.  David triumphs though because You were on his side and shot Your arrows at them.  You were his defense.

You are ours today.  You save us from ourselves when we put our hand into Yours and choose Your way over our own.  This, even when the unrelenting evil schemes of men come against us.  We choose You, we choose You, we choose You; again and again and again.

Show us Your hand and Your rescue every day, Father.  We want to see Your works in our lives so we can proclaim them to those who do not know You yet and to those who have not yet placed themselves under your authority.

May we joyfully exclaim, as David did, that we rejoice in You and take our refuge in You .  May we then live an upright life before You and allow Your Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and minds to the will of Your Son Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  After all, we are free to choose Your will.

Hear our humble cry.

It is in Jesus' Name we ask.  May Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

                                                       ~ERC  February 2021~

Based on Psalm 64:1-10 ESV

I do not know if you agree with this song, I Surrender All, or not.  If you think it is hypocritical to sing it, do we really and truly "surrrender all" to our "blessed Savior"?  However, for me, I would sing it prayerfully; a plea to my Savior of what I'd really like to be able to do.  The Lord knows we are "but dust" and that we fail.  He is gracious and forgiving when we confess our mistakes, and failings to Him.  That is what He asks.  We can choose to give, as we are able, His Holy Spirit's dynamic power aiding us, as we submit to Him.  Sing prayerfully then, along with the Isaac's on the Gaither stage.