Mal Calladine writes:

Over these final days of Lent, my plan each day is to bring one attention-getter for me from doing these daily Lent reflections, to tell the story of who and what got me thinking, and to suggest how it could apply for each of us on in these final days of remembering ourselves into the Easter story.

Today is the final day of Lent! But it's not yet a day of celebration. After a long journey, the darkest hour before the dawn is upon us. When all the effort and activity still seem to have ended in the confusion of seeming abandoned and alone. Where are you, God, when I need you?

What I want to embrace today about living into the Lord's Prayer came from the video interview with Joanna Moss. I was really struck how she talked about how praying each line is actually a declaration of trust:

• I trust that you ARE my Father and are only good to me, in your perfect holiness,

• I trust that your Kingdom rule IS coming in my life

• I trust that you WILL show me everywhere that I need to receive and give your forgiveness

• I trust that you ARE going to provide for me in all the ways I need

• I trust that you WILL guide me and lead me where I need it

• I trust that you WILL protect me from all evil

Maybe today, on this day when we really need to trust, we could try praying the Lord’s Prayer this way - as six declarations of trust.

And after doing that, you could ask the Holy Spirit to highlight to you which declaration of trust is the one you MOST need to live into today. And then wait in His presence to receive his deep, shalom peace as he inhabits His promise to you.

You may want to share what was highlighted with someone else and talk about what you could do to lean more into trusting in this area today.

On this Easter Saturday, may we rest in His peace and presence as we trust for His promise to be fulfilled in the morning!

Mal Calladine writes:

Over these final days of lent, my plan each day is to bring one attention-getter for me from doing these daily Lent reflections, to tell the story of who and what got me thinking, and suggest how it could apply for each of us on in these final days of remembering ourselves into the Easter story. 

What are you going to do today to position yourself to engage with what this day means? 

For us, we’ll have hot cross buns for brunch and use maybe more than one of the reflective resources on our website, available here.

As a household, we’ve compiled a playlist of the songs that most represent what today means to us (my current favourites are by Adele, Prince & Superchick!)

And we have a fire pit planned for later to do the Guided Reflection (from the website) about Peter experiencing the key moments of this day unfold as he stood by the fire.   

But how do we pray the Lord’s Prayer today?  Reflecting on the depth of what today means, I was most reminded of Andrew Kerr’s reflections back in week 2 when he wrote about his ‘Spidey Sense’:  

"Have you ever been somewhere and it just didn't feel right? Not that it smelt funny or you didn't like the curtains but that deep down your 'Spidey sense' (perhaps better called your spiritual discernment) was tingling and you just had to leave? I've had that feeling couple of times before, and it's on those occasions that I have been most aware of the spiritual battle that rages.” 

Today is a day to acknowledge that there really is a spiritual battle - and today we mark THE crucial engagement in all of history. The day that death was defeated - by taking it on.  That a suitable sacrifice was found. That many look to other possible answers to defeat death, but only one really does “deliver us”  from all that sets itself up in opposition to God.  

As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed about the ‘rescuer’ Messiah, that they were expecting… 

The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. (Isaiah 42:13) 

They thought a triumphal superhero was coming, not in the guise of a suffering servant. Yet they also knew He was the one who would fulfil another proclamation by Isaiah about this ‘rescuer’ … 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  (Isaiah 53:5)

It IS winning the battle - but not in the way everyone expects a fight to look like.

So what do I want to embrace about this battle today that helps me live into the Lord's Prayer? As a communicator, I remember being impacted by John Stott’s phrase “in the shadow of the cross”  - his challenge being that every talk by a speaker in church should be clearly seen to be speaking from there. So I want to pray the Lord’s Prayer today "in the shadow of the cross."

• Because you ARE my Father and are only good to me, in your perfect holiness

• Because your Kingdom rule is coming   

• Today I remember that you provided the breakthrough of how I can be truly forgiven and release the power to allow me to truly forgive 

• Because you provide for me in all the ways I need

• Because you guide me and lead me  

• Today I remember that you delivered me from all the evil that this world holds  

Thank you for what you did for me on the cross. I acknowledge that today I mark how my world and the whole of history changed, that you opened up a new and living way to the Father, that to all who receive what you did this day - and believe it - you gave the right to become Children of God.

And one final thought. Whilst reflecting on this I was reminded of David Bowie! In 1992 he played at Wembley in a huge tribute concert for  Freddie Mercury. At the end of his set, he played ‘Heroes’ with the rest of Queen and then spoke to the crowd, acknowledging Freddie’s death, alongside those at that time affected by that other recent global pandemic  - AIDS. How do you respond to the cry of the crowds, with the uncomfortable, yet authentic, focus on pain, loss and death? How could he inhabit that moment? Unrehearsed and impromptu, he got down on his knees & prayed…

You can read more about that moment and Bowie’s faith journey here.  

That article also recounts what happened as he died five years ago now, on 10th January 2016. On that same day, his wife Iman, who herself was known as this extraordinary, exotic, celebrity supermodel, posted on her Instagram:  

"The struggle is real, but so is God”  

Thank you, Lord, for your cross, for the struggle, that you are real, that you made a way to be in right relationship with you.

So, see where your prayers take you today as you pray the Lord's Prayer, as you rest in His presence, in the struggle, in the shadow of the cross.

Mal Calladine writes:

So the six weeks of praying through the Lord's Prayer line by line is over! Six weeks of deep dive, and now our focus starts to change. We are into the final few days of Lent, and now in a similar way to Jesus we turn our eyes towards the cross, and the extraordinary few days we now call Easter.

Over these final three days, my plan each day is to bring 1one attention-getter for me from doing these daily Lent reflections…  to tell the story of who and what got me thinking, and suggest how it could apply for each of us on each of these final days of remembering ourselves into the Easter story…

Today is a day of Preparation as Jesus prepared for the Passover Meal that he would "not eat again until it finds its fulfilment in the Kingdom of God’ (Luke 22:14-16). The incredibly rich symbolism of the Jewish Passover being given new meaning by Jesus taking those elements and giving them ‘a new command’…     

Tonight as a church community we’ll be remembering this event – you can still join us (either as a participant or spectator) and sign up here for the Zoom link.

If you want to know what’s in store tonight – it might look a bit like this!

Tonight, after the initial candle lighting, questions and explanations (where we remember the journey out of slavery of God’s people), we get to the meal itself.

At that point we join the story – told in John 13 – of Jesus washing his friends' feet. During a Passover meal everyone is expected to wash each other’s hands, feet or just pray for them (if online in a breakout room!), as we prepare to eat the symbolic Passover lamb.  And we’ll do that tonight.  

And that brings me to what I want to embrace today about living into the Lord's Prayer.  As you may have seen after each week of reflections, each Wednesday we had a video interview with the people who had led us through the week, to get to ask them more of what the experience had been like for them. On the week I interviewed the Green family, after we’d stopped recording, I asked Jaz how she thought she was going to take the Lord’s Prayer with her from now on.  Her answer really hit me. She said, "In these COVID times I've been learning to have to wash my hands properly a lot more. I've learned to do it for at least 20 seconds, round the back and between the fingers.  And I've found that praying the Lord's Prayer is just about the perfect length to do whilst I wash my hands properly!”  What a challenge - hand washing and praying can be combined!!     

So tonight I’ll encourage people before the meal to pray for each other and, if in the same room, wash their hands or feet.  And if they don't know what else to pray for that person, to pray the Lord’s Prayer over them as they wash their hands.    

And how could you apply this today?  Both in your own hand washing, or those you want to bless, encourage (and clean!)? As you wash your hands, or your children’s, when it's bath time or get ready for meal time, take the chance to pray the Lord’s Prayer.  

And as you are reminded of others who you want to serve and spiritually wash their feet, pray the Lord’s Prayer over them…   

• revelation of God as Father to them, and blessing of their connection with Him  

• for His rule and kingdom to come with them

• that they would both receive and give forgiveness 

• be provided for in all the ways they need

• that they’d know real guidance and his leading

• and be protected from all evil   

and from this structure, for each line to pray specifically into what you know of their situation…   

May we serve and wash each other in the Lord's Prayer today!  Happy Washing!

Is there a best time to pray? How does Jesus' prayer change the way we see what to ask for and expect from God, and what life with him is all about? Liz and Greg Nixon share their experience of the Lord’s Prayer through Lent.

“but deliver us from the evil one.” (NIV)

“but keep us safe from the Evil One.” (Good News)

Liz Nixon writes:

This verse reminds me that we are in a battle – whilst the war has been won and the victory belongs to Jesus, the devil is still fighting with dirty tactics for every scrap of land he can hold onto. The Bible says the devil is the father of all lies and that he comes to steal, kill and destroy. Asking God to deliver us from the evil one is about the moments of making choices that turn me towards life in all its fullness, or away from God and towards the destruction that is wreaked by the devil.

Galatians 6 says exactly this “The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit , from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” We clearly have to take responsibility for the choices we make and the direction it results in.

By asking God to keep us safe or deliver us from the evil one, we acknowledge our dependence on God and His protection whilst also playing our part with what we do. From now on when I pray, I will hold at the front of my mind that this is an active battle and ask Him to keep me safe and give me wisdom to make lifegiving choices.

“And lead us not into temptation” (NIV)

“Do not bring us to hard testing” (Good News)

Greg Nixon writes:

I quite often pause at “and lead us...”, to ask that my Father would lead me into what is good, to lead me in His ways, in His wisdom; before then continuing “…not into temptation”. Writing this reminds me I should remember to broaden my focus: it’s not just about God leading me, but about Him leading all of us. Our strength and prayers can support others through their trials, and vice-versa.

God’s guidance comes in many ways and from many people, and is more available than I realise. I sometimes forget that all wisdom comes from God. This leads to self-reliance – thinking my own natural inclination to discuss, debate and question things will lead me the right way – when by taking the time to pause and listen I may see God leading in a different direction, and notice or hear things that challenge my preconceived view.

“Temptation” here is the Greek πειρασμόν (pei-ras-mon), which can translate as trial, testing, temptation, affliction or calamity. So if I’m going my own way – ignoring or unaware of God’s leading – then I shouldn’t be surprised if I find myself in one of these situations.

How much better to seek out and follow the way of our brother Jesus, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light? As we are encouraged by Peter in 2 Peter 1v5-8, let us make every effort to supplement our faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love, that we may be effective and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (NIV)

“Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.” (Good News)

Greg Nixon writes:

I’ve grown up with the version of this prayer “forgive us our sins”, but increasingly I find “debts” a helpful word, as pretty much everyone can relate to being in debt, or to having lent money to someone else. Debt can cripple, and we may have experienced the freedom, the lifting of great weight from our shoulders when a debt is cancelled or paid off, or when we finish making monthly payments.

Which hopefully makes it hit home that bit more, when Jesus calls us to forgive others if they owe us something, or if we feel they owe us something. By forgiving, we lift a double burden – the one we have placed on their shoulders, and the one we have been carrying around with us. I’m also reminded of “let no debt remain outstanding, except for the continuing debt to love one another” (Romans 13v8), and when “if we are at the altar and remember our brother or sister has something against us, we are to go back [miles home from the altar in Jerusalem!] and be reconciled to them, only then returning to offer our gift” (Matthew 5v23-24).

As God’s daughters and sons, we are called both to make peace and to forgive. And as God’s sons and daughters, we realise and celebrate that we ourselves have been released from the greatest debt, into the greatest freedom.

“Give us today our daily bread.” (NIV)

“Give us today the food we need.” (Good News)

Greg Nixon says:

This reminds me of George Muller, who over his lifetime cared for many thousands of orphans in Bristol during the 1800s. There are many stories of God’s daily provision, and of George’s prayerful and daily reliance on God to provide for their daily bread – at times down to the minute. On one day when they had run out of food, the children waiting at breakfast, George prayed and thanked God for the breakfast He was confident God would provide; there was a knock at the door, and a baker was standing outside with a big loaf of bread – having been prompted by God the night before to bake more than usual and bring it to George!

Liz Nixon says:

When I pray this short and simple line, I’m reminded that we are encouraged to ask for what we need for today. Later, Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow, for today has its own cares. Both of these verses focus on today, the here and now rather than the future. And I think that’s a really good place to live!

It encourages me to make the most of the generosity God has shown me in my life by being thankful that I do have so much and by being generous to others. It’s important for me to remember that everything I have comes from God and that depending on Him for all things in life, whether it’s the essentials, the luxuries, the small things or the big things, is how I want to live each and every day. This line inspires both gratitude and dependence on God within my prayer life.

“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (NIV)

“may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Good News)

Liz Nixon writes:

What does the Kingdom of God look like? That’s a question I’ve been thinking about recently, having received a couple of Dallas Willard books for my birthday. I think we need to know what it looks like in order to really mean “Your Kingdom come” when we pray. And I think it looks very much like each of the next days’ titles – the Kingdom of God coming is Him providing for my needs, the forgiveness of sins, receiving His guidance through the leading of His Holy Spirit, and His protection.

The kingdom is all these things, but there’s even more to it! The Kingdom is righteousness, joy, and peace; it is no more tears; it’s about reconciliation; it is death no longer having the last word; it is life to the full - an abundant, thriving life. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Don’t you want that kind of Kingdom to come in your life? In our city? In our nation?

Dallas Willard says that the right vision of the kingdom isn’t just about being “theologically accurate”. Having a correct, Jesus centred view of the kingdom “will awaken tremendous desire”. And that’s because the kingdom is just soooooo good! It’s your most imaginative, creative, joy-filled hopes multiplied by several billion!

When I pray “Your Kingdom come” from now on, I will have an expanded, better understanding of what His Kingdom coming means – desire has been awoken in me and I want it to come now! Your Kingdom come Father!

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (New International Version)

“Our Father in heaven: may your holy name be honoured…” (Good News Bible)

Greg Nixon writes:

“Our” and “Father”. Two short words that could be said in less than a second, or instead pondered for many minutes. There is an amazing context to “Our” that can take you from thinking of your family, to those facing trouble or persecution, to those whom we’d love to follow Jesus, or to those where we realise the need to patch things up, get in touch, encourage or support. This is a very connecting, relational prayer.

After consciously pressing into God-as-my-Father in the last couple of years, I’ll generally pray to my “Father” in public. But on my own it’s “Dad”. I find this freeing, familiar, and less formal – making it easier to be real about my thoughts, issues and hopes. My Dad knows me: He has created me and watches me grow, He knows how I choose, how I speak, how I go – He knows the way I’ll turn, what I care about, what worries me, what makes me sing. So, I’m turning to the One who knows my depths and my shallows, and who consciously adopted me as His own – that’s my Dad.

Liz Nixon writes:

When I pray the first line, I’m reminded of how much God has done in me and my heart to secure in me the knowledge that I am His beloved daughter. And it’s not just head knowledge – He’s rooted it deeply in my heart and it’s transformed the way I view Him and the way I live each day. Remembering that naturally leads me into praising and worshipping Him for His kindness in adopting me into His family. I’ve also recently started praying to Him as “Abba” – it’s a much more intimate term and in the Hebrew language and Jewish culture, is what a young child calls their Dad - it's effectively saying "Daddy". For me, it’s about stepping away from my independent streak and saying to myself and to God that He fills that role of strength, security, provision, protection and love in my life. Starting my prayers with “Abba” or Father reminds me whose I am and who I am and it’s this that then defines each day.

What can parents do to bring children into discussion about faith and prayer? Can a structure like the Lord's Prayer help build life-strengthening habits?

As a church we are praying every day through Lent in the way Jesus taught his followers, reflecting daily on one short chunk of the Lord's Prayer. This week, the Watts family have been sharing their thoughts. Today, Mal Calladine chats with them about their experience.

“but deliver us from the evil one.” (NIV)

“but keep us safe from the Evil One.” (Good News)

This week, we are praying along with the Watts family - parents Jen and Rick with children Abbie and Nathan.

Rick writes:

We discussed that when we see the word ‘delivery’ we instantly think of grocery or parcel deliveries. It’s true that particularly grocery deliveries have been like gold dust over the past 12 months, but God’s deliverance is so much more than that.

It’s easy to read this as ‘God, please keep us safe from all the bad people out there’, but what’s interesting is that this phrase comes straight after asking God to help us with temptation. So perhaps this is at least as much about delivering us from doing evil to others than protecting us from everyone else?

Switching back to the shopping analogy, this deliverance isn’t a one-off action, we need to continue to be delivered each day, asking God to help us make the right decisions when we face difficult situations.

“And lead us not into temptation” (NIV)

“Do not bring us to hard testing” (Good News)

This week, we are praying along with the Watts family - parents Jen and Rick with children Abbie and Nathan.

Jen says:

For me, this is the hardest part of the prayer to understand and seems to contradict everything I think I know about the nature and character of God. Does God deliberately tempt us? Is there some kind of test that we need to pass? The story of Job seems to suggest so.

The verse in The Street Bible puts it this way:

‘Please pull as back from the edge of evil, if we’re falling, or being thrown.’

This feels a more helpful translation for me. Regardless of who is doing the pushing – us, God or the devil, the point is that we ask God to pull us back. We have our part to play too of course – we shouldn’t venture towards that metaphorical edge whatever that looks like for us. We can ask God to give us the strength to make good choices and break bad habits.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (NIV)

“Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.” (Good News)

This week, we are praying along with the Watts family - parents Jen and Rick with children Abbie and Nathan.

Rick says:

We discussed as a family whether forgiveness affects us as well as the person we forgive. When we hold onto past hurts, resentment grows inside us like a poison. When we forgive others, it frees us too. However, just because we forgive someone, it doesn’t mean that our relationship with them remains unchanged. If someone hurts us and isn’t sorry about this, then we may not be able to trust them as much in the future.

Jen says:

This reminds me of the parable of the ungrateful servant in Matthew 18. The master cancels the servant’s huge debt when he comes begging to him, yet the servant hounds another servant for a far smaller debt. Whatever wrongs anyone else has done to us, it is nothing compared to what we have done to offend God. He is totally pure and holy, and our thoughts and actions can be impure, full of greed and self-serving.

Yet God graciously overlooks all our flaws and loves us as though we were as pure and deserving of heaven where all is perfect as his perfect son. If he can do that for us, then we can forgive others.

“Give us today our daily bread.” (NIV)

“Give us today the food we need.” (Good News)

This week’s thoughts are from the Watts family - parents Jen and Rick with children Abbie and Nathan.

Jen says:

In other words, give us what we really need for today, not a weekly shop with luxury extras. We are to depend on God daily to meet our needs. He desires us to live in the kind of relationship where we depend on him and look to him to fulfil our needs.

I think it’s important to note that this section doesn’t come until after the first couple of lines. We are to dwell on God, his nature and get fully into his presence before we make our requests. If a friend contacted you out of the blue with a short message that read ‘I need a new car, now.’, you’d think that was extremely rude. If you wouldn’t speak to a friend that way, then we definitely shouldn’t approach God, the most powerful being in the universe, this way. We are also to be mindful about whether we truly need something before we ask for it.

Imagine a child running into the oval office to ask their dad (the president) something. If it’s urgent, they have the right to interrupt the president as their needs are hugely important to him. However, if they keep barging in asking for something that can wait or is really unimportant, then that’s not going to go down well. Of course, God is the ultimate father and infinitely more gracious and patient than any earthly parent, but he is also worthy of the highest level of respect.

“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (NIV)

“may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Good News)

This week’s thoughts are from the Watts family - parents Jen and Rick with children Abbie and Nathan.

Rick and Nathan say:

When I asked Nathan what came into his mind when we said ‘kingdom’, he proceeded to list all the board and video games we have with ‘kingdom’ in the title. (To be honest I had similar thoughts, I wonder where he gets it from…)

We discussed how ‘kingdom building’ in these games is about looking to build the best kingdom for yourself, and often this means taking territory and resources away from other players. However, God’s kingdom is for everyone’s benefit.

Abbie says:

We want heaven to come down to earth so everyone on earth gets to experience heaven.

Jen says:

This line reminds us that just because God has the power to change any situation, he won’t necessarily act. As children, we can ask him for good things, but any good parent knows that sometimes what their children want is not what’s best for them, even if the child is too young to understand why.

When my kids ask for snacks, my answer will change from day to day, even though they’re asking for the same thing. I might gladly offer a snack at 4pm when dinner will not be until 6pm but will deny them snacks when dinner is in only half an hour’s time.

The last part of this reminds us that there is a greater hope to come. As we pray, we can call heaven down onto earth and make earth more like heaven. One day, we won’t have to do this, because we will already be in heaven.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (New International Version)

“Our Father in heaven: may your holy name be honoured…” (Good News Bible)

This week’s thoughts are from the Watts family - parents Jen and Rick with children Abbie and Nathan.

Jen says:

The Lord’s prayer is so familiar to us that it’s easy to overlook how radical it is and how rich a mine of information about God, our relationship with God and how to talk to him. Although Jesus modelled this prayer to his disciples, it was for their benefit and not for his. Jesus did not need to pray in this way; we do. It is a model for the structure of a prayer, not something that we need to recite by rote.

In just one line: our father in heaven, your name is holy; there is so much to delve into.

This sets the tone for the rest of our prayers.

By starting his prayer this way, Jesus shows us exactly how to access God and what tone to use. He reminds us of our relationship to God – we are his children. He is our father; therefore, we can come to him like a child. Children speak from the heart and share absolutely everything on their mind.

He’s also reminding us who God is. Yes, he is our father, but he’s reminding us that he is also a holy and awe-inspiring God. He is the only one with the power to change any situation.

When we focus first on who God is and our relationship with him, the rest flows naturally.

Abbie says:

There’s no point in praying if you don’t believe that God has the power to grant our prayers.

Nathan says:

You don’t need to use fancy words to speak to God, you just need to pray. It’s not about him giving you everything you want; people sometimes forget to thank God for what he has already given us.

Rick says:

Sometimes when we are sitting down to a family dinner, one of our kids turns to Jen and says "Pudding?" I normally reply back with something like "I think what you meant to say was - Lovely Mummy who gave me life and does everything for me, would it be possible to have some pudding please?".

I think this is similar to how we need to approach God, we need to respect him and all that he has done for us before we can enter into further conversation with him.

Does faith change how we live? Do we feel part of the big family we are in if God is "Our Father"? And do we experience everything Jesus guided us into when we pray?

As a church we are praying every day through Lent in the way Jesus taught his followers, reflecting daily on one short chunk of the Lord's Prayer. This week, students from Severn Vineyard have been sharing their thoughts. Today, Mal Calladine chats with them about their experience.

“but deliver us from the evil one.” (NIV)

“but keep us safe from the Evil One.” (Good News)

Eoin Rollins writes:

The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer goes along the lines of "deliver us from evil"  depending on your translation. However, this fully conveys the great mission of God in our lives. We are asking him to protect us and to lead us away from darkness. 

This for me leads very well into the way we finish the Lord's Prayer, where we praise His might and glory: “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.”

This reminds me of the sheer glory of God’s power, of His presence, and His creation. There is very little you can say that is not already said here. It echoes everything that been said so far, His divinity, His love, and as he leads us from darkness.

I am also reminded of the eternal nature of God. Time seems so short and fleeting for us, but for Him is means something different. Time does not exist for God, he will not tire and grow lax as we may, but rather he is both with us in a deeply personal sense, and with us in the larger world, guiding our actions in accordance to His plan.

We conclude the Lord’s Prayer with "amen", which translates to "God’s will be done", and symbolises going forward to pursue his work, his kingdom and his message. Thank you all for joining us in our interpretation and reflection on the Lord’s Prayer. Amen.

“And lead us not into temptation” (NIV)

“Do not bring us to hard testing” (Good News)

Mark Wallace writes:

When I read this verse, my mind immediately highlights some flaw or ‘stronghold of temptation’ that I have been wrestling with over the past little bit. This week it would be endless procrastination (as a student knows too well) though from week to week, this varies.

Despite that, I would say that I don’t spend enough time praying into those areas of need. I can get caught in my struggle, and defensively, ignore it, which often doesn’t fix things. However, turning to Jesus is precisely what the Bible calls us to do in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says:

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We have the authority to dismantle the strongholds that keep us from a deeper relationship with Jesus. That’s an amazing promise!

I feel challenged this week to ‘appropriate my freedom’. We are saved, but we still follow the ways of the world in our temptation. Instead, we need to take hold of this promise of authority over temptation and live in the hope of the Bible, drawing near to Jesus.

Where do you need to be renewed?

This is a helpful prayer model from Karl Martin’s Stand for use against your Stronghold of temptation.

• Ask god to make clear patterns of wrongdoing.

• Confront and resist. Pray with authority. This is so tough!

• Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Ask him for courage, for security and for healing.

• Receive the Holy Spirit to fill you with His fruits

Amen