Part Three:  Centered in Conquering Sin

One of the greatest enemies that keeps us from being “God-centered” in our lives is the enemy of “sin.”  Sin is both fun and powerful.  Sin pleases the desires and passions of the physical body, and we like the way it makes us feel.  It creates a “self-centeredness” in us that begins to revolve around satisfying a particular pleasure.  The result, there is a dominion of sin in our lives that is seen in the form of addictive behaviors.

Dr. Gerald May defines the early stages of addiction in the simplest form:  “If I do something that makes me feel good, I am likely to do it again.”  The “law of effect,” (a behavior associated with an effect of pleasure or relief from pain) along with positive reinforcement that has been associated with the behavior to give me pleasure or to remove the pain, all results in what is termed as, “conditioning.”  I am now “conditioned” (addicted) to repeat the behavior.

Only with God’s power can the chains of addiction be broken.  Paul wrote to the Ephesians about the “spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient,” (Ephesians 2:2).

The next eight days our prayer focus will be centered on God’s power to overcome and defeat our enemies:  sin and the deadly spirit of disobedience.

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Day Seventeen of the Forty Days of Prayer of the MoSt Church (January 18, 2011)

2 Chronicles 32:7 (NIV)
Be strong and courageous and do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is greater power with us than with them.

With him is only the arm of the flesh, but with us the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.  And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of the Jews said.

Exodus 14:13, 14
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Meditation Thought:  God will fight for me; He is greater than any enemy I face.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I cannot fight the enemies in my life alone and without You.  I need You to fight my battles; I do not have the strength or the power to defeat the foes that come against me.  I confess that You are more than the demons and the addictions that I face in my life.  I pray that I will stand firm in my faith and in Your ability to defeat the devil and his forces that come against me.  I pray for the kind of friends that will encourage me as Hezekiah encouraged his people, in the powerful name of Jesus I pray, Amen.