Become a person after God's own heart by translating your joys and sorrows through the Psalms. By reading five Psalms a day, you will not only complete the book of Psalms each month, but you will also be encouraged by how precise these Psalms are to your experience.

     Learn the wisdom of God by reading, each day, the chapter of Proverbs which corresponds to the day of the month. Relate the Proverbs to the decisions and situations you face.

God reveals Himself through His names. The more we understand His names and relate them to the needs and fears of our lives, the more we will enjoy God.

CLAIMING THE PROVISIONS OF GOD'S NAMES

1. Engraft Romans 6 and 8 into your soul

To engraft Scripture into our souls means to make it a living extension of our lives so that it can produce spiritual fruit. The more Scripture we engraft into our souls, the more types of spiritual fruit we will have in our lives. If we engraft I Corinthians 13 into our souls, we will have the fruit of genuine love. If we engraft I Peter into our souls, we will have the fruit of patience during suffering. If we engraft Romans 6 and 8 into our souls, we will have victory over sin.

The first step to engraft Scripture is to memorize a section word for word.

1. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2. God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein~

3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11. Likewise, reckon ye also your

~ selves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteouness?

17. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh:

for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21. Whatfruithad yetheninthose things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Regardless of our own feelings to the contrary, God wants us to "reckon" ourselves dead indeed unto sin. To "reckon" is to count it to be so. In reality, what would this mean? If a dead man were propped up against a wall and a seductive woman were to walk in front of him, he would not even blink an eye. This is precisely the response that God wants us to have to the power and appeal of sin.

We died to sin when we became a Christian. At that moment, we became part of Christ. Since we are a part of Christ, we share in all of His past achievements. When He was crucified, we were crucified with Him: "I am crucified with Christ..." (Galatians 2:20). When He was buried, we were buried: "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death. . ." (Romans 6:4). When Christ rose from the dead, we rose from the dead: "If ye then be risen with Christ. .

(Colossians 3:1).

It is one thing to say that we are dead to sin. It is quite a different matter to experience it Yet this is precisely what God wants us to do on a continuing basis. We can do this by picturing the law of sin as the law of gravity and the law of the Spirit as the principle of aerodynamics.

If that eagle folded in its wings, it would begin falling to the ground because the law of gravity would take over. A law is a law because it always operates the same way under the same conditions.

All that the eagle must do to stop falling is to stretch out its wings. The air rushing over its wings sets up a new force. It is the principle of aerodynamics. This principle is greater than the law of gravity. It does not annihilate the law of gravity; it overcomes it.

If we stop meditating in the face of a temptation, we will begin to fall. Falling is a very real experience. It does not take very many seconds to be defeated.

God designed the eagle to soar in the air and God designed the Christian to speak His truth

~ in his heart day and night. God tells us to pray without ceasing (see I Thessalonians 5:17), to meditate on His truth day and night (see Psalm 1), and to speak ~ the truth in our hearts (see Psalm

15:2).

This weaving of the Word into our thoughts is equivalent to the Hebrew phrase of "waiting upon the Lord." God promises that as long as we meditate on His truth, we will soar above the power of temptations. "But they that wait upon the Lord... shall mount up with wings as eagles..." (Isaiah 40:31).

Satan wants us to believe that when we start falling, there is nothing that we can do but surrender to the temptation. However, all we need to do is to stretch out those spiritual wings by quoting Romans 6. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin...." In a few moments the temptation will lose its power and appeal, and we will once again soar above temptation. In this way, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus lifts us up above the law of sin and death.

(See Romans 8:20.)

One of Satan's favorite tricks is to get us to pray for victory while we are falling into temptation. The prayer is not very effective because it is not based on Scriptural truth. God does not want us to pray for victory. He wants us to enter into the victory that He has already provided in Christ. We were part of Christ's victory when we died and rose again with Him.

Just as the eagle has only a few seconds to stretch out its wings before falling to the ground, so we have only a few moments to visualize Romans 6 before we fall into temptation.

Part of the process of engrafting Scripture is turning it into a first-person prayer. As soon as you have a thorough grasp of Romans 6, begin to quote it to the Lord in the following way:

After personalizing this Scripture, there is one more important step to follow. It is identifying the particular temptation that Satan would bring to us. Rather than using the word "sin," name the temptation. For example, if you are tempted to lust, quote:

if you are tempted to be bitter, quote:

If we desire Christ's victory over a particular temptation, but we have provided the means to continue that temptation, we are only deceiving ourselves.

God commands us: "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans

13:14).

This means that we cleanse our lives and our homes of every item that grieves the Holy Spirit and contributes to spritual defeat.

3.

6.

philosophies and sensuality.

Music that violates God's standards.

Sensual books and magazines.

Habit-forming drugs and drink~

Occult materiaL

Friends who influence you to violate

God's standards.

7. Objects which have evil or improper associations.

8. Clothing which defrauds.

9.

6. Become accountable for consistency

Go to those who are spiritually responsible for you, such as your parents, your partner, church leaders, or mature Christian friends, and ask them if they would regularly check up on your progress toward spiritual achievement. Tell them what your spiritual goals are and give them precise questions which they can ask you.

souL

going to sleep.

4. Claiming Christ's victory over temptation.

I would like to hear the Scripture that you have memorized during the past week.

What did you get from your Bible reading this morning?

put yourself to sleep last night?

Did you quote Romans 6 the last time you were tempted, and did you overcome the temptation?

It is not enough to reckon ourselves dead to sin. We must also be alive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This means that we learn how to discern the promptings of God's Spirit and then quickly obey them. God's promptings will always be consistent with God's Word. He will never tell us to do something which is contrary to Scripture.

One of the most effective ways to increase our spiritual alertness is through prayer and fasting. As we set aside meal times or days in which to concentrate on the Word and prayer instead of eating, our spiritual alertness greatly increases.

In Romans 6, we are told to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit in the same way we obeyed the promptings of our sinful nature: "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness" (Romans 6:19).

1. We experienced a sensual desire (e.g., to look at a sensual picture or television program).

2. We visualized the sensual pleasure that we would receive from this act.

3. We made the decision to fulfill our sensual desire.

4. We became the servant of sin. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are . . ." (Romans 6:16).

5. We yielded the members of our body to carry out the sensual pleasure (our hands to pick up the pornographic material or turn on the television, our eyes to look at the lewd material, our minds to imagine further evil).

1. We experience a Scriptural prompting (e.g., to invite someone for a meal, or to acknowledge when we are wrong).

2. We visualize the action required to obey this prompting.

3. We make a decision to obey the prompting.

4. Our decision confirms that we are God's servants.

5. We yield the members of our body to carry out God's prompting (we use our mouth to invite someone for a meal, our hands to prepare it). (See Romans 12:1-2.)

Sometimes a married person does not feel like being married. That is one of the benefits of the marriage vow. It commits a person to being faithful during times of discouragement and disillusionment.

Sometimes a Christian does not feel like being spiritual. That is one of the benefits of making a vow to read the Bible for at least five minutes every day. That vow will carry you through times when you do not feel like being consistent in your walk with the Lord.

A rebuilder will only be successful if he or she builds respect and loyalty for a daily time with the Lord.

There will be the "ups" and "downs." There will be days when Bible reading will be like medicine-you take it because it is good for you. Other days the Bible will be like a bowl of cereal-dry but nourishing. Then there will be the days in which Bible study will be

JAN

FEB MAR½

½ PROMPTINGS

OLD ₁₁ FEB __ -

MAR

Obedience to the ½½promptings of the Holy Spirit PROMPTINGS creates new desires to be TO DO EVIL Godly as they recycle.

Every day we experience temptations to fulfill fleshly desires. Each time we obey a prompting, we imprint a sin pattern in the cycle of our lower nature.

triggers a new prompting to repeat the fleshly desire. Each time the prompting is obeyed, it deepens and lengthens the sin pattern. Soon the pattern becomes a sinful habit

these old sin patterns and habits. God gives us a new nature. This new nature is responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to claim our victory in Christ. Each time we obey the Holy Spirit's prompting, we develop or deepen spiritual patterns.

into a continuous sequence so that each time they are recycled through our soul, they will prompt us to be obedient and victorious in our daily walk with the Lord.

us from all sin. However, there is still the "pull" of the "law of sin"

which Paul explains in Romans 6~. This law of sin is pictured here in the form of cycles.

if a spiritual pattern is not as strong as the old sin pattern, we will

~ experience spiritual dullness in Bible reading.

If a spiritual pattern is as strong as the old sin pattern, we will experience spiritual dryness in Bible reading.

if a spiritual pattern is stronger than the old sin pattern, we will

· "Not doing thine own ways" (Isaiah 58:13)-not doing your normal work, but making it a day of rest.

· "Nor finding thine own pleasure"-including amusement, entertainment, and self-seeking fulfillment.

· "Nor speaking thine own words"-engaging in frivolous conversation or meaningless talk.

· By realizing the Lord's Day begins the evening before. (See Genesis 1:5.)

· By entering into the teaching, fellowship, self-examination, and prayer with other Christians in a Bible-believing church. (See Hebrews 10:24-25.)

· By setting aside special time to be alone in God's Word. (See

· By fasting and praying as God leads. (See Isaiah 58:6.)

· By entering into special Christian service to advance the kingdom of God, including giving your tithes. (See Malachi 3:10; I Corinthians 16:2.)

· By making it a day of spiritual refreshment and physical restfulness. (See Isaiah 58:14.)

I have contacted the following persons to hold me accountable for these spiritual goals:

Name __________________________ Phone ______________

Name __________________________ Phone ______________

Name __________________________ Phone ______________

In rebuilding a heart that seeks after God:

 1. I have purposed not to think about finding a new marriage partner.

 2. I have purposed not to evaluate the people I meet on the basis of how they would be as a marriage partner.

 The last time I was tempted to violate this, I effectively quoted Romans 6

 3. I have purposed to read the Bible every morning.

 4. I have purposed to put myself to sleep every night by quoting Scripture in my mind to God.

 Read the Bible every morntng.  Quoted Scripture every nighL

 5. I have purposed to thank God for what He allows to happen in my life.

 6. I have purposed to relate my conflicts to the comfort and counsel of Psalms and Proverbs.

 Read through the book of Psalms.  Read through the book of Proverbs.

 7. I have purposed to fast and pray on a regular basis.

 8. I have purposed to identify with Christ's victory whenever I am tempted.

 Fasted and prayed at least one day.

 Experienced victory over temptation by quoting Romans 6 when tempted.

 9. I have purposed to get acquainted with great men and women in God's "Hall of Fame."

 10. I have purposed to engraft key portions of Scripture into

my soul.

During the past month I have:

 Started reading a Christian biography

 Started engrafting Romans 6-8 into my soul.

 11. I have purposed to become active in and under the authority of a Bible-believing local church.

 12. I have purposed to honor God by returning to Him the first

portion of my income.

During the past month I have:

 Regularly attended church.

 Given my tithe to the local church.

 13. I have put my trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ for my salvation.

Date

~  14. I have totally dedicated my body to God as a living sacrifice to accomplish His will.

Date

 15. I have purposed not to expect counsel or support from others before first seeking it from God.

 16. I have purposed to become accountable to a trusted person in order to achieve and maintain these goals.

 Sought counsel from God firsL

 Established a program of accountability with a mature person.

 17. I have purposed to put Scripture on the walls of my home.

 18. I have purposed to become consciously aware of the fact that God is watching and evaluating every thought, word, and action.

 Posted Scripture verses on my walls.  Become aware that God is watching me.



