Before we pray, let's first take a moment to listen to God's word and then we'll pray together.
Romans 7:1 19 says, "For l do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."
In this verse, the Apostle Paul is describing the inner struggle that many of us face.
Have you ever looked at yourself and asked "Lord, how do I live a life that truly honors you? A life that is pure, holy, and pleasing in the deepest parts of my heart." If you've ever asked that question, you're not alone. Many believers have found themselves stuck in the same place. We want to be holy. We want to be free. We want to stop falling into the same cycles of sin. And yet, time after time, we find ourselves back in the struggle. You may have had moments where you've cried out to God, saying, "Lord, I want to live for you. I want to do what's right. I don't want to keep messing up. I am tired of repenting for the same things." And yet, despite your sincere efforts, you fall again. And when that happens, discouragement creeps in. You begin to wonder if real change is even possible. It starts to feel like you're taking one step forward only to fall two steps back. You feel the weight of guilt. You start to believe maybe this is just who you are now. But I want to tell you, you are not the first to feel this way. Even the Apostle Paul, one of the most powerful voices in the early church, a man who wrote much of the New Testament, who endured prisons and beatings for Jesus, said this in Romans 7:15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do." And again in verse 18, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't."
(¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.)
That passage may sound hopeless at first, but it is not without any hope.
It is a mirror of the human condition, a reminder that even the most devoted followers of Christ wrestle with the tension between the spirit and the flesh. Paul's honesty removes the mask we sometimes feel forced to wear. It lets us breathe. It lets us say, "I'm not the only one who feels torn." But the beautiful truth is this. The solution is not found in trying harder. The answer is not greater willpower. The answer is deeper surrender. Because you and I were never meant to fight sin with our own strength. We cannot purify our own hearts. We cannot break free from the power of sin by effort alone. That is why Jesus Christ came. The good news of the gospel is not that God will help you do better. It is that only God will and can make you new. In Ezekiel 36 ,verses 25 to 27, God speaks this promise. "I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
Did you notice what God says? He does not say you will fix yourself. He says, "I will cleanse you." He does not say, "Try harder to change your heart." He says, "I will give you a new heart." He does not say, "Earn the strength." He says, "I will put my spirit within you." This is the miracle of grace. This is the beauty of the new covenant that God does not just forgive our past. He transforms our present. He makes us into someone new. And God does not ask you to come cleaned up. He simply asks you to come. So today, if you're weary from the battle, if you're tired of the cycle of sin and shame, if you're exhausted from promising God you'll do better only to fall again, then the invitation is for you. Come to Lord Jesus Christ, not when you feel holy. Come when you're broken. Come when you're ashamed. Come when you feel like you have nothing left. Because that is exactly where grace meets you. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." God is not surprised by your struggle. He isn't shaking his head in disappointment. God is standing with open arms, ready to strengthen you. He wants your heart, not your perfection, not your performance, your heart. And when you surrender your weakness to God, when you open your heart and say, "Lord, I can't do this without you." God does not reject you. God pours out his spirit. He begins a transformation in you that no human effort could ever accomplish. So keep seeking him. Stay in the word. Don't let shame push you away from the only one who can truly change you. Psalm 119:1 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." God's word is a sword. It is a light. It is strength to your soul.
(New International Version, Psalm 119
א Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
3 they do no wrong
but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
ב Beth
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
ג Gimel
17 Be good to your servant while I live,
that I may obey your word.
18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
19 I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from me.
20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times.
21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed,
those who stray from your commands.
22 Remove from me their scorn and contempt,
for I keep your statutes.
23 Though rulers sit together and slander me,
your servant will meditate on your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my delight;
they are my counselors.
ד Daleth
25 I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I have set my heart on your laws.
31 I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.[c]
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
ו Waw
41 May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;
42 then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
47 for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
48 I reach out for your commands, which I love,
that I may meditate on your decrees.
ז Zayin
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
51 The arrogant mock me unmercifully,
but I do not turn from your law.
52 I remember, Lord, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.
54 Your decrees are the theme of my song
wherever I lodge.
55 In the night, Lord, I remember your name,
that I may keep your law.
56 This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts.
ח Heth
57 You are my portion, Lord;
I have promised to obey your words.
58 I have sought your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
59 I have considered my ways
and have turned my steps to your statutes.
60 I will hasten and not delay
to obey your commands.
61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
I will not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
63 I am a friend to all who fear you,
to all who follow your precepts.
64 The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
ט Teth
65 Do good to your servant
according to your word, Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
י Yodh
73 Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.
כ Kaph
81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
but I have put my hope in your word.
82 My eyes fail, looking for your promise;
I say, “When will you comfort me?”
83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget your decrees.
84 How long must your servant wait?
When will you punish my persecutors?
85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me,
contrary to your law.
86 All your commands are trustworthy;
help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.
87 They almost wiped me from the earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 In your unfailing love preserve my life,
that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.
ל Lamedh
89 Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.
מ Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.
ס Samekh
113 I hate double-minded people,
but I love your law.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
115 Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their delusions come to nothing.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws.
ע Ayin
121 I have done what is righteous and just;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Ensure your servant’s well-being;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
looking for your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your love
and teach me your decrees.
125 I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may understand your statutes.
126 It is time for you to act, Lord;
your law is being broken.
127 Because I love your commands
more than gold, more than pure gold,
128 and because I consider all your precepts right,
I hate every wrong path.
פ Pe
129 Your statutes are wonderful;
therefore I obey them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.
132 Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.
133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.
134 Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may obey your precepts.
135 Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
for your law is not obeyed.
צ Tsadhe
137 You are righteous, Lord,
and your laws are right.
138 The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
they are fully trustworthy.
139 My zeal wears me out,
for my enemies ignore your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
and your servant loves them.
141 Though I am lowly and despised,
I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is everlasting
and your law is true.
143 Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but your commands give me delight.
144 Your statutes are always righteous;
give me understanding that I may live.
ק Qoph
145 I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,
and I will obey your decrees.
146 I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.
150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
151 Yet you are near, Lord,
and all your commands are true.
152 Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever.
ר Resh
153 Look on my suffering and deliver me,
for I have not forgotten your law.
154 Defend my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to your promise.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek out your decrees.
156 Your compassion, Lord, is great;
preserve my life according to your laws.
157 Many are the foes who persecute me,
but I have not turned from your statutes.
158 I look on the faithless with loathing,
for they do not obey your word.
159 See how I love your precepts;
preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.
160 All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.
ש Sin and Shin
161 Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word.
162 I rejoice in your promise
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and detest falsehood
but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous laws.
165 Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
166 I wait for your salvation, Lord,
and I follow your commands.
167 I obey your statutes,
for I love them greatly.
168 I obey your precepts and your statutes,
for all my ways are known to you.
ת Taw
169 May my cry come before you, Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 May my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.
171 May my lips overflow with praise,
for you teach me your decrees.
172 May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous.
173 May your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Lord,
and your law gives me delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep.
Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your commands. )
When you meditate on it, speak it, and live by it, it shapes you from the inside out.
And Galatians 5:16 gives us this instruction. So I say, walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. The more you lean into the spirit of God, the more power you'll have to resist sin. The more time you spend with Lord Jesus Christ, the more your desires begin to change. The sin that once looked sweet begins to taste bitter. You begin to crave righteousness. You begin to walk in freedom. Not because you're trying harder, but because you're walking with the one who sets captives free. So don't give up. You are not beyond help. You are not stuck here forever. You are being sanctified. You are being molded. You are being led by the hand of the only powerful and loving God. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen because the one who began a good work in you, he will finish it. So take heart, keep walking, keep surrendering, keep believing. Lord Jesus is not done with you yet, and he never will be. Now, let's take a moment to pray together.
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, your word says in Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Today, I come before you clinging to this promise. I trust that you are not only able but deeply willing to do what I cannot do on my own.
You alone can reach the places in me that are hardened, weary, or broken. You alone can renew the parts of me that have lost sensitivity to your presence. And so l come to you asking you to awaken my heart once again, to love you with purity, with passion, and with joyful obedience.
Lord, I come just as I am. I am not here pretending to have it all figured out. I am here because l have tried by myself and failed again and again. I've made promises to do better. I've fought hard to break free. And yet, I still find myself stuck in cycles I cannot seem to overcome. So, I fall at your feet to offer surrender. I confess this struggle openly. I want to live a life that honors you, Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to walk in holiness. I long to live in freedom, but even with sincere desire, I often fall short. I return to habits I thought I left behind. I slip into patterns I've prayed against. And I find myself frustrated, ashamed, and wondering if l ever truly change. I've carried guilt like a silent burden. l've listened to the voice of shame whispering that l'Il never be enough, that l'Il never get it right, that you must be disappointed in me. But then your word in Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." There is therefore now no condemnation for me who is in Christ Jesus.That verse breaks the chains. It silences shame with truth. It reminds me that I am not defined by my failures, but defined by your forgiveness, Lord Jesus, I admit I've tried to fix myself. l have tried to clean up my own heart with effort and willpower. I thought that if I could just try harder, l'd eventually be free. But now I understand. I was wrong. True freedom does not come from striving. It comes from surrender. It is not about how strong I can be. It is about how surrendered I am willing to become.
I've tried to walk upright, but I keep falling. I've tried to think purely, but my thoughts wander.
I've tried to be better, but l've avoided facing the root of what needs healing.
So today, I stop pretending. I stop trying to impress you with progress I don't have good results. I bring you my real self, the one who is tired, tempted, and in need of your grace. I bring you my cycles of sins, my temptations, my fears, and my wounds because l know you are the only one who can redeem those places. I bring you the hard and numb places in my heart, where pride has built walls, where pain has made me shut down, where bitterness has taken root.
And I ask you in your mercy by the power of your spirit to give me a new heart. A heart that desires what you love. A heart that obeys not because it has to but because it loves to. Holy Spirit, I invite you in. Take up residence in me. Be my counselor, my guide, my comforter, my strength. I need more than change on the surface. I need transformation in the hidden places, in how I think, how I feel, how I respond, how I live when no one is watching.
Help me walk in truth when the lies are loud. Help me hold on to your word when my emotions try to pull me in another direction. Help me stay standing when everything in me feels like giving up or going back.
Teach me how to be steady. Teach me how to be rooted. Wash me, Lord. Purify my heart from compromise. Uproot every hidden stronghold, every addiction, every unhealthy pattern, every spiritual chain that still clings to me, whether from deception or habit. Speak truth where the enemy has planted lies. Restore what sin has distorted Heal what shame has broken. And where you break chains, plant something new. Plant holiness. Plant love. Plant self-control.
Lord Jesus, I know that apart from you, I can do nothing. But with you, nothing is impossible. You are not only the God who forgives. You are the God who transforms. You not only just accept me as l am. You're Gracious and almighty God, you are full of grace, overflowing with compassion. Your mercy reaches deeper than my failures. And your kindness meets me right where l am. You are not only the savior of my soul but also the refiner of my heart. You love me too much to leave me unchanged. And so even when you test my faith, I will trust that it is not to harm me but to shape me into the person you've created me to be. Lord, in a world that idolizes ease and comfort, I confess how often l've resisted anything that feels uncomfortable. I've assumed that peace means everything going my way and that hardship means you were far. I was wrong. But now I see you are just as present in the fire as you are in the calm. You are working in the stretching, in the shaking, in the seasons that test what's inside of me. So, l surrender to your divine process. Cleanse me of every impure thought, Lord. Wash away the sin I've tolerated in secret. Strip away every trace of pride, selfishness, and unbelief. Like gold purified by fire, l ask you to refine my new heart until it reflects your character. I know, God, that these trials are not meaningless. They are not punishments but tools in your hand to grow something eternal in me. If it is patience inside me that you want to cultivate, then so be it, Lord. Have your way. If it is humility or endurance or self-control, then let the trial fulfill its purpose in my life. I will no longer pray only for the trial to end, but for my heart to be transformed through it. When the heat of testing comes, let me not murmur or complain. Let me not compare my life to others or grow bitter in the waiting.
Instead, I fix my eyes on you, Lord Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith. Give me grace to walk through the fire with joy, knowing that the testing of my faith produces perseverance. Let my lips declare your praise even when my heart is hurting. Let my soul remember that you are good, even when the road is hard. As James 1 reminds me, the testing of my faith is producing something I cannot gain in comfort. ( Trials and Temptations, James chapter 1: ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.) Spiritual maturity. A faith that endures. A faith that can't be shaken by the winds of life. A faith that clings to you, Lord, not for what you give, but for who you are. And Lord, let my life be anchored in your word. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, you call me to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord my labour is not in vain.
So, when my miracle doesn't come when I expect it, let my faith remain steady. When my prayers seem unanswered, let me continue to worship. Even if nothing changes outwardly, let me still be found faithful inwardly. Holy Spirit, help me not to build a faith that only stands when life is easy. Help me to stand when the storm is raging. Let me be the kind of believer who doesn't just praise you in victory, but clings to you in the valley.
When everything seems to be falling apart, let my soul say," Lord Jesus Christ is still enough."
When l'm perplexed and don't
understand why things happen, let my first response be to run into your arms.
Remind me, Lord, that these trials are only temporary. As you said in Romans 8:18, the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed. This verse encourages believers to maintain hope and perseverance despite current hardships.
This life is not the end of the story. There is an eternal joy ahead, a crown of life promised to those who endure. And so help me not to grow weary in doing good. Help me to keep going, to keep believing, to keep standing.
Your word in 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells me to examine myself to see whether l am truly in the faith.
So Lord, I invite you into every hidden place in my life. Search me and know me. Test my thoughts, my intentions, my motivations. If there is anything in me that is not pleasing to you, Lord, reveal it and remove it. Let me be a believer not just in word but in my lifestyle.
Let my walk match my talk. Let my heart be pure, my hands clean, my spirit humble before you.
Teach me to live with integrity, to pray when no one is watching, to love even when it costs me something. For I can never ever out love you, Lord.
Grow in me the quiet strength that comes from knowing I belong to you. A strength that doesn't need applause. A joy that is not based on circumstances. A peace that surpasses understanding.
Thank you, Lord, for never leaving me in the fire alone. Thank you for being the fourth man* in the furnace, the still voice in the storm, the shepherd who walks me through the valley. (*The fourth man in the fire refers to a figure seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship an idol. This figure is often interpreted as a divine being, possibly an angel or a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, symbolizing God's presence and protection during trials.)
Thank you that my faith is not in my own strength, but in the one who holds all things together.
So l bless you, Lord Jesus Christ. I praise you for who you are. In the mighty and precious name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
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