Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #15 (Prayer). April 21, 2012

Hello my dear friends! Warm, grace-driven greetings to each of you. Like you, I am always grateful for grace. When it is rightly applied it draws us closer to the Lord in prayer. This week's Psalms of Discipleship is a wonderful illustration of the tension we experience between spiritual victory and spiritual defeat. In order to consistently win this battle, we need to learn the art of surrender . . . to the Lord.

The lyrics of this classic hymn remind us that surrender is always a choice.

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Learning to surrender,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #15

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: 11 O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. 12 Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries. Psalm 60:11-12

Core Value: Prayer

One of the greatest challenges that disciples of Jesus face is a strong tendency of misplaced trust. We tend to trust in the “tangible” (what is seen) instead of the tried and true (often unseen). We often default to our own strength and even the strength of others instead of resting in the strength of our God. We look to other people and other things to deliver us from trouble instead of fixing our gaze upon the only One who can deliver us. There are many life principles that we can learn and apply from the Psalmist. This principle is critical: before we can win, we must surrender to the Lord.

Principle #15 & Personal Application: Quality disciples live in the on-going tension between spiritual defeat and spiritual victory, knowing only a complete surrender to God will produce a great victory.

Some background: In this psalm David has responded in prayer after his nation has been attacked by the Edomites who inflicted great damage. This temporary setback is a lesson in perseverance and in prayer. For the disciple of Jesus there are many spiritual battles that must be fought, and some of these we will lose. The key is to learn from defeat and set out to win the next victory. This is done when we believe and turn to God. After a defeat . . .

• We need to cry out to God for help against our adversary.

• The worst place we can place our trust is in other people.

• We need to believe that through God we will do valiantly (mighty things).

• We need to yield our will to His will for it is God, and only God, who will defeat our foes.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I lose a spiritual battle what kind of steps do I take in order to fight another day?

The Bible teaches that “Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.” There is a part for me to play and there is a part that only God can play. What is my role and what is His promise to me?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, remind me to cry out to You when I find myself on the losing end of a spiritual battle. I look to You for help against my adversary. I know that looking to other people instead of You will never produce a good outcome for me. I thank You that through You I will do mighty things as I testify of Your deliverance of my life.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2012 All rights reserved.

Are you interested in going deeper in your walk with Jesus? Check out my website for a list of resources that will help you become "A Quality Disciple."

www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/

This week's featured resource!

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