Day 4 of 40 Days of Prayer- Submit, Resist and Be Purified!

James 4:7-8
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanseyour hands , you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
We have the privilege of knowing that we can go boldly before Gods throne in prayer. That when we were first saved we could repent and he would hear our prayers immediately. Now that we are born again(being converted daily by Holy Spirit) we must be mindful how we approach the presence of God.  When we go before the presence of the Lord, we must go with reverential fear and trembling, understanding we have been given a privilege through the blood of Christ to even communicate with the Father and to be blessed by his Holy presence. God desires you to come into his presence with “clean hands and a pure heart” because we are spending time submitted to the leading of Holy Spirit and allowing him to purify you and transform your Mind, body and spirit. The mere fact that God made a great costly sacrifice by spilling the blood of his son should tell you that his desire is that we be “Changed.” God desires that you would  become a “new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17. See the Father believes you can be the person he has spoken you into existence to be before the earth was framed, and has given you the tools to do it and it starts with submission. Submission to the will of God and his Holy Spirit shapes and molds you into a new person inwardly and then outwardly. It causes you to get a new “Mind.”   God chose you, predestined you to be,“Conformed to the image of His Son, that he (Jesus) might be the first born among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29

Not only do you need to be changed so that like Jesus, you can help transform others but you must be pure in heart with clean hands and a right spirit so that you become one with the father. Being in a committed relationship with the Lord our God gives us strength to “Resist” the devil by Gods power that the things he would use to tempt you dont work anymore and eventually the things you would allow to happen with in your own power you would no longer have a desire for and you would be nearer to God because he desires to be near to you.
Prayer: Father, the author and finisher of my faith. The novelist of my life, forgive me for just swimming on the surface of your love and not entering into your presence. Forgive me for staying afar off when you have saved me by the blood of the lamb that I would draw nearer unto you and know you more.  Lord I give you me, because you desire to give more of yourself to me and I humbly accept your gift of love.  I need you Lord and there is no way I can make it through this life here with our you. Take my heart and mold it, take my mind, transform it, take my will, conform it, to yours today Lord as I deny myself and submit to you. I love you Lord and I belong to you, bought and paid for by the blood in Jesus mighty name, amen.  Apostle Michelle Allen