Recipe for Success...

How difficult it is to surrender free will over to God! The influences of the flesh work against your desire to serve God.  It's futility to do God's will, and completely follow his commandments under your own strength.  

I've concluded after much prayer and consideration that it can not be done due to the influences of sin upon the natural man/woman. Yet, deep down, it's my own spiritual desire to serve God by keeping his commandments, and doing his will. I find it to be a constant battle, giving up "self" in order to serve God.  

What are God's purposes? I must admit that my own selfishness in the flesh sabotages my ability to comprehend what God wants me to do, even to the extent that I am not able to separate my own selfishness from what I think God wants me to do. I'm often sabotaged by this conflict, and have concluded that the key to this dilemma is total and complete surrender of free will over to God.  I realize that I still have a lot of work to do!

The surrender of free will over to God is a measure of faith. I'm convinced that in the flesh this surrender requires constant prayer. Jesus said to "pray constantly." Even Jesus did that, and he was without sin.  How much more important for we that are in sin, to pray "constantly," so we are able to access the strength God provides to do his will and follow his commandments. The more we indulge "self," the more the pipeline to God is sabotaged, thereby severing the power that rests in God to do his will, and follow his commandments.  

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I've concluded after much thought, reading the Word of God, and praying on the matter as often as I'm able to discipline myself to resist "self," that without these practices it's virtually impossible to serve God, and grow faith. The influences of the World upon the flesh are simply too great not to have the pipeline to God as open and functioning as well as possible. Pray constantly, study the Word of God, and grow faith.

Don't be too discouraged...Remember, 

"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto the mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." 

‎Matthew 17:20 KJV

Faith has nothing to do with personal self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-9) and has no reliance on human strength and wisdom (1 Cor. 2:5). Strength comes from the God, not the amount of faith, even faith as little as a mustard seed will do. But, to grow faith in the flesh, the more we  give up self, the greater our faith can grow.



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