Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.

Acts 8

Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. v22

In v9-25 we see the apostles reaction to Simon the Sorcerer, who sought faith as a means to bring glory to himself vs God.  This is a powerful lesson for us all because believers are not promised a life of health, wealth and prestige -  instead are to deny oneself and seek His glory first. 

See also posts related to

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Matthew 20

So the last will be first, and the first will be last. v16

We ascribe earthly value to being first - as a winner and as someone deserving of a prize commensurate with the effort - there is also pride and status associated with being first.  At some level, we all want what I describe - and this has always been the case. We are born selfish.  Yet God wants our lives to be about Him and about bringing others to Him.  It's not about us.

We need to deny our selfish desires and think and act according to His desires.

We exist to glorify God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that You are so full of grace and patience for me - thank You Jesus - I am undeserving!  I often fail to be a do-er of the Word.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

The Games We Play
Romans 8

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[ because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. v5-11

It is amazing how I listening to David Platt's series "Abide" and today's devotion focuses on governing the mind through the Spirit.

I am reminded of Pastor Scott's sermon how we find happiness.   He used the Sermon on the Mount for the series and specifically for this sermon he focused on Matthew 5:6:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You designed us to crave and You alone can fulfill our desires and cravings...You provide for all our needs and You bless us when we come to You.  I have experienced this in my own life - what an awesome God You are. I am not worth all the ways You have blessed me...I continue to battle with fits of rage...please forgive me Jesus.  Thank You for Your grace and patience that You have dispensed already but I need more!  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You instead.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Strengthen her bone density.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. v14-15

If we are close to God we must know His "good, pleasing and perfect will" and Paul shows us how in his letter to Romans:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

We must yearn to be close to God, in prayer, in reflection, in study, etc.  By drawing closer to God and knowing His will for our lives, we have confidence in knowing that God hears and answers ALL prayer - according to His will.  The implication is that our prayers should consist of either praying for what we KNOW God wants for us or for us to fully submit to His will - whatever that might be.

My Prayer: Lord You are a Great God and I know that Your designs, plans, etc. for me are perfect, glorify You and are GOOD for me.  Yet I often want to satisfy my OWN desires and this is sinful and wrong Jesus - please forgive me and help me turn from such sinful behavior and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength and help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me desire what You desire.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of this cancer. Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.