Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind”

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7

Ask Jesus:

• What am I afraid of?
• How have I seen your power in my life?
• In what ways have I experienced your love?
• What does it mean to have a sound mind?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am a citizen of heaven”

“But our citizenship is in heaven.”

Philippians 3:20

Citizens have rights and responsibilities.

Ask Jesus:

• What rights do I have as a citizen of heaven?
• What responsibilities do I have as a citizen of heaven?

Facebook Depression

Interesting article about kids and online social networks.

http://www.livescience.com/13431-social-media-kids.html

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am hidden with Christ in God”

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Colossians 3:3

Ask Jesus:

• What does it mean to be hidden with you?
• How should this reality affect my life?
• What are you trying to tell me?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am established, anointed and sealed by God”

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

In the Old Testament to be anointed meant to set apart. The priests and kings were anointed. Now in Jesus we are anointed, set apart.

Ask Jesus:

• How have you anointed me?
• In what ways should this anointing affect my life?
• Why would you anointed me?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I cannot be separated from the love of God”

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:31-34

Sometimes we are afraid that if people really knew us they would not like us or love us. The good news is that God knows you fully (including all the bad) and still loves and likes you.

Ask Jesus:

• Why do you love me so much?
• What do I fear will separate me from your love?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am free from any charge against me”

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Romans 8:31-34

Ask Jesus:

• What charges do I believe are brought against me?
• How am I free from any charge against me?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am free forever from condemnation”

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:1-2

God convicts us of sin but does not condemn us.

The difference is that conviction is action based - “I did this – specific thing – wrong”.

Condemnation is character based – “I am useless.”

Ask Jesus:

• When in my life have I believed that it was you speaking to me when it was really either the devil or myself?
• How do you view me?
• What condemnation lie am I holding on to in my life?

Journal

As we have been walking through this freedom material for Lent I have started to realize that a lot of my life is shaped by a negative self-image. I thought I was freer than I am. For example today Jesus pointed out that I accept a lot of condemnation in my life. I often say to myself that "I am useless, worthless and can't do anything." The reason that I am convinced about this is that I believe a lie. I know that when I do something I am not the best at it. Now that isn't the lie, it is true. In fact sometimes what I do is terrible. The lie is that because I am not the best or what I do is not that great there must be something wrong with me. There are so many problems with that line of thinking. But the one thing that I realize is that I need to get my worth from Jesus not from the things that I do - not just intellectually but also emotionally.

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I can find grace and mercy in time of need”

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

Grace is a free undeserved gift.

Ask Jesus:

• Is there some area in my life where I need your grace?
• What is grace?
• Where in my life have I experienced your grace?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am complete in Christ”

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”

Colossians 2:9-10

We find fullness and completeness is Jesus.

Ask Jesus:

• Jesus where am I feeling incomplete?
• How do you want to fill my life?
• What does it mean to be complete and full in you?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins”

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:13-14

Forgiveness is not something that we earn it is a gift from God.

Ask Jesus:

• Is there anything I am holding onto, refusing to believe that I am forgiven?
• Is there some reason I am not accepting your forgiveness?
• Thank you Jesus for forgiving me.

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I have access to God through the Holy Spirit”

“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

Ephesians 2:18

You can come to the creator of the world just as you are, with all your hopes, dreams and fears.

Ask Jesus:

• Jesus what do you want to say to me today?
• Jesus what am I afraid of?
• What are your hopes and dreams for me?

Journal

Jesus revealed to me that I am scared that my best is not really that good. I am scared that I am simply average and there is nothing that special about me. This fear plays it's self out in two ways.

One I am afraid of doing my best. In fact Jesus showed me that I will purposefully sabotage my own work so that I have an excuse why it isn't my best.

Two I protect my image. I create a mask and hesitate to allow people to see the real me. I shy away from exposing my weaknesses for fear that people will just see me as an average person.

Jesus wants to set me free from this fear. You see I believe that lie that my worth comes from what I do. I need to believe that my worth comes from Jesus. Then as Tony Horton says I can "do my best and forget the rest."

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child”

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”

Ephesians 1:4-5

Ask Jesus:

• Help me rest in the fact that God has chosen me.
• How should this reality shape me?
• What am I chosen for?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am a saint”

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus”

Ephesians 1:1

We often view ourselves as sinners who could not possibly be a saint. But Jesus declares that you are saint.

Ask Jesus:

• What does it mean to be a saint?
• Do you really declare me to be a saint?
• Jesus isn’t it arrogant for me to say that I am a saint?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I have been bought with a price and I belong to God”

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We are precious enough to be bought by God.

Ask Jesus:

• Why would you buy me?
• What are the implications that you have bought me?
• What can I do today to honour you with my body?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am Christ's friend”

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:15

Friend (dictionary.com)

1. one attached to another by esteem

2. acquaintance

3. one that is not hostile

4. one that is of the same nation, party, or group

5. one that promotes something (as a charity)

6. a favored companion

Ask Jesus:

• How have you been a friend to me in the past?
• How do you want to be my friend today?
• How have I been your friend?
• What does it mean to be friends?

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am united with the Lord (one spirit)”

“ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit”

1 Corinthians 6:17

Ask Jesus:

• What does it mean that I have been united with you?
• How should this change the way that I live?

Journal

Some days I just don't hear anything. So I guess there will be days when I don't have anything to really journal about.

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am justified”

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

Romans 5:1

We have a change in legal standing before God. Before we were condemned as unholy sinners but now, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are declared righteous in God’s sight.

Ask Jesus:

• How can this fact that I am justified change the way I pray to you?
• Why do you justify me?
• What does it mean to be declared right in your sight?
• Is there something in my life that I don't have peace about with you?

Journal:

As I prayed this morning I became aware of some of the garbage in my life and I confessed to Jesus "I am so wicked."

And Jesus respond "actually you are justified."

Re-Born Free - prayer guide

“I am God's child”

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

John 1:12

Ask Jesus:

• Jesus what does it mean to be God’s child?
• God what benefits do I get as a child?
• How does being your child affect my life? Work? Family? Friends?
• Whose child was I before I believed?

Journal:

As I talked with Jesus about these questions I realized something. I don't want this to be simply an exercise for my theological brain. Very easy for me to go there and not do anything else. Emotions need to be a part of this. Encountering and living in relationship with Jesus is the point - even more than being free (though relationship will lead naturally to freedom).

So as I asked these questions of Jesus he reminded me of a point when he claimed me as his own. It was many years ago. I was at a retreat sitting in the back when I felt God's hand reach down and grab me and he said "you are mine." This experience has shaped my faith more than all my study and research. I belong to God. I am his child. Not because I did anything to deserve it (I was a mess). Not because I am going to do anything to deserve it. Yahweh simply claimed me as his child.

Lent

Today is the beginning of Lent (the 40 days before Easter, well actually 46 but Sundays don't count). This year our church has decided to focus on freedom for Lent. The theme is "Re-Born Free". I know the name is cheesy.

We are encouraging people to do a few different things:

1. Read Neil Anderson's "Who I am in Christ" list every day
2. Work through a prayer guide every day
3. Attend a bible study (either on Sunday morning or Tuesday evening)

Jesus did come and live and die and came back to life so that we could be free. Let's live in that freedom.

Middle East

Interesting talk about what is happening in the Middle East: