Good Morning Girls!  So we left off yesterday talking about being proactive with the devil, rather than reactive.  But how do we do that?  We learned the importance of knowing the Word so it cannot be used against us.  If we know the Word, the next time the devil whispers something like "you just ruined your witness.  God doesn't want you now", you can reply with "If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1John1:9). Even though this is effective, as we saw in  yesterday's example of Jesus in the dessert, it is still more of a defense than it is offense.  A even better way to use the Word is to meditate and speak it BEFORE the attack comes.  If you walk through your day saying you are blessed coming in, blessed going out, you are the head, and not the tail, you are above and not beneath, everything you set your hands to will prosper, you are not going to accept it when the devil tries to tell you you will never succeed.  First of all, you won't even be able to hear the devil speak his lies if you are busy speaking the Word!  If your mind is filled with God's promises, you will not have room for the devils negatives.  Jesus teaches us in the book of Matthew the other way to be proactive.  In chapter 6 he gives us the prayer that every good Lutheran learns as a child....Our Father, who art in heaven.......AND DON'T LET US YIELD TO TEMPTATION, BUT RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE.  We are told to ask for help in advance to stay strong when we are tempted.  We ask for God to rescue us from the temptation.  He shows us again in the Garden of Gethsemane, the power of prayer.  He spends his final hours before his arrest in prayer asking for the strength to carry out God's will for him.  He also warns his disciples to pray so they will not give in to temptation.  Covering ourselves in prayer before temptation comes, helps prepare our hearts, our minds, and our bodies.  If we call on God's help, he will not let us be tempted beyond what we can handle.  Spend some time in prayer today asking the Lord for strength to carry out your commitment to Him. 

Matthew 26:41 "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.  For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"

Love you all-
Jen