Pray for Protection...Pray for Victory

1 John 2:1-6

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.


First of all I want us to see something here that is very important, the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to save the wretched man that I am. That same blood and love is powerful enough to forgive me today as His child when I stumble. Please pay attention to verse 5, whoever keeps His Word the love of God is perfected in Him. You see the fact that Jesus Christ pulled me from the bondage of this world will drive me to live according to His Word, if I surrender to it and thus the love He showed will be perfected and it will come alive. 

1 John 1:8
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

I think it is important here for us to understand the we will have a battle with sin until Jesus Christ returns. I did not say we would have to always lose the battle I just said we would battle. John tells us here that if we say we do not sin we make Him a liar. May you and I it never do this. 

What I want to ask you is when do you pray about your sin? At church during altar time? At night when you go to bed? In the morning when you arise? At lunch during your quiet time? All of these are great times to pray for forgiveness, and victory and the strength to conquer your sins. I want to give you another time to do pray and pray with every thing you have in you. I  want to give you a time when you may not have the courage or the desire to pray for victory over sin, pray as the temptation approaches. Every single time you are tempted pray right at that moment. Pray before you enter the temptation full throttle. For example, if you are struggling with alcohol and you are placed in a situation where alcohol is present, begin praying immediately for Jesus to protect you and to keep you from this sin. Pray it without ceasing and search for a way out. Yes there will be a way out.     1 Corinthians 10:13 says,  "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

There is a way of escape and we must pray at the moment the temptation approaches for God's protection and victory. Do it immediately, do it with confidence. Jesus will protect you and He will give you strength to overcome but you must you absolutely must call on Him.

So as you go through this week and sin approaches, at the very moment you recognize the smallest possibility to sin pray and ask Jesus to empower victory in your life. Pray for protection through this fight and ask Jesus to reveal to you the escape route. It goes without saying but I will say it anyway...take the escape route, quickly and boldly. 

Reaching for Him,

Brother Big Daddy

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