Good morning dearly loved by God!

How many of you have ever been frustrated by the weakness of your flesh?  How many times have you resolved to never yield to a particular sin, but when the temptation came, you fell right back into it?

It’s happened to all of us – Even Peter, who swore he would never deny Jesus, ended up denying Him time and time again.

I want to give you the secret to not falling prey temptation:  Jesus said in Matthew 26:41,

• WATCH AND PRAY lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.

He said this to Peter and the other disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and it’s true for you and me, too!

That’s why in Jude 1:20, God tells us much the same thing.  He says,

• But you beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith; make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher by praying in the Holy Spirit.

God knows even better than we do that our flesh has been trained to flow with the world’s ways of doing things.  He knows that even though our born-again spirits are reaching for God, our untrained flesh will always have a tendency to fall into sin.  So, He’s given us the ability to pray in tongues (just by asking Him), to strengthen our spirits, and to build ourselves up until our spirits take ascendency over our flesh.  As we pray in the spirit, Romans 8:26 says,

• So, too, the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid, and bears us up in our weaknesses; for we do not know what prayer to offer, nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.

No wonder why the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:18,

• I thank my God I speak in tongues more than you all.

It’s one of the most powerful tools God has given us.  I exhort you not to neglect it.  Let’s follow the instructions in Ephesians 6:18 to,

• PRAY ALWAYS with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…

Don’t make the mistake that Peter made.  When temptation comes, don’t let it find you asleep.  Be prepared and make sure your spirits are strong enough to rise about it.

You can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you.  You are an overcomer.  As you submit to God’s directions, He will cause you to ALWAYS triumph in Christ Jesus.

Watching and praying,

Lisa Gordon

Jesus City Church

Glastonbury, CT