Psalm 3:2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

We have been talking about using the tools that God provides in our daily salvation. You might have thought I took a detour into prayer but prayer is our greatest source of help when it comes to salvation.

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Psalm 69:13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

Let me ask you a pointed question and if it should prick your conscience say ouch.

How much of your prayer life is directed at your own salvation? How much help do you seek with any amount of sin in your life? Do you consider yourself “good to go”?

We remember what we were in that past life, before Christ. I see a real danger in my relationship with Christ when I look at the distance I have traveled from the grave of my old man. That is not the object, to distance ourselves from the past. Our objective is to draw closer to God and the obstacles to that closeness lay ahead of us, not behind.

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Our satisfaction is in Christ, not in ourselves. Yes, I have come a long way but I am not nearly close enough. As the song says, “Draw me close to You!” That is a prayer God will honor.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

I have a dear friend that kept telling me that surrendering to God was not a force of will. It was his way of saying that he could not force himself to surrender. Recently he surrendered. We all rejoice in his salvation.

When I went to visit him to hear his testimony I was surprised at the simplicity of his turning to God for help. I expected something strong considering his “force of will” outlook. What had changed his mind?

“God is not a liar.”

He had joined us in bible studies and alternative church activities. He always had insightful probing questions but none of our answers ever seemed to come to a point of satisfaction for him. He had not yet found that force of will to believe.

Habakkuk 1:11-12 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

It was not our answers that had changed his mind. It was the power of God.

Romans 1:16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;

Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.