happy New Year friends is a cherita here and if you set a goal this year to pray more consistently and intentionally then I have good news for you not only do you have this podcast as a resource but our friends at Moody Publishers are offering you a 40% discount on my book prayers of rest daily prompt slow down and hear God's voice so just this next week from January 2nd to the 10th you can go to Moody Publishers. Calm and enter the code prayers of rest for that's 40 at checkout to get your special podcast listener discount all right let's jump into today's episode
 welcome to the prayers of Wrath podcast and summer season praying through the fruit of the spirit today self-control know if you just groaned when you heard that I empathize with you I'm right there with you I know self-control is hard which is why I'm so excited that we are bringing this before God and inviting him to work and us today but only he can do so I encourage you to lay aside the guilt and the condemnation and in the ways that you fallen short
 and come with me as we rest in God's loving present during these ten minutes of prayer together so as we begin find a quiet place and take a deep breath as we enter into God's presence together
 today's reading comes from Titus Chapter 2 verses 11 through 13
 for the grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the Blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
 let's begin by reciting God's goodness
 oh Jesus you are our great high priest you know what it's like to refuse to send even when you were weakened by fasting
 and in your Wilderness wandering he did not give into temptation no matter how strong it was
 because you lived that way we have hope that with your spirit alive in us we can also live self-controlled lives not because of our own abilities but because of your spirit alive in us and you are kind to grow enough the fruit of your spirit
 so in the next few moments praise God for how he has shown his grace in her life the grace that has appeared to us and and teaches us
 list of controlled lives
 thank him now for that grave
 we continue Now by expressing our neediness
 confessing our need for God and for his forgiveness
 but I confess that self-control is hard and so Lord I need your help in this I Surrender my body to use you as an instrument of your righteousness
 so take my hands
 take my feet my eyes my mouth by my taste buds my ears my mind my fingertips
 hi time
 my waking moments and my sleeping moments got to take my everything
 all I am is yours
 so help me to fix my eyes on Jesus and in those moments of Temptation to say no to my own Cravings in the flesh so that I might look more and more and more like Jesus everyday
 in the next few moments in fast to God your need
 British Spirits control in your life where you have failed at self-control
Now we move into a time of seeking God's illness
 they invite you to reflect on the moment of greatest Temptation these last 24 hours
 where were you what happened
 invite you to picture God present there beside you in that moment his Spirit within you how was he opening an escape
 how did that Temptation how is his grace inviting you to say yes to his Spirit yes to self control
 talk to God about that experience
 and then rest in his loving presence feel for you to pause this episode if you need more times if you still with him
finally let's trust God's faithfulness
 Lord I acknowledge
 I cannot change myself as hard as I try my own willpower is not enough
 I trust that you will continue giving me endurance and steadfastness in the face of Temptation that has a face it time and time again your spirit working in Me Your Grace revealed to me will give me the strength and the power to say no
 and yes you were spirits
 but I trust you to do what only you can do so in the next few moments bring to God your area of greatest struggle
 surrender yourself to him and thank God I trust you I trust that your spirit will bear the fruit of self-control in my life
how do you listen to say again what word or phrase and out to you what do you feel God is thing you is there anything else that you'd like to say to him
 I'm Titus Chapter 2
 for the grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions as a live self-controlled upright and godly lives in the present age while we wait for the Blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
 to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God our savior be glory and Majesty power and authority through Jesus Christ Our Lord before all ages now and forevermore amen you've been listening to the prayers of rest podcast which of the production of one thing alone Ministries and made possible by generous listeners just like you editing is by Angie Elkins media and music from Robert Elkins
 thank you so much for joining us this season for praying through the fruit of the spirit will be back next week with a special wrap up conversation with one of my dear friends as we talked about where do we go from here what is the living a life marked by the fruit of the spirit look like I hope you join me for the episode next week if you can best any of our prayer episodes you can always go back and re listen to previous episodes in season 4 or any of our previous seasons and if I can ask for a favor if you've enjoyed this season if these times of prayer have brought you into a place of Rest In God's Presence would you take a moment to leave a rating and review on iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcast it really does help that the podcast
 2-ranked that podcast higher so that more and more people can find this podcast and find a rest for their souls in Jesus thank you so much for partnering with me and until we meet again may you rest in God's loving presence