As Jesus used Scripture when he dealt with Satan's temptations, so should we. Following find a contribution to this endeavor, with commentaries to illustrate.
For the most part, the New International Version translation has been used. Departures from this have been indicated. Italics show where a word has been substituted to keep the context making sense. Bolds are not in the original but added for emphasis.
 
 

Help us know that "...Jesus Christ...gave himself for us to REDEEM us from all wickedness and to PURIFY for himself a people that are his very own, EAGER TO DO WHAT IS GOOD". Titus 2:12-13

The purpose of salvation is not to give us a comfortable pew in the church, a feeling of smugness that we are for sure going to heaven, an arrogance that we are saved and others not. NO! we were created not only to be eager to do good deeds, but to satisfy that eagerness by doing those good deeds the Lord makes us eager to do.

Help us know that "'... When JESUS is hungry and we give him something to eat, when He is thirsty and we give him something to drink, when He is a stranger and we invite Him in, when He needs clothes and we clothe Him, when He is sick and we look after Him, when He is in prison and we come to visit Him that ...whatever we do for one of the least of these brothers of His, we do for Him." Matt. 25:31-40

Here's a list of some of these good deeds we should be eager to do. Once we overcome our initial fear and laziness with dealing with strangers, we will receive the joy that comes from serving. The majority of the world goes to bed hungry, thirsty, and naked. Millions of American Christians are still suffering the consequences of Covid and reactions to to the vaccine, not to mention massive layoffs and repercussions of the recession, so and serving our brothers may soon be easier. Those Christians who are not faithful to the duties commanded us by the Lord - taking care of  the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned will never receive that "calling" they use as a cop-out for doing nothing for the Lord.

"In our anger, help us not sin." Eph. 4:26. Help us "be...slow to become angry". Jas 1:19

It's not just our angry words, gestures, or deeds that are to be avoided, but even our show of irritation (the word used in the Living Bible). When we do become angry, we should not give in to the sin that entices from that anger, that lack of control. If we are slow to anger, we will have that control.

Help us know that if we are "not with Jesus, we are against Him, and if we do not gather with Him, we scatter." Matthew 12:30

Those who have every excuse for not evangelizing - in their neighborhoods, at work - have no real excuse. Their lack of effort is not neutral: it is a positive aid to Satan.

Help us know that "'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. We ask you Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into your harvest field.'" Matthew 9:37-38.

Prayer can motivate those who have excuses and fears in evangelizing. The Lord will give the opportunities - and the words.

Help us know that "As children, we should obey our parents in the Lord..." Eph. 6:1.

The Ten Commandments have only 2 positive commandments: and this is one of them. God must view it, therefore, as very important. States have had to pass laws to force older children to support their parents, instead of abandon them to dreary rest homes, and in 2020, in Covid-infested nursing homes, killed a too large number of our seniors.

Help us know. that "As fathers, we should not exasperate our children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.

Discipline in the home is not just a matter of rules, but of Godly rules with Godly love. If children can see the Godly examples of righteous parents, they will be able to accept the discipline that stems from the great love of parents for their children.

Help us be thankful that "because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning..." Lamentations 3:22-23. Jesus said we MUST become as little children to enter heaven. Are not children the best example of starting every day afresh?

Just as a parent's love for his children overpowers his or her anger, so God's love for us. He gives us an opportunity to start over every morning. He gives us an opportunity to start over every day! We have sufficient grace every day to be overcomers!

Help us know that "'if we forgive men when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive us. But if we do not forgive men their sins, our Father will not forgive our sins.'" Matthew 6:14-15.

God's forgiveness of us has conditions: we must forgive others! Not too difficult a demand, or is it? If we pray to Him, he will give us a spirit of grace and supplication, to take away that hard heart of unforgiveness, that hurts not only others, but ourselves also. If we do not forgive someone whom God has forgiven, we are putting ourselves above God!

Help us know that "...without faith it is impossible to please you, Lord, because if we come to you we must believe that you exist and that you REWARD those who EARNESTLY SEEK YOU." Hebrews 11:6. "The EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER of a righteous man availeth much". James 5:16 (KJV)

It's not just deeds that please God, but faith also - faith that the deeds we perform may not have immediate fruit, but that we are planting the Right Seed. Faith that knows we will be rewarded- although maybe not here on earth. Beware of those Happy Times preachers that preach so hard on material rewards now. And we must pray the prayer of faith: eager and enthusiastically.

Help us know that "'Unless we change and become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, when we humble ourselves like a child we will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 18:3-4

The salvation that leads to heaven is not a mere matter of words. There must be change in our hearts and minds. We must become like little children, or we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Little children forgive easily. Little children love their parents even when they mistreat them. Little children understand immediate punishment. We adults do not. It's easy to show humility to a stranger. But what about to our child, or to a never-wrong spouse?

Help us "clothe ourselves with HUMILITY toward one another..." 1 Pet 5:5. Help us "put on the FULL ARMOR of you, Lord, so that we can take our stand against the devil's schemes....Help us, Lord, stand firm then, with the BELT OF TRUTH buckled around our waist, with the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS in place, and with our FEET fitted with the readiness that comes from the GOSPEL OF PEACE. In addition to all this, help us, Lord, take up the SHIELD OF FAITH, with which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Help us take the HELMET OF SALVATION and the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the word of God." Eph. 6:11-15.

We need the full armor - as we need the full counsel of the Lord- all the weapons, just as the Lord needs all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Our weapons are both defensive and offensive, but remember, the GENERAL, is always the Lord. God is not to be the co-pilot, but the CHIEF PILOT.

Help us know that "...those you foreknew, Lord, you also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of your Son" Romans 8:29 and that "just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven". 1 Corinthians 15:49.

To be a Christian means not just being a church member, but actually being like Jesus. We may not be like Him all the time, but we should at least be more like him than our pagan neighbors. We should be more forebearing, more loving, more caring, doing more good deeds, speaking the truth in love, being the best examples we can be.

Help us "' ... put your law in our minds and write it on our hearts, Lord.'" Jer. 31:33.

The law has not been done away with by Jesus, but fulfilled. And we can fulfill the requirements of that LAW when it is written in our hearts and minds.

Help us know that '"If we are to come after Jesus, we must DENY OURSELVES and take up OUR CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW JESUS.'". Luke 9:23.

A three-fold commandment: to give up our selfish ways, take up our task DAILY, and to FOLLOW Jesus: to act as he acted, to talk as he talked, and to walk where he walked.

Help us know Lord that you require us "To ACT JUSTLY and to LOVE MERCY and to WALK HUMBLY with you." Micah 6:8.

Our deeds are to be just; we are to love mercy (because our deeds are not always just); and we are to walk in humility (a combination of our deeds and attitude).  The new LAW:Love mercy, Act justly, Walk humbly.

Help us know that we must "endure HARDSHIP AS DISCIPLINE; you are treating us as sons, Lord. For what son is not disciplined by his Father? If we are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline) then we are illegitimate children and not true sons". Hebrews 12:7.

Our "suffering" is not always only from Satan, as many misguided preachers preach, but also represents God's attempts at disciplining us by allowing us to endure the consequence of our sin and stupidity so we can learn to do better next time. Those who go throughout life without any problems are not blessed, but illegitimate. We are to receive God's blessings, but sometimes that is His love expressed as discipline! God does not allow us to be humbed as much as we need because he wants to leave a little room for us to humble ourselves.

Help us know that we must "THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE the race marked out for us . Let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him ENDURED the cross.... Help us, O Lord, consider him who ENDURED such opposition from sinful men, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart". Hebrews 12: 1-3.

TV, sports, Bingo - whatever is our passion besides serving the Lord - can entangle us, and prevent us from using our time wisely for the Lord. So let us persevere in serving the Lord, no matter what the outward signs facing us. Have we endured yet to the Cross? What are our setbacks and suffering compared to His for us? As one preacher crippled by muscular dystrophy is fond of saying, "What's your excuse?"

Help us "WAIT for you, Lord; be strong and take heart and WAIT for you, Lord". Psalms 27:14.

In the U.S. of instant everything, waiting is not a virtue. But the Bible commands it. Even waiting for those rewards we so richly think we deserve.

Help us know that you desire "mercy, not sacrifice". Hosea 6:6. "To obey you is better than sacrifice". 1 Samuel 15:22. Let us "not forget to do good and to share with others... ". Hebrews 13:16.

Sacrifice is giving up, to stop doing something. Mercy is doing something. Christianity is not a mere matter of giving up smoking, swearing, etc, but of devoting our whole body and Life as a Holy Temple to a Holy God, who demands our deeds as well as our easy words.

Help us know that "when an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house UNOCCUPIED, SWEPT CLEAN AND PUT IN ORDER. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of the man is worse than the first". [Matthew 12:43-45] Know that we MUST "GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". 2 Peter 3:18.

The command to grow is abundantly present in the Bible, as well as in the laws of biology. To not grow is to die. While the universe, as scientists often say, is moving towards chaos, the tendency of biology is another direction: The cycle of growth and death and then growth and death. Which direction will we choose? Sterility is the absence of growth; a bunch of dead rules represents no spirituality. Being a Christian means growing into that holiness that brings us closer to the Lord, as we are conformed more and more every day to His likeness. If we are not reading the Bible daily, praying daily, we will not grow. And if we don't put all that Bible reading and praying into action we will not grow. The absence of growth is death, and may not be the pleasant death and pleasant after-death rewards that Christians think they are entitled to.

Help us "'Consider carefully what we hear.'" Mark 4:24

The trash we see and hear on tv and internet is getting more and more pervasive. A few years ago, one could be assured that the filthy language and acts found in movies, when shown on television, would be changed to something more "family safe". But not any more. Now we have to do our own editing - do we watch the movie for its "redeeming" qualities and pretend not to hear the filth, or just not watch the movie itself, or just not watch the award shows which have filthy talking and acting "actors"? And do we protect our children or not?

Help us know that "'We will receive POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT comes on us and we will be Jesus' WITNESSES...to the ends of the earth.'" Acts 1:8.

Many superficial Christians cheapen the Holy Spirit by relegating His utterance to trivial events. But He is with us to give us POWER, not to get us trinkets, but to be WITNESSES FOR JESUS!

Help us know that "'BLESSED are we when we HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'" Matthew 5:6

We must not just avoid evil - that is difficult enough - but we must do more - we must POSITIVELY seek out righteousness. Not just from the example of the comely tv Christian evangelists, who live way above our means, but even in those we believe Christians who serve our Lord without great reward of riches - there are some in this world are there not? So many overly blessed American Christians grovel for more material blessings, when what we need to do is hunger and thirst after RIGHTEOUSNESS.  THEN we will be blessed, and in so much a more lasting way than the material rubbish we lust after. We can be less anxious when our gods are not our stomachs, our houses, our cars, our jobs. This is the first task - knowing what gives us eternal joy as opposed to that which gives us fleeting happiness. Only when we get that straight in our minds - and souls - will we ask rightly - and stop demanding that God deliver up to us the treasures of the world as our "rightful" inheritance.

Help us "Restore to us the JOY of our SALVATION, Lord". Psalms 51:12.

Some say salvation cannot be "lost". Some say we can go on sinning mightily and be sure that we are yet "saved" - this belief may lead many to hell. But let's go beyond that and be restored to that joy that we felt when we knew we were free of the guilt of our past sins - and since we still sin after being saved - would it not be nice to feel the joy that comes from knowing we can be forgiven of these sins - as long as we are faithful to seek forgiveness and truly repent and ask for strength to forsake the sins that so easily entangle?

"Help us rejoice in you always, Lord". Philippians 4:4.

Salvation is in the Bible not only a past experience, but a continuing one, as well as a future experience. We need its joy continually. Maybe if we Christians would stop being so joyous that we are "sure" we are going to heaven - and doing nothing about the hurts of the unsaved - we might realize that what our Lord asks of us is to rejoice in Him - and being like Him - not the selfish, uncaring fools we might appear to the world. We are to rejoice in Jesus, not in our "salvation" that we believe promises us the reward of heaven earned by our careless hollow words.

Help us do as Jesus commanded, to "'love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us'". Matthew 5:44.

Our enemies are not just those "foreigners" we do not know and can so easily "hate", but how about those annoying, nasty neighbors, coworkers and maybe even our family who do not conform to our desires and wants? Jesus' family persecuted Him - asking Him why he was so "fearful" to show Himself in Jerusalem, etc.? Why would you think our families would be so different? The unsaved wife says to the "saved" husband, "If you're saved, why do you still beat me?". The unsaved husband says to the "saved" wife, "If you're saved, why can't you get off my back once in a while?"

Help us know that "our old self was crucified with him [Jesus] so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin". Rom. 6:6 Help us BECOME A "NEW CREATION", that we should know that "if we are in Christ, we are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!". 2 Cor.5:17.

The fruits of our change are not always big ones - we may stop cursing, but still be too proud to wash the dishes.  Fruits always take time to grow, but they do show buds first.  Let us have the sense to grow by being constant in prayer, Bible reading,serving others etc.  If, after "salvation", we remain slaves to those sins previous to salvation, how saved are we?  What have we been saved from?

Help us know, as Jesus said, that we should "'not worry about our life, what we will eat or drink...'" Matthew 6:25. Help us, Lord that we will "not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by PRAYER and PETITION, with THANKSGIVING, present our REQUESTS to you, Lord." Philippians 4:6.

We can be less anxious when we are not overly concerned about our stomachs, cars, and jobs.  Our first task is knowing what eternal joy is as opposed to what gives us fleeting pleasure.  Let us get that straight in our souls.  Then ask rightly of God and stop demanding God shovel to us the treasures of our "rightful" inheritance. St, Paul is here making a distinction between prayer, petition with thanksgiving, and requests. Perhaps he is speaking of prayer in the context in which Jesus stated in the "Lord's Prayer", where the emphasis is on praising and acknowledging God and the only demand/request is for daily bread and to not be tempted. Petition with thanksgiving seems to emphasize asking accompanied by giving thanks for what God has already done for us. Requests are asking, not demanding, not claiming our "rights" to that which we think are entitled. Did not Jesus give up His rights to live in heaven to come down to earth and slum with us? Are we not to do, or try to do, somewhat likewise?

Help us have "...the peace of you, God, which transcends all understanding, and which will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.

The King James Bible says "The peace that passes understanding". Anne Giminez of Rock Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, put it this way: A chariot drawn by two horses - peace and understanding - and peace goes ahead of understanding. Peace was the stronger horse. Peace was the leader. We see through a glass darkly. Seek that peace, for we'll never understand much on earth.

Help us know that our "body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" 1 Corinthians 6:19, and that we should "fear you Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to our body and nourishment to our bones". Proverbs 3:7-8.

What brings health is not the chanting of mere words  of "claiming" health but the treating of our body as a Holy Temple - not putting garbage into it, not overeating.  The favorite pasttime of Americans - eating - is often the sin of gluttony.  We Christians are good at condemning the sins of homosexualty and adultery, etc., but where are those fearless preachers railing against the gluttony of so many Christians?  Fearing the Lord and shunning evil brings health - not the mutterings of  "claiming" our health.

Help us not "despise the day of small things". Zechariah 4:10. Help us know that if "We have been faithful with a few things you, Lord, will put us in charge of many things." Matthew 25:14-23.

"Super Size" is the odious ode of obese U.S., though "less is more" is also now a fad (little practiced). Start out small is the order of biology - and grow - and likewise in the realm of our spiritual growth. The early church had many workers, unlike many churches today . Let's get back to what works - for the good of our own souls and those lost and needing to be brought into salvation.

Help us "Submit ourselves, then, to you God." Help us " Resist the devil and he will flee from us."

We are not merely to rebuke Satan when we have troubles.  Those troubles are often allowed by God to test or discipline us.  To say otherwise is to deny the sovereignty of God  - To say Satan is more powerful than God!  Our strength lies in recognizing our weakness.  Only when we submit ourselves to God does he give us the strength to resist the devil. The Christian life has progress: it is a search.  SRCH:First Submit to God, then Resist the devil, then Come near to God again - and again, and again - and Humble ourselves before God. We first submit as a child, as when a parent yells at the son or daughter running into the street to "STOP!". Then we must resist the devil by prayer and Bible reading and eagerness to do good deeds, for Satan will immediately come after us after we first submit to God with our prayer for salvation. Then continue to get closer to God, and finally our humbling ourselves before God, our most difficult task, which includes humbling ourselves before our Christian brothers and sisters, even our blood relatives and spouses .

Help us "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Eph. 5:21. Help us "Come near to you God, and you will come near to us." Help us "Humble ourselves before you Lord, and you will lift us up." James 4:7-8; 10.

Here is a powerful example: There was a monk who kept giving his possessions away (for instance, his only coat) and was often scolded by the head monk for doing so. One day, the head monk was so upset at this sharing monk that the head monk got hoarse from speaking so vehemently to the other monk. The sharing monk felt badly for the head monk and brought him a soothing drink! That is proper "Christian revenge"

Help us "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus". 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Not just when we're in up to our necks in trouble, but in EVERYTHING we are to petition our Lord--not demand ("claim" is the evangelical buzzword)--being careful to thank the Lord for all the times he has gotten us out of jams previously. How many times have we been rescued when we did not know we were in danger? How many times have we escaped from the horrors of freeway traffic?

Help us to be able to pray this: "Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vine, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food...yet we will rejoice in you, Lord". Habakkuk 3:17-18.

We are not merely to rejoice when things are going what appears to be our way. We are to rejoice when we can come into the presence of the Lord, for He is our joy.

Help us in that "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Phil. 4:8.

We are to think about what is true first, then noble, then right, then pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. True noble righteousness purifies the lovely, admires the excellent, and is, above all, praiseworthy. For the only UNMOVABLE TRUTH is GOD who is, above all, PRAISEWORTHY!

Help us "Be very careful, then, how we live- not as unwise but as wise, making the MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY, because the days are evil." Eph. 5:16 "Redeeming the time" King James version.

How many opportunities do we have? "Let me count the ways": we cannot! Every gesture, word, and expression are opportunities to express our position in Christ. If we are continually growing - as we are commanded to do - we will have more opportunities than we can count. "Redeeming the time" means we are to SAVE time for the Lord, to use our time wisely, to spend perhaps a bit more time praying and serving the Lord than we do imbibing the TV, internet, and social media.

Help us "not store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But help us, O Lord, store up for ourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also". Matthew 6:19-21. "Woe to us that are rich! For we have received our consolation". Matthew 6:22.

Those who "demand" or "claim" their "rights" most often claim those rights for material possessions. Have they forgotten this guideline of Jesus, or did they ever know it? Treasures laid up in heaven are so much more lasting. These claimers' preoccupation with their material possessions are an indication they are far from home base: they aren't even on first base yet! The Old Testament states God wants our "prosperity" but Jesus expanded and clarified real, lasting prosperity - the prosperity of our soul.

 

Help us know, Lord, that you have promised to "pour out your Spirit on all people. Our sons and daughters will prophesy, our old men will dream dreams, our young men will see visions'" Joel 2:28.

Not just those who claim to be Christians will have a visit from the Holy Spirit, but all people. That ought to take away the wind from those prideful "Christians" who think they have the corner on truth and contradict and shame truth by not practicing it. Christian! Look at Jesus' praise of the Gentiles, and be humble!

Help us "not judge, and we will not be judged. Help us not condemn and we will not be condemned'". Luke 6:37

Our "Christian" "sharing" is so often gossip, which is condemned by the Bible, and the same as judging, and the same as condemning. We'd better be careful, for the same measure will be used against us!

Help us in our "hearts not think evil of each other". Zechariah 7:10.

We do not know all the circumstances, and most often not even all the events, so we had better be wise enough to not judge what we do not know in full. In other words, give the BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT!

Help us not "look at the speck of sawdust in our brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in our own eye". Matt. 7:3.

What we should know best - and we do not - is our own heart, and we had better start examining that problem first! If we do, we will probably not have time to be judging others.

Help us "Love you Lord with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind." Matt. 22:37-38.

When we are in earthly love, everything is colored by this love. So must it be when we fall in love with the Lord: heart (emotions), mind (intellect), and soul (which tries to unify the heart and mind). Help us, Lord, to hunger and thirst after righteousness, which is to say, to love you Lord in the manner in which you created us.

Help us "Love our neighbor as ourself." Matt. 22:39.

Jesus said that to love the Lord properly and to love our neighbor were the same commandment, and the most important. Love means not the syrup of words, but the oil of deeds.

Help us "Husbands to love our wives, just as Christ loved the church..." Eph. 5:25.

Husbands, our wives are not our footstools, but our helpmates, our strong footing, if we love them the way Jesus loved the church.

Help us "Wives to submit to our husbands as to the Lord..." Eph. 5:22.

Wives are not to submit to every desire of their husband, but to submit in those matters which do not compromise their holiness and promote holiness in the family. I see marriage as a see-saw, with the balancing point Jesus - sometimes the wife is higher on the see-saw and sometimes the husband, but the focal point, the support, is Jesus.

"Give us today our daily bread, Lord" Matthew 6:11 but help us also know that you, Jesus, are "the bread of life. If we come to you we will never go hungry". John 6:35.

We are to depend on the Lord daily, not merely when we are in "crisis". But we are also to know the deeper truth: that the true bread that sustains us is not from material flour, but from the baking heat of his smile upon our lives.

Help us know, Lord that "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express...the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will". Romans 8:26-27. Please intercede for us now, Lord!

We are good at praying for our wants, but our true needs are known only fully by the Holy Spirit, and He, in God's ultimate wisdom, intervenes for us.

Help us "when we are on our beds, to search our hearts and be SILENT." Psalm 4:4. Help us to "HEAR now... the decrees and laws you are about to teach us." Deuteronomy 4:1. Help us to know that when one of the teachers of the law asked Jesus what was the "most important commandment", Jesus said FIRST, "'HEAR, O Israel, the Lord our God...'" Mark 12:29.

True communication is not one way, but two-way. And we - if we are to achieve that holiness we are commanded to grow towards - must have two-way communication with God: hearing God as well as talking to Him. We must talk with God as much as we talk at God. Did you think the most important commandment was to love God and your fellow man? Yes, but Jesus said we must first hear God. We must first hear from God, be in communication with God, before we can love Him and love our fellow man.

Help us to"pray continually." "pray without ceasing. 1 Thes 5:17

The two-way communication must be continuous. After we've made connection, keep the line open. Don't break the connection! If we are "praying continuously", then our life must be a prayer, a continuous connection with God, prayer as much as praising and acknowledging God as much as begging for our wants disguised as needs.

Help us to "Delight ourselves in you Lord and you will give us the desires of our heart" Ps. 37:4 but also "Create in us a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within us." Ps. 51:10

Greedy Christians are fond of quoting the part about the "desires of our heart", but the first part is most important: when we delight ourselves in the Lord, then we will receive the delights of our heart, because those desires will themselves be righteous. When we purify our hearts, we will have righteous desires that will be in line with what God desires for us.

Help us know that we should "simply let our 'Yes' be 'Yes' and our "'No,''No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one". Matthew 5:37. Also that we should not say, "'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money... We do not even know what will happen tomorrow". Instead, we "ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that'". James 4:13-15.

With some Christians, promises are more like pro-misses. In other words they are more proficient at making and breaking promises than they are at fulfilling their promises. Better not to even make promises James instructs us. And certainly not making plans far into the future, unless our will is completely in step with God's will. Don't make a lot of promises to yourself about what you are going to do, because you don't know, for sure. Only God does. It's probably better that way!

Help us know that if "we stand firm to the end we will be saved". Matthew 24:13.

Salvation is past, present, and future - check out your Bible. We are initially saved from being a slave of Satan. We are continually being saved from going back to his clutches. And we will be saved from eternally serving Satan in hell, if we stand firm to the end. This does not mean salvation by works. It only means standing firm in our belief and commitment to Jesus.

Help us "hide your word in our heart that we might not sin against you, Lord". Psalm 119:11.

The "word" is not only all the words of the Bible, rightly divided, but the ONE WORD, WHO IS JESUS. We must continually study the Bible, pray about the Bible, so that we can be like THE WORD, JESUS.

Help us "Do our best to present ourselves to you, Lord, as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15. "rightly dividing the word of truth" King James version.

Is our "best" a few hurried moments of glancing at the Bible at infrequent intervals? Can we correctly handle the word of truth, "rightly dividing the word of truth" by haphazard consultation of the Holy word of God?

Help us to " not shun to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Acts 20:27. "...Speak unto all the cities of Judah...all the words that I command thee...: Jer. 26:2. "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Acts 5:20

It's too easy to just speak the words that are appropriate for the moment: those that emphasize the wrath of God, or, as most preachers are wont, those that emphasize the mercy of God. But God is both merciful and just. He heals, as well as disciplines with allowing sickness and trouble. We must hear - and heed - it all.

Help us "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way we will fulfill the law of Christ". Gal. 6:2.

Christians are to be active in their concern for their brothers - not merely passive, harming them not. To neglect our brothers' needs is to allow them to be harmed, and to be an accomplice to their harm.

Help us that "Each of us give what we have decided in our heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver". 2 Corinthians 9:7.

We are to do deeds of love, not grudging charity. We may be reluctant doers of charity, but once we know the joy of giving of ourselves as Jesus did for us we will then be cheerful, and enthusiastic, perhaps even loving, givers.

Help us "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of us may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness". Heb. 3:13.

The 30-second "encouragement" at the Sunday a.m. service is not enough: DAILY instructs the word of God. Telephone, visit, whatever it takes, and not just shallow social media.

Help us "Let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds" [not us, but our good deeds!] "and praise our Father in heaven". Matthew 5:16.

Our good deeds are not filthy rags, as many teach. (That passage in Isaiah refers to the deeds of the unrighteous!) Our truly good deeds are prompted by our Father in heaven and are commanded of us.

Help us "Abstain from all appearance of evil". 1 Thes. 5:22.

We are to abstain not just from the crude sins, but the "little" ones also, those that utterly destroy our witness to a sinful world that is watching our every move: laughing at that filthy joke, watching that R-rated movie, etc.

Help us "Confess our sins to each other". James 5:16.

We all know that only God can forgive our sins, but we are also commanded to confess our sins to one another. Perhaps because so many of our sins are against one another! A harsh word here, a gossip there, a denial of help there.

Help us "Eagerly desire spiritual gifts". 1 Cor. 14:1.

Some teach spiritual gifts are dead. They are if we don't eagerly seek them. Healing, prophesying, words of encouragement, teaching - these are all spiritual gifts- needed spiritual gifts.

Help us know that you "work out everything for your own ends", Lord. Proverbs 16:4. "man intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." Gen. 50:20.

Suffering, as Job learned, can be from God to teach us - or from Satan, with God's permission. So don't worry in your own suffering as to it's origin - just learn from it. Don't judge others in their suffering, either. Yours might just be right around the corner.

Help us know that "We will seek you, Lord, and find you when we seek you with ALL OUR HEART". Jeremiah 29:13. Help us know that we must "Seek you Lord while you may be found". Help us "call on you while you are near." Isaiah 55:6. Help us "'acknowledge you Lord of our fathers, and serve you with WHOLEHEARTED DEVOTION and with a willing mind, for you search every heart and understand every motive behind the thoughts. If we seek you, you will be found by us but if we forsake you, you will reject us forever." 1 Chronicles 28:9.

Seeking the Lord a few minutes a day is not seeking Him. Seeking to find gold a few minutes a day would probably not turn up too much gold either! The time we spend seeking Him is only one indication of how whole-heartedly we are seeking Him. We must seek Him when we don't "feel" like it. We must seek Him when we don't "feel" His presence. And we must seek Him primarily in prayer and through Bible-study but also in obedience to His word, by doing His word. We can't postpone our seeking forever. There will come a time when He will have enough of our game playing, and call the game over - to our destruction