Often times you would find the need to talk to yourself. Ok, relax, this is a normal thing despite what others say. The only thing about this is that there are some thoughts that go through your mind that aren’t beneficial for your life. So what do you do?
Change the Way You Talk to Yourself
Whitney Hopler
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Shelly Beach's new book, The Silent Seduction of Self-Talk: Conforming Deadly Thought Patterns to the Word of God, (Moody Publishers, 2009).
You constantly carry on conversations with yourself in your mind, and studies show that this self-talk occurs at a rapid rate of about 1,300 words per minute. But does what you're telling yourself reflect the truth?
Too often, your self-talk reveals a twisted view of yourself and selfish motives that conflict with the way God thinks about you and your life. But if you change the way you talk to yourself – conforming wrong thought patterns to biblical truth – you’ll see more clearly who you really are and what purposes God has for you.
Here’s how you can change the way you talk to yourself:
Listen to yourself. Pay closer attention to what you’re saying in your mind throughout each day and evening. Cut down on busyness that interferes with you hearing your own thoughts well. Ask God to reveal the ugly parts of yourself that you’ve worked to hide with deceptive self-talk. Listen to what you’re telling yourself about your own attitudes and actions, and consider how you might be trying to justify or rationalize sin in your life. Then pray for God to help you change from the inside out.
Recognize the voice of seduction calling you. A battle between good and evil rages in your mind regularly because you live in a fallen world. Satan’s goal in that battle is to shift your focus from God and onto yourself. Pray for the discernment you need to recognize evil trying to seduce you: critical thoughts telling you that you’re no good as a person, bitter thoughts urging you to take revenge on someone who has hurt you, lustful thoughts telling you that you deserve to take whatever you want even if doing so would hurt others, etc. Ask God to open your eyes to the lies that you’ve believed, and to renew your mind through His Holy Spirit so you can replace those lies with truth.
Confess and repent of unhealthy self-talk. Read, study, and reflect on Bible passages regularly, so its truth will soak into your soul and transform the way you think. When you notice that your self-talk conflicts with biblical truth, confess and repent of the wrong thoughts. Ask God to help you kill whatever wrong thoughts are passing through your mind, from pride and greed to anger and fear. Admit how you’ve been following your own plans rather than God’s plans for various areas of your life, from your relationships and health to your work and finances. Take an honest look at the motives you have for what you choose to say and do each day. Let the gratitude you feel for all God has done for you motivate you to submit your will to His in fresh ways daily.
Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you. Pray for God to help you view yourself as His beloved child, and let God’s view of you give you the comfort and encouragement you need to focus on pleasing God alone rather than trying to please other people. Don’t waste time and energy worrying about what others may think of you. Instead, let the knowledge of God’s love for you free you to serve as He leads you, using the gifts and talents He has given you to fulfill great purposes for your life.
Pray about your self-talk as it occurs. Pray about the thoughts that concern you as they go through your mind. As soon as you become aware of something disturbing like a flash of guilt or pride, confess it and take advantage of the opportunity to have God immediately restore your mind. Catch yourself when you’re lying to yourself or running from God. Then invite God to transform your thinking in that moment. Ask God to help you trust Him to help you with whatever situation you’re thinking about at the time. Then thank Him for His constant presence with you. Make a habit of evaluating your self-talk and praying about it moment-by-moment so you can experience God’s peace whenever you need it.
Replace lies with the truth. Be alert to the lies your self-talk reveals about yourself, other people, and God. Pray for the discernment you need to have an accurate perspective on yourself, others, and God. Tune out the clamor you hear from life’s chaos around you and proactively turn your heart to God so you can tune into His voice above all the noise. Listen to the truth the God speaks to you through His Holy Spirit and let that overcome the lies you’ve been telling yourself. Each time the Holy Spirit reveals a lie and nudges you to pray about it, follow a healthy cycle: sensitivity to the Spirit, conviction of sin, conversation with God, freedom and renewal, and changed behavior.
Write to yourself in a journal. Record the details of your self-talk in a journal so you can study them and ask yourself where your thoughts are coming from and what God wants you to do about them.
Enlist help from other people. Ask a few friends you trust to encourage you, hold you accountable, pray for you, and give you advice as you try to change the way you talk to yourself.
Turn your self-talk into God-talk. Once you’ve learned how to focus on God’s voice speaking to you, invite Him to use your private thoughts to help you love Him and others in deeper ways. Pray for more and more insights to help you love God and other people with greater passion. Ask God to fill your mind with thoughts that will lead you to live the best life possible.
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Adapted from The Silent Seduction of Self-Talk: Conforming Deadly Thought Patterns to the Word of God, copyright 2009 by Shelly Beach. Published by Moody Publishers, Chicago, Ill., www.moodypublishers.com.
Shelly Beach is founder and director of the Cedar Falls Christian Writers’ Workshop in Iowa and cofounder of the Breathe Christian Writers’ Workshop in Michigan. She is the author of two previous books. She and her husband Dan reside in Rockford, Michigan.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read more!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Change the Way You Talk to Yourself
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Twitterdom vs. Wisdom?
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Twitterdom vs. Wisdom?
Dan Miller
48Days.com
While attending a funeral recently, I glanced up and down just my row to see several people Twittering and checking emails in the last few minutes prior to the beginning of the service. It’s now common during sermons and seminars to see people with their heads down, busy passing on tidbits of information instantly. This morning I read that one million people are following Ashton Kutcher on Twitter.
I suggest that this massive addiction to information leads us away from wisdom, not toward it, creating what author Shane Hill calls “a permanent puberty of the mind.” Recognize that information, knowledge and even intelligence do not necessarily lead to wisdom. The overload of information in fact encourages the opposite of what creates wisdom – stillness, time, reflection and solitude.
With the internet, TV, email, FaceBook, Twitter and cell phones, there is no waiting. There is no such thing as stillness or quiet personal reflection. Meaningful experiences and the path toward wisdom can be diverted by constant information.
I am not anti-technology. I love having instant access to useful information. But this is much like having a bowl of peanut M&Ms in front of me. I tend to eat them just because they are there. At some point I will have to remove myself from the bowl or my initial pleasure will turn to misery and sickness.
And I believe allowing a constant diet of unlimited information and data into our brain will also ultimately turn from being a useful treat to something that will cause our mental lives to become bloated and deprive us of the characteristics we desire most.
We have to decide when to push back from the table of information overload – where it leads to our emotional, social, philosophical, and psychological sickness rather than being a useful addition in our quest for wisdom. I have made strategic decisions to not be on Facebook or use Twitter. Not because they are bad but because I have to chose which tools that I can use effectively.
Increasing the rate of information input to your brain may make you a candidate for Jeopardy but it probably has little to do with increasing spiritual characteristics like love, trust, compassion, faith, courage -- and wisdom.
Want to increase your wisdom?
Practice reflection, meditation and introspective thinking for 30 minutes each morning. Many who allow constant input are keeping themselves in the shallow end of the wisdom pool. Don’t be one of them.
- Read your email at set times during the day – perhaps once in the morning and once in the evening. Don’t allow yourself to be interrupted with every new incoming message
- Spend four hours on Saturday without your cell phone or computer
- Plan one day a quarter on an “information fast.” Get away from your computer, your cell phone, TV and the newspapers. You’ll be amazed at how your creativity will increase – you may get the one idea that will change your future
- Read one good non-fiction book each month. Choose carefully from the wisdom of the ages.
Incidentally, according to a new Nielson report, 60% of Twitter users sign up and drop out after one month. And I seriously doubt that following Ashton Kutcher is going to increase your wisdom.
Dan Miller is today's leading authority and personality on careers and 'Work You LoveTM'. As bestselling author of 48 Days To The Work You Love, and now No More Mondays, Dan reaches over a million people every month ia his newsletter, podcast, and blog with the best trends and opportunities in the workplace and small business. For more information, visit http://www.48days.com.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Does Your Doctor Recommend Supplements?
What would be your response if results prove that supplements are beneficial to your health?
Does Your Doctor Recommend Supplements?
By Dr. Reginald B. Cherry, M.D.
Christian Post Contributor
A survey shows that 79% of physicians and health care professionals do recommend dietary supplements to their patients. Find out what conditions top their list.
According to a survey of 900 physicians and 300 registered nurses and nurse practitioners in the US, bone, joint and heart health are among the main health conditions for which they recommend dietary supplements to patients. Maintaining overall health and wellness and a healthy cholesterol level also figured highly in the survey.
The top five conditions (by percentage of physicians recommending) were:
• Bone Health 33%
• Overall health and wellness 32%
• Joint health 29%
• Heart health 26%
• Maintain healthy cholesterol 22%
The physicians were not asked to recommend specific supplements in the poll, which was conducted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition. But what do they actually take themselves? 72% of physicians use dietary supplements; of those, 87% used a multivitamin, 78% use vitamin C, 63% use B vitamins, 59% use vitamin D, 58% use vitamin E, and 58% use calcium.
Female physicians are more likely than male physicians to take single vitamins or mineral supplements. They also take more calcium and iron. Male physicians are more likely to take fish oil. They are more likely to cite heart health and maintaining healthy cholesterol as reasons for taking dietary supplements.
Our Pathway to Healing line of supplements has complete, natural products, such as Basic Nutrient Support, Bone Support, Joint Support and Cardiovascular Support, that address the top five conditions mentioned by the physicians. Talk to your doctor about supplements – and maybe you can even recommend one to him/her yourself!
www.thepathwaytohealing.com
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Dr. Reginald B. Cherry (drcherry.org) is a member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, Harris County Medical Society, and the American College of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Cherry has authored numerous articles on Preventive Medicine, emphasizing nutrition and exercise. He also speaks extensively on these topics nationwide and conducts numerous seminars for various groups and organizations. Currently, his weekly television program reaches 80 million homes. www.thepathwaytohealing.com
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read more!
God's Pledge of Faithfulness Deserves Our Faithfulness in Return
God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
God's Pledge of Faithfulness Deserves
Our Faithfulness in Return
By Austin Pryor
Sound Mind Investing
Your Father in heaven is committed to you! When you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, it's as if God said:
"My child, I'm going to love you with an everlasting love. I'll constantly be watching over you, and will certainly be sure to provide for your needs. I'll guide your steps through life, and offer you my advice so you can make good decisions.
"As you depend on me, I'll give you strength to endure difficult times. I'll always be listening for you, so you can pray to me whenever you want and I'll hear you. I'll answer your prayers like a loving parent — granting what is good and helpful, and withholding when I have something better.
"I'm going to give you spiritually useful abilities so your life will be productive and purposeful and filled with beautiful moments. And I'm preparing a wonderful place for you in eternity — I have some great plans for our times together!
"You are precious to me, so you can trust my love for you is genuine, and deep, and permanent. I'll never grow tired of you, never abandon you, and never be unfaithful to my promises. Never. In this special relationship of ours, I'll always be true to you. And I want you to always be true to me."
That's reasonable, isn't it? That we would always be true to Him? As Paul asks in Romans 12:1, "When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?"(Living Bible). No, it's not too much to ask.
But we aren't always faithful, are we? To our regret, we have divided affections. We love the Lord, but we also — to varying degrees — love the world. Christians in America are among the top 1% of wealthy people in the history of the world, and we spend almost all of it on ourselves. Surely our self-centeredness and indifference to the people and purposes on God's heart must grieve Him.
It was interesting to me that when, several years ago, we offered John Piper's When I Don't Desire God as a Christmas gift to our Sound Mind Investing readers, we received about twice as many requests as usual. Why this high level of interest? I believe it's because most of us sense that we don't desire God as we should, as He deserves, but we'd like to. For that to happen, as Piper says, "God would have to transform [our hearts] to do what a heart cannot make itself do, namely, want what it ought to want."
We should, therefore, pray. And give God permission to do whatever is needed in our lives to work a change in our hearts so that, more than the things of this life, we want more of Him.
The Westminster Catechism defines prayer as "an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will..." What we pray for reveals our desires. If we desire for God to get all the glory possible from our lives, we should pray, among other things, that He make us cheerfully generous people.
As you give more generously, you more fully reflect God's life in you, for God is a giver. You make God happy (2 Corinthians 9:7-8). You testify to His sovereignty in your life and ownership of all that is yours to control (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). You reflect where your treasure is (Matthew 6:19-21). You show your complete trust in Him to supply for your needs (Philippians 4:17-19). You ensure greater spiritual usefulness (Luke 16:11-12). You reap eternal benefits (1 Timothy 6:18-19). And, most importantly, you magnify His glory (2 Corinthians 9:13).
If you're already giving generously, you have my respect and appreciation. If not, I'm trying to encourage you to move decisively in that direction. Under His Spirit's direction, you can increasingly become the kind of cheerful and grateful giver that delights His heart. He's always been faithful to you. By your generosity, you can be increasingly true to Him.
It's not difficult to lay aside earthly wealth when you have God as your treasure. May our prayer be that of the Psalmist:
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.... Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live.... My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:1,3,8)
July 29, 2009
© Sound Mind Investing
Published since 1990, Sound Mind Investing is America's best-selling financial newsletter written from a biblical perspective.Visit the Sound Mind Investing website .
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read more!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Trusting God when you can’t trace him
So many times you are in a situation and you are looking to find help to get through it and you hear “just trust God” , and your reply “how can I when ….” I know the feeling.
Do you remember when God lead the children of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? “21The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people”. Exodus 13:21-22 (Amplified Bible)
Well I believe you would agree that they were used as signs to let them know that God was with them. This method was also used for God to let them know when it was time to stay still or time to move.
Obviously the use of their senses played a significant role in them learning how to trust God because they responded according to what they saw.
Let’s look at the word trust:
1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
2. Something committed into the care of another; charge.
If you have ever worked a day in your life you definitely have some experience in this. You trusted your employer to pay you at the end of the week so you gave him your time and work. How about trusting in the promise of your parents who said they would give you a specific gift for your birthday or Christmas.
Yes it is easy to trust or rely on God when you see the evidence of a pillar of cloud or fire in your presence. The challenge comes when there is no evidence of him. How do you hold on and keep trusting God when there is no sign of his presence. Nothing to see, nothing to touch, nothing to feel. There’s no trace.
Trace:
1. To follow the course or trail of.
2. A visible mark, such as a footprint, made or left by the passage of a person, animal, or thing.
3.Evidence or an indication of the former presence or existence of something; a vestige.
I’m sure you would have had experiences where it feels like God is nowhere around. So do you stop, give in throw in the towel and pack up on God and life?
Let’s see what God is doing during these times:
1. Sensitizing your ear to hear his voice. - Is 55:3a
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;
2. Strengthening your faith - Rom. 4:20-21
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform
3. Developing your patience - James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4. Preparing you for his glory - Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read more!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Faith is a Verb
Faith is a Verb
by James MacDonald
Walk in the Word
"Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at him... And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:54-58
One time in the Gospels it says that Jesus didn't do much in the town "because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58). Wouldn't that be an awful thing to have said about your home, about your family, about you? Jesus couldn't do much in or through you because of you just didn't believe Him. "Lord, why don't You do more in our church?" Could it be because of people's unbelief?
Faith is the key. God's promises are activated by faith. Faith is not passive-it's an action verb. Don't say, "Well, I'm just waiting here. Maybe God will work; maybe He won't." What are you doing about it? Well, not much.
It's like the sick guy who needs to get better, but he doesn't go to the doctor. That's foolishness. You've got to do what you can.
Like the girl who is looking for a husband, but never goes to the Young Adult meetings at church. She just sits down in her basement. "My husband will have to find me here." Yeah, that's not a great plan. Do what you can!
Like the person who's filled with concerns and wants to have hope, but has never read the Bible.
It's God promises that give us hope. How many Scriptural promises do you know? How many promises have you memorized? How many are on the tip of your tongue? Well, no wonder you're filled with anxiety! No wonder you don't have any hope! You're not holding onto anything.
Get your heart around some of the exceedingly great and precious promises of God! Hold on to what God has said in His Word. Someday you're going to be in a difficult situation and the enemy will be try to pull you down but you've got God's Word hidden in your heart. His words will flood you with courage and fill your life with faith.
"God helps those who help themselves" is not in the Bible but it is a biblical concept. Faith has to be active to be real. Remember the guy in 2 Kings 5 who had leprosy and God told him he had to go dip in the river? In faith, he had to do what he could. Like the woman in poverty in 2 Kings 4 who had to collect containers to hold all that oil God was giving her - she did what she could. Like a warrior heading into battle, he has to pick up his weapon.
Put some action behind what you believe and watch God work.
--James MacDonald
Lord, I never want there to be a day that You can't do Your work in me because I just don't believe You. Increase my faith today, Lord. I believe that You are able to make all things are possible. Amen.
Going Deeper:
1. What am I believing God for right now for myself? For my family? For my church?
Are there steps of faith I can take as I wait for Him to work?
2. Are there areas of unbelief in my heart? About what? Talk to the Lord about it today.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen. Read more!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Issue # 50 - Grabbing Hold of Hidden Opportunities
Grabbing Hold of Hidden Opportunities
Dan Miller
48Days.com
The first Avon lady was a man. David H. McConnell was a big city bookseller. In 1892, when the perfume he used to reward loyal customers proved more popular than his paperbacks, he dumped the books and began promoting only the perfumes. McConnell’s next smart move was assembling a workforce composed entirely of housewives.
In contrast to the then prevalent door-to-door salesmen, Avon ladies made friends with their customers and were not the creepy blue-suede-shoe guys that most people expected to see knocking at their doors. By recognizing his true market and how to best relate to his customers, McConnell made a fortune, and so did many of his Avon ladies.
How many businesses do you know of today that continue to do what they’ve always done, even in the face of a changing market? If you sell appliances and a WalMart opens next door, you may find a shrinking opportunity to sell appliances but an exploding market to repair and service them.
If every yard you mow has a tree stump that needs to be removed, you may discover that rather than just being one more yard service, you have a unique opportunity in stump removal.
A couple of years ago, I worked with a gentleman who had been selling fabric to major apparel manufacturers. He observed that any flaw in the fabric rolls caused it to be sold for scrap. He quit his “normal” job, began buying and cutting the scrap fabric into squares to be used as rags. Body shops, auto dealers, and parts stores demanded his product faster than he could produce it. He got a contract with Dollar General to provide the rags packed in plastic bags. He now employs seven neighborhood women to help him stay ahead of this unique opportunity that was right under his nose.
“There is one thing which gives radiance to everything. It is the idea of something around the corner.”
G. K. Chesterton
From the Bible:
“Open my eyes so that I may see wonderful things in Your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me.” Psalm 119: 18-19 (HCSB)
Direction for Today:
Where is the hidden opportunity in the changes being forced on you?
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Dan Miller is President of The Business Source, founder of "48 Days" and author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and 48 Days To Creative Income. He is the growing authority for creating effective life plans that are achieved by integrating natural gifts, unique personality traits and one's own values and passions. His unique clarification of how God gifts us will introduce you to a new sense of freedom and fulfillment of your life's calling.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:
Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
