"What Pleases Him"

Scripture: Philippians 2:13
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Observation:
This verse points me to God's absolute power.  God is working in me.  He has complete power to do what pleases him through me.  He is giving me (active, progressive verb) the desire (the want to) and power (the ability to) do his will-- to work his good purpose.  For those of us who have accepted Jesus (which is who Paul is talking to here according to the previous verse), the Holy Spirit is doing all the work to change us.  We can't change ourselves… not in a real and lasting way.  But God is working… is giving… is being enough.

Application:
There are some things in my life that I've struggled with for a long time and I wonder, "Why isn't God changing that in me?  Why do I continue to have the same strongholds?"

• Maybe I haven't surrendered it to him completely.  
• Maybe I keep trying to be strong enough in my own power.  
• Maybe I'm trying to will it away myself.
• Maybe He's working on it and I'm just not to that point in His timeline yet.  
• Maybe He's teaching me something in the meantime.  
• Maybe I am learning to trust Him more as I wait.
• Maybe I'll never know on this side of heaven what His purposes is.

But I believe wholeheartedly in his power to work good in my life.  I believe that he desires for me to walk in victory over strongholds.  So today I'm turning over my struggle again and praying that the Lord would give me the desire and power to do things His way.

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you for your awesome love that saved me.  I pray that in that same power you would help me to let go of this sin that controls me so often.  I am tired of being that person.  I want to be the person you created me to be.  Release me from the grip of this struggle.  I know it is holding me back from the potential you have for me to be effective for you.  In Jesus' name I ask for deliverance!  Amen!