praying effectively: Walk in Newness of Life (Rom.6:1-14)

(Romans 6:1-14)  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that we do not give in to temptations or fall back into a sinful lifestyle (6:1-2, 12-13)

- that through Christ's death, we are free from sin (6:5-7)

- that we consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ (6:8-11)

- that we walk in newness of life (6:3-4)

- that we give ourselves to God to be used in acts of righteousness (6:12-13)

Today's prayer:

 Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your work on the cross, so that through Your death, we can die to sin and have newness in life with You.  Protect us from evil and from ourselves, and help us overcome temptations.  Help us constantly look to You, and give ourselves to You, to be used in building up Your kingdom and spreading the gospel message to those around us.  Amen.