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Guided Christian Meditation From Addiction To Freedom - Abide Meditation App · Abide Meditation App

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  Speaker 1: Welcome and thanks for meditating with a Bibe. For more
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: guided Christian meditations, download the Abide app in the iTunes
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  Speaker 1: or Google play store.
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  Speaker 2: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your sinfulness and maybe
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  Speaker 2: even frustrated by your inability to do what's right? Well,
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  Speaker 2: it may feel like a war that's raging inside of you,
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  Speaker 2: like you're being pulled between giving into your selfish desires
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  Speaker 2: or doing what you know God wants you to do.
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  Speaker 2: And it does seem like, even if we really want
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  Speaker 2: to please God, no matter how hard you try, you
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  Speaker 2: usually end up doing what you don't want to do.
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  Speaker 2: The Apostle Paul felt the exact same way in Romans seven,
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  Speaker 2: verse eighteen. He felt stuck in a war because he
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  Speaker 2: couldn't get his actions to line up with his true desires.
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  Speaker 2: He wanted to do good, and he wanted to follow
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  Speaker 2: God's law, but he continually did the opposite. The Bible
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  Speaker 2: talks about our flesh, our sinful self, the part of
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  Speaker 2: us that is drawn to sin, and even though Paul
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  Speaker 2: truly wanted to do good, his flesh fought against doing
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  Speaker 2: what was right. Before Christ, it's so much easier to
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  Speaker 2: make wrong choices because, in a sense we're slaves to sin,
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  Speaker 2: but once we begin a relationship with Christ, he changes
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  Speaker 2: our heart little by little. He even changes our desires
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  Speaker 2: to line up with his, so it becomes harder to sin.
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  Speaker 2: In a sense, instead of being slaves to sin, we
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  Speaker 2: are slaves to righteousness now, so we do have freedom
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  Speaker 2: not to sin. Without his strength, we're powerless, though, but
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  Speaker 2: with his strength we are so powerful. Paul recognized it
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  Speaker 2: wasn't him that was the problem. It was his flesh,
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  Speaker 2: his sinful nature. Paul finished the chapter with the realization
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  Speaker 2: that through g Jesus Christ, he's free from his sinful nature,
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  Speaker 2: and he's free to do what's right. And it's the
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  Speaker 2: same for you, as a child of God, you're free too.
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  Speaker 2: So can you relate with Paul? How does the realization
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  Speaker 2: of the freedom that Jesus provides help you throw off
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  Speaker 2: that condemnation. Let's take a moment to thank our father
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  Speaker 2: for the freedom that he gives us through Jesus, precious Father,
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  Speaker 2: I so badly want to do what's right, but I
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  Speaker 2: fail so many times. It feels like there's a war
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  Speaker 2: going on inside of me, and I need your help
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  Speaker 2: to overcome my flesh and its desires. Thank you for
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  Speaker 2: sending Jesus not just to forgive my sins, but to
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  Speaker 2: set me free from my sinful nature. I don't want
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  Speaker 2: to just say I'm sorry and then repeat the same
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  Speaker 2: things over and over again. I want to say I'm
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  Speaker 2: through and then allow you to change my heart. I
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  Speaker 2: receive your freedom now over my flesh, and I'll remember
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  Speaker 2: that because I'm in Christ, I'm not condemned. I'm free
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  Speaker 2: in Jesus name. Amen. Isn't it so comforting knowing that
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  Speaker 2: in Christ there is no condemnation, but only love and mercy.
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  Speaker 2: You don't have to feel burdened by your mistakes because
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  Speaker 2: God gives you freedom over your sinful nature. Before we
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  Speaker 2: explore these truths even further, take some deep and centering breaths.
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  Speaker 2: Just shut out anything else and focus on God's presence
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  Speaker 2: and goodness no matter what thoughts try to invade your
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  Speaker 2: heart right now, just allow yourself to become more aware
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  Speaker 2: of His closeness to you in this moment. Take a
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  Speaker 2: few moments to consider your own life right now. Are
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  Speaker 2: you having a hard time hearing from God lately? You
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  Speaker 2: feel like your prayers aren't going through. That usually means
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  Speaker 2: there's something in our mind our soul or our spirit
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  Speaker 2: that needs to be dealt with so we can enjoy
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  Speaker 2: his presence. So, if he's bringing something to your mind
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  Speaker 2: right now that you need to confess, why don't you
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  Speaker 2: release it to him, receive his forgiveness and peace. Simply
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  Speaker 2: rest in his mercy and grace, allowing it to flow
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  Speaker 2: into your very being. Now center all of your attention
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  Speaker 2: on the goodness and faithfulness of God. He is the
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  Speaker 2: author and perfector of your faith. He's the freedom giver,
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  Speaker 2: the victor, the one who strengthens you to live more
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  Speaker 2: devotedly for him, and he delights to speak truth to
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  Speaker 2: you in this moment. Now focus your mind and your
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  Speaker 2: heart as I read Romans seven eighteen. For I know
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  Speaker 2: that nothing good dwells in me, that is my flesh.
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  Speaker 2: For I have the desire to do what is right,
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  Speaker 2: but not the ability to carry it out. What caught
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  Speaker 2: your attention as you listened to that passage? Here? Let
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  Speaker 2: me read it again. Listen carefully, for I know that
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  Speaker 2: nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh.
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  Speaker 2: For I have the desire to do what is right,
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  Speaker 2: but not the ability to carry it out. Take a
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  Speaker 2: moment to reflect on a time in your life when
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  Speaker 2: your flesh and your spirit were at war with each other.
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  Speaker 2: Was there ever a time you experienced victory in that
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  Speaker 2: or perhaps you felt overwhelmed with defeat. Either way, ask
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  Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit to help you understand where that struggles
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  Speaker 2: coming from and how you can stand firm and strong.
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  Speaker 2: Do you ever feel like you don't quite measure up
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  Speaker 2: because you can't do the good that you want to do.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe you get upset with yourself sometimes for continuing to
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  Speaker 2: struggle with the same things. You might be dealing with
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  Speaker 2: an addiction or a bad habit that you know does
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  Speaker 2: not please your Father. You really want to do the
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  Speaker 2: right thing, but you just can't seem to win the
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  Speaker 2: battle and change your behavior. You have the best intentions,
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  Speaker 2: but you still fall short. You want freedom from your flesh,
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  Speaker 2: but on your own it's impossible. Remember that through Jesus
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  Speaker 2: you're released from the law. Instead, you operate from a
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  Speaker 2: position of grace, empowered by God to do what you
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  Speaker 2: weren't able to do before God's grace frees you to
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  Speaker 2: have victory over your flesh and to do what is right.
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  Speaker 2: Pause now and consider what you're facing today. How does
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  Speaker 2: God's grace enable you to live according to his spirit
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  Speaker 2: instead of your flesh. What do you need to ask
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  Speaker 2: him for today? Listen again as I read Romans seven,
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  Speaker 2: verse eighteen. I really like the way the Passion translation
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  Speaker 2: says it, for I know that nothing good lives within
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  Speaker 2: the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do
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  Speaker 2: what is right are within me, but willpower is not
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  Speaker 2: enough to accomplish it. Did anything different stand out to
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  Speaker 2: you this time? Take a few moments to meditate even
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  Speaker 2: more on this realization or newfound truth. Willpower it's when
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  Speaker 2: you think you can try harder and then you'll be
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  Speaker 2: able to actually do the right things. But it's a
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  Speaker 2: constant battle between your flesh and your spirit. At times,
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  Speaker 2: does it feel like your flesh is so strong that
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  Speaker 2: you're captive to it and there's no escape. Take a
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  Speaker 2: moment to think about a time recently when your willpower
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  Speaker 2: wasn't enough to help you make the right decision, and
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  Speaker 2: ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight to this
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  Speaker 2: difficult time in your life. Now, consider God's abundant grace.
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  Speaker 2: It's no surprise to him that your flesh and your
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  Speaker 2: spirit are at war. This is where his grace comes in.
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  Speaker 2: This is where his grace is sufficient for you in
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  Speaker 2: your weakness. He is stronger when your willpower isn't enough,
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  Speaker 2: His strength is more than enough. Rest in the strength
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  Speaker 2: of his grace now and linger a while here, and
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  Speaker 2: let his grace overtake you. Listen once more as I
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  Speaker 2: read Romans seven eighteen, this time the contemporary English version.
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  Speaker 2: I know that my selfish desires won't let me do
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  Speaker 2: anything that is good. Even when I want to do right,
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  Speaker 2: I cannot. Clearly, Paul felt powerless to control his actions.
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  Speaker 2: He wanted to do the right thing, but could not.
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  Speaker 2: Can you understand where he's coming from. Why don't you
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  Speaker 2: stop for a moment and remember a time when you
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  Speaker 2: felt powerless to do the right thing, even though you
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  Speaker 2: desperately wanted to. Paul finally realized that even though he
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  Speaker 2: wasn't strong enough to free himself from his sinful desires,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus is strong enough. In Romans seven twenty four through
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  Speaker 2: twenty five, Paul cries out in desperation, wretched man that
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  Speaker 2: I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?
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  Speaker 2: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Meditate
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  Speaker 2: on the power of Jesus over your sinful desires. See
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  Speaker 2: him fighting selfishness, anger, unforgiveness, and even jealousy. Envision his
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  Speaker 2: strength enabling you to do what's right and to resist
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  Speaker 2: doing wrong. Meditate on Romans eight one, which says there
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  Speaker 2: is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
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  Speaker 2: Christ Jesus. Rest in this place of no condemnation in Christ.
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  Speaker 2: Breathe in his freedom, and take some time to thank
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  Speaker 2: Him for his ever present grace. As we conclude, think
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  Speaker 2: about an area in your life that you can invite
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  Speaker 2: God's Spirit to give you extra grace today, extra enablement
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  Speaker 2: so you can win the war and do the right
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  Speaker 2: things that you know you wanna do. Down deep, envision
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  Speaker 2: that battle is already won, and allow his strength to
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  Speaker 2: permeate every part of you. Now join me as we
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  Speaker 2: pray portions of Romans eight one through eight over our lives. Lord,
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  Speaker 2: I want to please you and do what's right, but
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  Speaker 2: I'm battle weary. I know that because I belong to Christ,
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  Speaker 2: the power of the life giving Spirit has freed me
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  Speaker 2: from the power of sin and death. Would you help
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  Speaker 2: me to walk according to your spirit and not my flesh.
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  Speaker 2: I choose to set my mind on the things of
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  Speaker 2: the Spirit, so I'll experience life and peace. Thank you
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  Speaker 2: for your grace at work in me, empowering and enabling
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  Speaker 2: me to overcome my flesh. It's in Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
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  Speaker 2: I really hope you won't rush off into your day
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  Speaker 2: just yet. Take some time to journal your reflections and
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  Speaker 2: your request to God. Just soak in his grace and
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  Speaker 2: let him hold you closely a little longer. Offer your
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  Speaker 2: father's some words of thanksgiving for his strength to overcome
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  Speaker 2: your flesh. Today. Meditate on his goodness and patience towards you.
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  Speaker 2: Let his peace wash over you, bringing you renewed hope.
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  Speaker 2: As you rest and abide in Christ.
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  Speaker 1: We hope this meditation brought you peace. For more Christian meditations,
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  Speaker 1: download the Abide app in iTunes or the Google Play
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  Speaker 1: Store