Free to Live: The Utter Relief of Holiness by John Eldredge

truth and understand it before you can experience it.)
    I long to embrace the work of Christ more fully. I long to let it have its full intended effect in me. After all, God set about my restoration in Jesus Christ, so I want to receive it as fully as possible and let it have its restoring effect in me. Therefore this is a portion of what I pray every morning (as in, every single day of the week):
    Father, thank you for sending Jesus. I receive him, and all his life and all his work that you provided for me. Thank you for including me in Christ, for forgiving me my sins, granting me his righteousness, for making me complete in him. Thank you for making me alive with Christ, raising me with him, seating me with him at your right hand, establishing me in his authority and anointing me with your Spirit and your love. I receive it with thanks, and I give it total claim to my body, soul and spirit, my heart, mind, and will.
    Jesus, thank you for coming to ransom me with your own life. I love you, worship you, trust you. I give myself over to you now—my spirit, soul, and body; my heart, mind, and will—to be one with you in all things. I sincerely receive all the work and triumph of your cross, death, blood, and sacrifice for me, through which my every sin is atoned for, I am ransomed and delivered from the kingdom of darkness, my sin nature is removed, my heart is circumcised unto God, and every claim being made against me is disarmed. I now take my place in your cross and death this morning, dying with you to sin, to my flesh, to this world, and to the evil one and his kingdom. I take up the cross and crucify my flesh with all its pride, arrogance, unbelief, and idolatry; I crucify the self-life, all self-saving and self-securing. I put off the old man. I ask you God to apply to me the fullness of the cross, death, blood, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my spirit, soul, and body; my heart, mind, and will.
    Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my life, my holiness, and I receive all the work and triumph of your resurrection, through which you have conquered sin, death, and judgment. Death has no mastery over you, nor does any foul thing. And I have been raised with you to a new life, to live your life—dead to sin and alive to God. I now take my place in your resurrection and in your life, through which I am saved by your life, I reign in life through your life. I give my life to you today to live your life, and I receive your life—your joy, love, hope, and faith; your union with our Father; your wisdom, understanding, and discernment; your courage and power; your holiness, integrity, and trueness in all things. I put on the new man. I ask you God to apply to me the fullness of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my spirit, soul, and body, my heart, mind, and will.
    Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my authority, rule, and dominion, my everlasting victory against Satan and his kingdom, and my authority to bring your kingdom at all times and in every way. I receive all the work and triumph of your Ascension, whereby Satan is judged and cast him down, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to you, and I have been given fullness in you, in your authority and in your throne. I take my place now in your authority and in your throne, whereby I have been raised with you to the right hand of the Father and established in your authority. I give my life to you to reign with you. I now bring the authority, rule and dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ over my life today—over my spirit, soul, and body, over my heart, mind, and will. 3
    What a fabulous way to begin the day. As you make a practice of this—or something like it—the work of Christ becomes more and more a part of you. From there, you can begin to experience it.
You Have a Choice
    Personally, I find one of the most startling things Jesus says