Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* SATURDAY 15TH AUGUST, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD'S GRACE. *TOPIC:* BE SANCTIFIED. *TEXT:* 1 THESSALONIANS 4:4-5. 4 Each of you must know how to control his own body in a holy and honorable manner, 5 not with passion and lust like the gentiles who do not know God. 1Co 15:34 Eph 4:18 [Col 3:5] *TOPIC:* BE SANCTIFIED. *THE MESSAGE:* To be sanctified means to be set apart for God's purpose. God is holy (Lev. 20:7), so He calls His people to live in holiness, especially the way they control their bodies. In our reading, believers are urged to practice self-discipline, avoid sexual immorality, live honourably, and not be driven by lust like unbelievers. Sadly, many youths today compromise their sanctification through exposure to immoral content, substance abuse, and other defiling influences. Unwanted pregnancies, abortions, and eloping marriages are rampant. These affect the Christian testimony adversely. God desires pure vessels for His glory. Are you trapped in such vices? Do not give up; God is the God of second chances. Come to Him in repentance and be cleansed. *REFLECTION:* Sanctification is not optional. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to set myself aside for Your use. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* LAMENTATIONS 1-5. ED.ii. THE STRUGGLE TO PRAY "So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." - Romans 7:21-23 Many people find it difficult to pray because they are struggling. You want to pray, read the Bible and go to the church meeting. You want to obey God and follow Him. But it seems like a battle has started in you. It seems as if there is an inner struggle between the light and the darkness and you do not know what to do. You had such a need to do the abovementioned, but it is as if the evil one is whispering all kinds of wrong things to you. You got up in the morning with the best intentions but a few hours later they are all gone. The struggle between two natures There was a time when the great apostle Paul was also bothered by this: 'For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing' (Romans 7:19). There is a law of the flesh which pulls you down and a law of the Spirit which pulls you up. This means that there are still two natures working in your life. It means that the 'old man' has not died yet. It means that the process to Calvary has not yet taken place in you. The 'old man' is still too strong. This struggle must end in your life and Jesus wants to help you with that. You have to go from Romans 7 to Romans 8, which starts with: 'Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.' Only people who desire to live in this new and redeemed life of Romans 8 are able to be real intercessors and prayer warriors. Allow that 'old man' to die like the seed must die first before it bears fruit. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. ⏤ Psalm 91:1-2 God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them. ⏤ Augustine of Hippo O God, our Father in Heaven, You have kept us through another week, and now we come to You seeking an evening blessing. We thank You for all that this week has been to us. Your goodness and mercy have been with us every day and every night. You have provided for us daily, just as You provided manna for Your people in the wilderness. You have blessed us with health, with friends, with the comforts of home, and with all the good things You have given us this week. But we haven’t been as faithful in our part. We’ve been forgetful and careless. We haven’t fulfilled all our duties to each other and to our neighbors. We’ve left many things undone that we should have done. Please forgive us and help us to learn from our failures so that we can live holier lives in the coming week. We leave all our work in Your hands. We look forward to Sunday with hope and longing, as we desire to come again to Your house of worship. Our souls thirst for You like dry, barren land thirsts for rain. Please prepare us for Sunday, so that when it comes, we may be ready to receive rich blessings. Keep us through the night. Protect us from all harm. Preserve our bodies from sickness and accidents, and our souls from all kinds of evil. May we rest in peaceful sleep and wake up refreshed. We ask for special protection for our home from fire and any other dangers. We also remember our friends. Please give them a Saturday evening blessing. Hear our evening prayers, bless us, comfort us, strengthen us, and keep us. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/41/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.