Step 4. Crucify Each Area of Your Life at the Cross of Jesus

Step 4. Crucify Practices of the Flesh at the Cross 

Bring the practices of the flesh you just identified to the cross of Jesus. They must be condemned to death on the cross. This is a spiritual transaction in which, out of obedience to Jesus, you must deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Begin with the most urgent issue that has the strongest hold over your life. Afterward, deal with less challenging problems at a self-set pace. 

There are two practical ways to magnify the spiritual significance of this crucial step. The application of either one produces the desired results. 

For the first option, you need a simple wooden cross, a nail, and a hammer. Write the practice of the flesh on a small piece of paper. Fold it so its content remains hidden—this is a private matter between you and Jesus.  Nail the folded sheet to the cross, saying the sample prayer below. 

For the second option, imaginatively, see yourself crucifying the sins in the same manner described above, driving those nails through the condemned practice. Use the words of the sample prayer below. 

Prayer for Crucifying a Specific Sin 

Jesus, broken and needy, I come to You and confess my inability to conquer the sin of ______ in my life. I now renounce this practice of the flesh and desire to turn away from it. I say “NO” to it. I don’t want this sin in my life. I hate it because it is evil. I don’t want anything to stand between You and me, Jesus. Forgive me. 

Now, I consciously exercise my free will and reject the slavery to this sin. I take the sin that torments my life and nail it on Your cross. This burden of sin does not belong to my heart. It belongs to Your cross, for You died for all of my sins, and this particular sin. I desire to die to this part of my sinful, carnal nature. I reject it. I condemn it to death on your cross. I declare this sin dead and turn away from it in Jesus’ name. Amen! 

Bring to the cross each problem area you have identified and deal with it in the same manner: Confessing, repenting, renouncing, and nailing it on the cross. Repeat the act of repentance for every sin you identified. Do not deal with all problems in one prayer session. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you without the pressure of time.