Luke 22:31, 32 - Watch and Pray for satan desires to have you.

Luk.22:31, 32: Watch and Pray for satan Desires to Have You.

Luke 22:31, 32 (KJV)  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, 
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  But I 
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art 
converted, strengthen thy brethren. 

Our Vulnerability
It is critical that Christians understand their vulnerability to 
demonic influence. Those who say a demon cannot influence a believer's 
life have left us with only two possible culprits for the problems we 
face: ourselves or God. If we blame ourselves, we feel hopeless 
because we can't do anything to stop what we're doing. If we blame God, 
our confidence in Him as our benevolent Father is shattered. Either 
way, we have no chance to gain the victory which the Bible promises 
us. In reality we are in a winnable war against the defeated kingdom 
of darkness. But the lies of Satan can gain a measure of control if 
we believe them. 
What right did Satan have to sift Simon (Peter) like wheat? The 
context reveals that Peter and the other disciples were arguing about 
who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God. In other 
words, they were exercising pride. Sinful pride affords Satan a huge 
opportunity. Peter protested that he was willing to die or go to prison for 
the sake of Christ. But Jesus told him that, before the day was 
over, Peter would deny Him three times, and he did. 
There are many believers who profess their faith and commit 
themselves to behave appropriately but can't seem to follow through. Why? 
We dare not overlook the reality of Satan and the ground we give 
him through pride and disobedience. God intervened in the early 
church and struck down Ananias and Sapphira because they allowed Satan 
to fill their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit. The word filled in 
Acts 5 is the same word found in Ephesians 5:18: "Be filled with the 
Spirit." God delivered a dramatic message early: To whichever source you 
yield, by that source you shall be filled or controlled. 
Father, I ask forgiveness for any ways I have allowed Satan to 
control me. I want to be controlled wholly by You. by Neil Anderson at 
http://www.ficm.org. 

"I Have Prayed For Thee"
To every Christian comes the word that was addressed to Peter, 
"Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I 
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:31, 32). 
Thank God we are not left alone. This is our safety. Satan can never 
touch with eternal disaster one whom Christ has prepared for 
temptation by His previous intercession, for grace is provided in Christ 
for every soul, and a way of escape has been made, so that no one 
need fall under the power of the enemy. 
Satan is preparing many and strong temptations with which to 
assail the people of God. He is represented as walking to and fro like 
a roaring lion, seeking for some unguarded soul whom he may be 
successful in deceiving through his subtlety, and may finally destroy. We 
are not safe without Christ for a single step. But what comfort is 
treasured for us in the words, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith 
fail not"! Satan does not sift chaff; it is the wheat that he desires 
to have in his hands. Then let us take courage and pray at all 
times. 
Christ offers our prayers to the Father, mingled with the merit 
of His sacrifice, and they come up before God as sweet incense. . . 
. Whenever you are tempted to sin remember that Christ's eye is 
upon you, and that Satan desires to have you that he may sift you as 
wheat. Remember to send your petitions heavenward, and see Jesus making 
intercession for you. Send up an earnest cry to God, "Lord, save me; I 
perish," and you will not be overcome; you will not enter into sin. Take 
your stand firmly on the words of Paul, and in the strength of Jesus 
say, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him 
that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor 
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things 
to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be 
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus 
our Lord" (Rom. 8:37-39). [www.bibleuniverse.com]