Jan 11
ROMANS 12:2
“DON’T COPY THE BEHAVIOR AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD, BUT LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INTO A NEW PERSON BY CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. THEN YOU WILL LEARN TO KNOW GOD’S WILL FOR YOU, WHICH IS GOOD AND PLEASING AND PERFECT.”
Besides asking God for what we want (because He does care about those things), it can be hard some days to know what to pray for. Do I ask God for more money so I can give more? Or do I request less money, so I’m not greedy? Do I ask Him to remove the things that tempt me, or do I ask Him to give me strength to face temptation? Personally, I wonder if I should pray for my kids to be more self-contained so that I can get work done or if I should pray for patience and energy to put my work aside and be more present. See what I mean?
The Bible says that the human heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), and though it sounds harsh, I think each of us can all understand what it means for our hearts to be confused or leading us in the wrong direction. This is why, when we pray, it is good to begin by asking God to align our hearts, our desires, and our thoughts with His will. He has the power, by His Spirit, to point our hearts in the right direction as well as to shift the way we think about things. He is steady when we are not. He is loving to all people when we don’t feel it. He has good plans, and He can be trusted, even in a global pandemic, even when the future looks fuzzy, even now.
Therefore, when we ask God to transform our thoughts as the writer of Romans instructs us, we are asking Him for better perspective, for clearer focus, for thoughts that come from Him. This mindset helps us pray, and it helps us trust. I can still ask God for what I’m wanting, but I first acknowledge that His way is better than what I could come up with, and I ask Him to help me see it. He loves to do this for us, to open our hearts and minds to His will, so we can transform our thoughts as the writer of Romans instructs us, we are asking Him for better perspective, for clearer focus, for thoughts that come from Him. This mindset helps us pray, and it helps us trust. I can still ask God for what I’m wanting, but I first acknowledge that His way is better than what I could come up with, and I ask Him to help me see it. He loves to do this for us, to open our hearts and minds to His will, so we can trust that when we pray this specific prayer, it will be answered.
Prayer:
“Dear God, as I set aside time to pray this month, please help my thoughts, wants, and prayers align with You. I trust You and Your heart for me, for my community, and for the world at large.”
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