Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2
I graduated high school with a 3.98 GPA. I graduated college with a 3.92 GPA. With my good grades came a big ego. I thought myself capable to think and reason myself through any situation. My good grades and big ego came at an astronomical cost. For me GPA should have stood for God's Presence Absent.
Pride squeezed relationships from my heart.
Pride crowded God's best from my life.
Thought doesn't originate in the mind...it springs from my heart (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). I had to open my heart to God's guidance so my mind could follow. I had to embrace humility before I could own my ugly hidden sin. A key step on that journey was praying this one sentence prayer: Lord, Teach Me.
The disciples once asked Jesus to teach them to pray. I need God to teach me in all areas. Like a blank tablet, I want His wisdom scrawled across the pages of my heart.
Do you struggle with focus? Or like me, does your mind wander the wrong things? As we continue on our journey of life transforming prayer, let's pray this simple prayer together and allow God to transform our minds.
I'm so glad I don't have to follow guidelines or pray a certain way. I know Jesus is listening, the Hosly Spirit is waiting to intercede, and God is seeing Jesus in me. I've never known prayer to be so powerful as I have over the past few year...I mean truly hearing God. The disciples knew it to, I guess that's why they were begging Jesus to tell them how to do it right. Thank God we just have to do it...it doesn't have to be perfect!
ReplyDeleteThat is so true, Kelli. That's why I love these simple one sentence prayers. They take something that daunts so many and makes it simple. :)
DeleteI saw that you just read my own personal post about the loss of my baby and I feel me reading your post is very fitting. Praying as been very difficult for me these past few months (and I am a pastors kid and my husband use to be a youth pastor!). Maybe I can start out just saying: "Lord, teach me how to pray" everyday because it seems as if I have forgotten.
ReplyDeleteWow, Carrie, that is a profound step of faith. I know God will honor that prayer.
DeleteWhy am I not surprised you had a 3.98 GPA?! LOL
ReplyDeleteI get it, I do...my mind is nothing but a wondering forest of stupid. I've been praying the last 2 weeks that God help me become a more willing slave to Christ, cuz I've been a tad bit lost these days.
You're so stinking positive! :)
lol - I hate making these kind of admissions...
DeleteI struggle the same way. I am very stubborn. I am very petite (not even 5' tall) and have been told all my life I am too small to do this or that. My life has been spent proving people wrong. Being self-reliant. Handing control of my life over to Christ only to yank it right back again. I have a good friend who was in a Christian rock band with me for many years. He always relied on his intelligence. He announced one year ago that he has proven that God does not exist. It breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteAren't we glad He is bigger than our stubbornness?
DeleteI am completely the same. I really need to say this prayer. It seems I'm drifting more and more away when I need to be moving closer to Him. Thank you for your continual inspiration, Shannon!
ReplyDeleteEvery step closer to Him is the right direction! Xo
DeleteEven one step closer to Him is a big one! Xo
DeleteSuch a simple, life transforming prayer...Lord, teach me. I really like that. Thank you for sharing...Chelle
ReplyDeleteChelle,
DeleteSo thankful for your visit. How are you?
Lol! I just read Sharon's comment, and I was thinking the same thing. Smarty pants! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of simple sentence prayers like this. In my UnEMPLOYED Faith Facebook group, I've had some women comment that they're so frustrated they don't even know what to pray anymore. It doesn't have to be anything complex. The Spirit knows exactly what we need and does intercede for us.
Pride - it's a hard lesson I've learned over the past three or four years. I never realized how much it was preventing me from having a deep relationship with God. So glad I finally know that pride only keeps me held captive to worldly nonsense.
I'd be glad to hop over there and lead them in some one sentence prayers if you'd like. :)
DeleteI call it popcorn brain when I can't focus. Though I can also get hyper-focused -- the house could burst into flames without me noticing. That might be worse. I'm not sure. I am truly grateful to our patient God for seeing me through it all.
ReplyDeleteHa! Popcorn brain-that's funny!
Deletebeing humble is so important. There are definaltey times where I need some life transforming prayer in my life
ReplyDeleteAren't you thankful He continues His work of transformation no matter how long it takes us to cooperate with His work... :)
DeleteWow... this post is full of so many truths! Pride and selfishness seem to be downfall of most, the cause of distance between us and God and the beginning of every distructive thing in a person's life.
ReplyDeleteOh, that we may be a humble people before our Creator and each other. More of Him and less of us!
But I do have to say that the short prayer, "Lord, Teach me" can be very powerful in our lives as well as dangerous (in the good sense!). Sometimes the teaching moments have to be lived instead of just instructed. God may choose to "clean house" within our hearts and our lives so that we are truly humbled and surrendered to Him. Exposing the depths of these hearts can be painful and scary... but when done gently by our Creator, the lover of our souls, the results can be full of joy and peace! The rewards can be "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!" (Ephesians 3:20-21a)
To teach us perseverance, He may allow us to be in situations that require trust, patience and faithfulness! To teach us unconditional love, He may put those who are "unlovable" in our paths; He may allow those closest to us to hurt us. To teach us unwaivering faith, He may allow us to be tempted; to question.
I do believe this should be a daily prayer to our Heavenly Father... may He give us clean hands and hearts, fill us with much wisdom and guidance and allow us to humbly serve Him and others so that the lost will see Christ through us!
Wow love your insights here. Thanks so much for sharing them!
Deletehahahaha I am a fellow over-achiever and prideful good girl. God knows how to humble us and teach us though...
ReplyDeletePS have you read "grace for the good girl?" I think you'd like it! I just read it last week and it was written for people like us!!!
Yes! I LOVE that book and Emily (do you know her?). It's one I highly recommend!
DeleteAh, focus... Yes, my mind... WONDERS ... So I don't necessarily think of it as wrong, probably, more on the side of a challenge... Challenged to make a decision, take an action or sit tight, hopefully having sought counsel.
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely a healthy perspective!
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