Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
Isaiah 55:6-7 NLT
Everywhere we turn, someone is talking about change. However, change for the sake of change? I can't say that is always for the better. Sometimes, it's much worse.
The Truth is, in order to have change, you have to want to be changed, and then you have to choose to act on it. "I wish I had a clean house" without getting up to do anything about it, is not going to get your house clean. "I wish I spoke another language" is not going to make you bilingual. "I wish I was a better Christian..." What? Like poof! Here, Child, I'll make you a better person, you just sit back and eat bon-bons and watch TV? Yeah, right.
What can you do to bring about change in your life and in the lives of those around you? Timothy tells us in his second letter, Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 2 Timothy 2:25 NLT
That will be REAL change!
Prayer:
Father,
Bring Your Word to our remembrance. Help us to be instant in season to speak Your Truth, so it can set the captive free, and so we can effect change for Your glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Showing posts with label Change my heart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Change my heart. Show all posts
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Can You Hear Me Now?
Doing something for you, bringing something to you— that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious— that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen.
Psalm 40:6 The Message
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone when all of a sudden, you realize you have no idea what they're saying? Their voice didn't change. They're speaking the same language. They're following the line of their story, but somewhere along the line, you stopped listening. It's all in how you hear. Yes, there IS a difference. Jesus said so. Look...
Turn to Luke 8, starting in verse 11.
The seed is God’s word.
12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.
13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
How you hear is SO important. Jesus went on to say in verse 18, So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.
Can you hear Him now? Are you listening?
Prayer:
Father,
I tremble at the thought of the consequences of a hardened heart that refuses to hear You. Forgive us for those times we have ignored Your voice and gone our own way. Father, by Your mercy and Your unfailing Grace, please give us a listening ear and a servant's heart to hear and obey Your voice. Teach us, Father, we pray. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Psalm 40:6 The Message
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone when all of a sudden, you realize you have no idea what they're saying? Their voice didn't change. They're speaking the same language. They're following the line of their story, but somewhere along the line, you stopped listening. It's all in how you hear. Yes, there IS a difference. Jesus said so. Look...
Turn to Luke 8, starting in verse 11.
The seed is God’s word.
12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.
13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
How you hear is SO important. Jesus went on to say in verse 18, So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.
Can you hear Him now? Are you listening?
Prayer:
Father,
I tremble at the thought of the consequences of a hardened heart that refuses to hear You. Forgive us for those times we have ignored Your voice and gone our own way. Father, by Your mercy and Your unfailing Grace, please give us a listening ear and a servant's heart to hear and obey Your voice. Teach us, Father, we pray. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Saturday, September 30, 2017
A Change of Heart
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world...
Philippians 2:14-15 KJV
Do you ever catch yourself grumbling or complaining for no real reason? You get irked because somebody cuts you off in traffic or interrupts you to ask you to do something for them even though they can see you're in the middle of something?
I've found myself doing that the last couple of days and I don't like it. My prayer has been like the song, ♪♫ Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. May I be like You. ♪♫ I don't want to be a malcontent. I want to be blameless and harmless - a light in a dark world.
What I have realized is that God is not going to change my heart by causing others to stop interrupting me or to quit cutting me off in traffic. That's the way I would like for Him to do it. But no, His ways are not my ways...
It has taken me a little while to realize that God has arranged ample opportunities - a veritable onslaught of interruptions and less-than-polite drivers - so that I may be able to practice not grumbling and/or complaining, and to lovingly provide for a possible change of my heart.
Prayer:
Thank You for Your everlasting love and for the hope that we could be like You. ♪♫ Change our hearts, O God. Make them ever true. Change our hearts, O God. May we be like You. ♪♫ In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Philippians 2:14-15 KJV
Do you ever catch yourself grumbling or complaining for no real reason? You get irked because somebody cuts you off in traffic or interrupts you to ask you to do something for them even though they can see you're in the middle of something?
I've found myself doing that the last couple of days and I don't like it. My prayer has been like the song, ♪♫ Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. May I be like You. ♪♫ I don't want to be a malcontent. I want to be blameless and harmless - a light in a dark world.
What I have realized is that God is not going to change my heart by causing others to stop interrupting me or to quit cutting me off in traffic. That's the way I would like for Him to do it. But no, His ways are not my ways...
It has taken me a little while to realize that God has arranged ample opportunities - a veritable onslaught of interruptions and less-than-polite drivers - so that I may be able to practice not grumbling and/or complaining, and to lovingly provide for a possible change of my heart.
Prayer:
Thank You for Your everlasting love and for the hope that we could be like You. ♪♫ Change our hearts, O God. Make them ever true. Change our hearts, O God. May we be like You. ♪♫ In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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