Power To Change

by Aleta Kay



“I can’t help it; it’s just the way I am.”  “I’m a good person but I’m not perfect.” “At least I’ve never stolen anything or killed anybody.”  These are all statements we use to justify ourselves. We compare ourselves to the worst of society and tell ourselves we’re better than those people. From a social standpoint that may be true. But if we were really happy with ourselves we wouldn’t need to compare ourselves to anyone else.

          We all have things in our lives, within ourselves , that we would like to change. I would like to be a stronger prayer warrior. I would like to be an organized housewife. I would like to have more determination and less proneness to give up when things get tough. I would like to be a better friend when it comes to keeping in touch with people. I could go on. You could probably make your own list.

          But how do we circumvent those “I can’t help its?” How do we become what we want to be? I’m still working on it, still learning. Here’s what I’m working on today: PRAYER. Prayer is the key to everything.

          Most of us, if we do pray, do it on the fly—while we’re driving, doing dishes, exercising or going for a walk or to the doctor. That’s not real prayer. That’s like your teenage son walking out the door and saying, “By the way, I need you to wash my best jeans and that special shirt I like to wear. I’m going to need it later this evening.” Then he comes home and asks if you got his wash done and what’s for supper. Later he again asks for something while he’s doing something else. He’s talking at you, not to you. We do the same thing to God. No wonder we think He isn’t listening. No wonder we don’t see the results we desire to our prayers. What do we think God owes us?

          I’m reading a book by Benny Hinn called “The Anointing.” It has my attention and I am stuck on just a few pages because I need to practice what it is saying. I need to make the instructions found there a part of who I am. I have to begin with the prayer, “Lord, change me—PLEASE!!!”

          In a nutshell it says we need to earnestly spend time on our knees longing for, thirsting for and seeking God. In Psalm 63David alludes to all three of these aspects of prayer. If we get on our knees (if you’re disabled and can’t get on your knees you can close your eyes and visualize yourself on your knees) and just tell God how much we long to be in His presence, in His fellowship, we will begin to see our sin so we can confess it to God. This usually brings tears of remorse that cleanse our souls. When that aspect is through, we then thank Him for the cleansing and realize that “as the deer pants for the water, so our soul longs for God, the Holy Spirit, the Living Water. We invite God to spend time with us. We cry out to Him for the requests for the problems our friends and loved ones are facing and know that we have His ear. After we have prayed for others we can then pray for our community, town, state, country, missionaries, homeless people, the economy, lost people around the world and finally for ourselves. When we have the peace in our hearts that He has heard we can bask in His presence for a little while. This brings an exuberance, a sense of rejoicing in His presence followed by a deep sense of peace. Don’t you long for peace?

NO GOD

NO PEACE

KNOW GOD

KNOW PEACE

          When we get back to earnest, heartfelt, soul searching, God seeking prayer, we will find ourselves obeying the scriptures:  Romans 6:11—we will count ourselves as dead to sin (on a daily basis—this process must take place every day) so that sin no longer controls us and we will find ourselves praying all day as we go through our routine. We will be “praying without ceasing” as instructed in I Thessalonians 5:17.  If you want your prayers answered, if you want to change your life for the better, get on your knees. Make the sacrifice of time and allow yourself to long for, thirst for and seek after God. You’ll be glad you did!