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Prayer
Changes Things; Prayer Changes Us!
It is often said that “Prayer Changes Things!” We should
also add, “Prayer Changes Us!”
It is true that your prayers will change things around you but
sometimes your prayers change you. At times our situation even remains the
same; but we are different.
The disciples
in Acts 4 were threatened and warned not to speak or preach in the name
of Jesus.
They did not react by going to God in prayer pleading, “Lord change things! Lord, change
our circumstances.” They
rather asked that the Lord would “…grant unto thy servants, that with all
boldness they may speak thy word...” (Acts 4:29)
Their attitude was, “Do not
change our circumstances; change us!”
“For things to get better,
sometimes you must get better.”
We may change
our circumstances and even seek for a more favorable environment but we
will take ourselves with us wherever we go. Jesus asked
us to “consider the lilies (flowers)”
in Matthew 6:28. These flowers
grow where they are planted. Many of us
refuse to grow where we are placed and because of that we never take root
anywhere.
Instead we want to be planted in a better set of circumstances. One
man said, “I have found
the problem and it is I.”
There are things
in all of our lives that must die through prayer, fasting, and submission
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“It is not so important what happens
to us;
It is more important what happens in us.”
The
Psalmist David wrote “The Penitent’s Psalm” of Psalm 51.
This Psalm was written after Nathan, the prophet had come to David
revealing his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband.
(2 Samuel 12:1-13) David did
not ask for a change in his circumstances but cried out “Lord, Change Me!” Read about
this in Psalm 51:1-19. He
prays for a clean heart, and a right spirit. He knew that
“a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart...” (51:17) were necessary
for the Lord to make a change in him.
David basically prayed, “Lord,
I have sinned against you! Clean me up!
Change me so that I can be a blessing to your people.” This attitude
was quite different from that expressed by Saul. When he sinned,
he said, “...I have sinned: yet
honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel...”
(1 Samuel 15:30) He was
not interested in a real change in his life through repentance. He was
more interested in how he appeared before the people.
Prayer allows
us to become like Jesus.
It is spending time with Jesus, our friend. It is said,
“You show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.” The type
of friends that we have serves as a good indicator of who we are. Jesus has
promised to be our friend that “…sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) In prayer we are trying
to not only know Him; but also become more like Him. The Bible teaches,
“Everything reproduces after its
own kind.”
(See Genesis 1:24) God expects
us “…to be conformed to the image
of his Son.”
(Romans 8:29) He accepts
you as you are but will not leave you there. He wants you
to be changed.
Max Depree in Leadership is an Art says,
“It is important to remember that we cannot
become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”
The whole salvation
experience begins with making a change (called repentance). Through obedience
to Acts 2:38 God changes us with the born again experience and transforms
(changes) our destiny.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.”
(2 Cor. 5:17)
Prayer
Changes Things!
Prayer Changes Us!
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