God is so amazing and as I read over the last years I have been writing this blog, I must say it is humbling to know that He has stuck with me through thick and thin. I hope nothing in this sounds like I have arrived or am the illuminator of all truth. To be honest most of my writing is just me working things from my head to my heart. This is one of those times.

God has been changing my prayer life for a while. My prayers used to include a list of physical needs, spiritual needs and hopes and desires for myself and others. I know that God is concerned with all of those things but while reading in Ephesians and now beginning Colossians.  God is concerned with my character much more than my comfort. Not that God doesn’t want both for me. He certainly is a Father who gives good gifts to his children. I have been blessed far more that I can ever deserve.

What I am seeing is that God wants to go deep with us. He wants to process us in a way that molds us to be more like him. The whole idea of abiding in him and he abiding in us forming a kind of connection that makes our life fluid and moving with his. I am not talking about puppetry or magical thinking where we just believe it and poof it is like that. I am talking about real transformation of the heart.

I have realized that there are several things that matter to God more than anything. Eternal value is important to him. We can confuse being fruitful with being busy so much that we miss the important by product of an applied Christian life. Or at least I can. Walking in his energy and strength is also important. We can spend much of our lives with 3 people who often miss the opportunities and the blessings of walking in the Spirit. Me, myself and I are always looking out of the temporal perspective we have to die to ourselves. Oh I am talking to myself as I write this so don’t take offense. There’s a great prayer in Colossians 1:7-14 that outlines the desire of my heart for myself and those I love. I love praying Scripture because first off, it is God’s will in written form. We don’t have to say at the end of a Scripture prayer that God’s will be done. He has already spoken his heart on the matter. The other reason I pray Scripture more often than not is because it is true and it transforms my life as I pray. So as I approach this passage here’s my prayer.

Dear Father,

You are holy, righteous and patient with me. You have loved me when I was unloveable and shown me mercy when I deserved justice. Your name is above all names and I am amazed, Lord I don’t know a better word because amazed underwhelms you but it is the only word I have right now. Father you have given me so much to be thankful for and I thank you for your power in our lives. Help me to set myself aside and walk in the Spirit and power you have given. Father I pray without ceasing for that we might be filled with knowledge and a clear sense of direction so that we can know your will and obey you. Father if we don’t know your will we can’t obey you. Thank you for keeping your word and honoring it by making it known to us by your Spirit. Help us not to waste our life by seeking what you have made plain in your Word already.

Please Father grant wisdom and understanding, so that we can know and apply what you have taught us. Help us hear you. Help us walk so our conversation, character and conduct is consistent with Christ. Father when people see us let  us live in such a way  that they meet him and look beyond us. Convict us and order our steps. Help us walk so that we do not conflict with Christ before a lost and dying world. Let us please you in all things. Father you know how this world is and we need your help to bear fruit here.  We thank you for the gifts you have given us and ask in your power that you unleash us on this world to use those gifts to make a difference for your kingdom. Helps us decrease as you increase in our lives and as we learn about you. We can’t do anything without your power or by your Spirit. Sustain us to be patient and have joyfulness in every circumstance. We praise you for moving us from darkness to light and cherish being a light for you. Shine through us as we have our being in you.

Oh Father we thank you for the gift of your Son who has redeemed us. We thank you for making us partakers of such an amazing grace such that we are overwhelmed that you forgive our sins. Let us know you fully and walk in truth and love today. We are yours Father and thank you for everything. We know you keep your word and proclaim it here as it is already settled in heaven. In Jesus name, I love you Amen.

I used to try to tell GOD how to answer me by saying “if you would just show me” I don’t know everything. I have learned that he shows me what I can handle and what I need to know at that time. He says to whom much is given much is required. I have learned that God’s will is doing the next right thing in agreement with what he has already shown us. I hope this encourages you. Our God’s ways are higher than we can ever imagine or think. Eph 3:20. My only hope today is that you reach deep into what the Father wants for your life and walk in it.  It’s all I am desiring for my life right now and it’s a moment by moment process for me.

Colossians  1:9-14

⁹ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

¹⁰ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹ Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

¹² Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: