Great Prayers of the Bible: Solomon - Prayer for Wisdom

What one thing would you ask of God if you knew absolutely that it would not be refused? Solomon had such a choice. After David died he became King over Israel and while he was at a place called Gibeon the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. "God said; ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’" (I Kings 3:5) WOW! This is better than any genie in a bottle wish - this is the God who made heaven and earth saying he could have any request without putting conditions on it.

Solomon’s answer qualifies it for inclusion as a "Great Prayer of the Bible." Here is what he prayed for: "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (I Kings 3:9) Solomon was asking for wisdom to be a good king. The Bible says; "The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing." (Verse 10) Now let’s look at this a little deeper by putting ourselves in two people’s shoes: Solomon’s and God’s. First let’s try to get inside Solomon’s moccasins. We have some clues into Solomon’s heart because before he made his request to God he revealed three things about what he was thinking.

Compared to David

He compared himself to his father David. Talk about having big shoes to fill! Under David the kingdom was firmly established and all of Israel’s enemies were subdued. God called David a man after his own heart. This must have been weighing heavily upon Solomon because he says to God; "You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day." (Verse 6)

In other words, Solomon wonders if God is still simply showing kindness to his father David by placing his son on the throne. He feels under David’s shadow. He has not yet felt or taken on the authority of the kingdom in his own right.

Compared to a child

Next Solomon expresses to God how he views himself. He says; "I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in." (Verse 7) When Solomon ascended the throne he was fully an adult but he doesn’t feel that way; he doesn’t feel up to the job. His statement is quite a humble admission of his inexperience and misgivings about his maturity to rule.

Compared to the people

Finally Solomon thinks about who he is going to rule over and he feels deeply inadequate and intimidated. He says; "And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted."(Verse He is saying; "Hey, these are God’s chosen people, who do I think I am that I could possibly be king over THEM?"

When Solomon went to bed that night in Gibeon all these issues were no doubt weighing heavily on his mind and had been since he first ascended the throne. Then God met him in a dream that reflected the new king’s struggling heart. It is often the case that we dream about whatever things deeply bother us but in this instance God initiated the dream. Why did the Lord give Solomon Carte Blanc to request anything of him?

Now it is time to slip into God’s moccasins but that can be a dangerous thing to do. Who can really know the mind of God? So with the understanding that I do not claim to be able to speak for God nor do I desire to put words in his mouth I will tell you what I think. I think God gave Solomon the option to ask anything because he knew he could trust him. Jesus said; "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."(Matthew 12:34b) God saw in Solomon a heart that was humble, not arrogant about running the whole show. He saw a man who felt he was not equipped to be king yet who desperately wanted to be a good ruler like his father David.

A second thing is that while God knew Solomon’s heart, maybe Solomon didn’t. Really good questions like the one God asked can expose our true self. Sometimes what we see in our own heart can give us confidence to take on big challenges or it may show us how shallow we are and in need of a new heart. Yet another thought is that God desired to honor the choice of the new king. No matter what Solomon would ask for; nothing was too big for God. Just like a proud parent that says to their child graduating from college; "What do you want for graduation?" If they are wealthy they might say; "I’ll get you anything you want; I’m so proud of you."

The Lord was so pleased with Solomon’s request that he said; "See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you." (Verse 12) Solomon became the wisest man that ever lived. But that isn’t all. God told him that because he had asked for wisdom instead of long life, riches or the life of his enemies; "I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days." (Verse 13)

What would you ask?

You may now take off those divine moccasins and put back on your own. In the beginning of this article I asked what one thing you would request of God if you knew for sure that it would not be refused. Have you been thinking that over? Do you think your petition would make it as one of the great prayers of the Bible? Don’t pretend with God and say something you think sounds good or super spiritual; neither should you assume that you don’t have anything significant enough to ask because you aren’t a King. This is about the heart. What is really in your heart? Solomon’s prayer was a great one because his heart was right when he prayed it. Listen to God’s promise for those who have such hearts:

Even though your prayer can no longer be included in the Bible it can be a great one in God’s eyes. And it may surprise you in the end that God gives you what you ask for - and maybe even all that you did not ask. Just like Solomon!

"I dwell in the high and holy place; With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isaiah 57:15

Great Prayers of the Bible: David’s Prayer of Repentance

How is it that David is called a man after God’s own heart? How is it that when God is talking to David’s son, Solomon, he says; "Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness…then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever as I promised David your father." (I Kings 9:4-5) Then again, when God was reprimanding King Jeroboam, he said; "…and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart; to do only what was right in My eyes." (I Kings 14:8)

David is the man who used his power to seduce a woman named Bathsheba while her husband was at war on King David’s behalf. When she was found to be with his child, David arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in battle to cover up the matter. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Is this a man after God’s own heart?

God looks at the heart

Yes, God says that he is. When God was directing Samuel the prophet to anoint a new king over Israel after he had rejected Saul, he told Samuel; "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7) So despite his sin, God loved David’s heart. I believe that we have a glimpse into that heart which God so treasured when we read Psalm 51, which is a prayer of repentance. That psalm is truly one of the great prayers of the Bible.

After David’s sin, the Lord sent him Nathan the prophet to confront him. (See II Samuel 12). Instead of denial or excuses, David comes clean; "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13) But if that was all we were told about the incident we would have no idea about the depth of the repentance that David felt. Fortunately we have Psalm 51 which is a soul poured out before the Lord with great transparency and brokenness of spirit.

Psalm 51 is marked by true characteristics of repentance such as:

Appeal to the mercy of God

Honesty

Understanding of the severity of sinning against God

No excuses or justification

Desire to reform

Recognition that forgiveness is not deserved but by grace alone

In verse 2 David asks God to do three things. First he asks that his sin be blotted out which speaks of human records which can be erased. Then he asks to be washed thoroughly which compares forgiveness to the washing of clothes and clothes were often seen as an extension of the person. Finally he asks to be cleansed from his sin and this refers to liturgical ceremonial law. David wished to be separated from his sin in every way possible. He is not clinging to it with secret affection for it. No, he is rejecting his sin to the uttermost.

In his prayer, David acknowledges his sin "nature" and he holds out no hope that on his own he will be able to avoid sin in the future. He doesn’t do this as an excuse, "Gee, I’m only human" but as an expression of his brokenness and his need for God’s help and delivering power. David puts the burden of redemption on God: "purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (verse 7) He is willing and desirous to submit to this deep cleansing of his innermost being.

Restoration

Beyond being forgiven and cleansed, David wants restoration. This is something we should all seek. He does not want to be stuck in the guilt of his sin as he moves into the future. David says; "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit." (Verse 12) David wants to repent and be done with it. Knowing God has removed his sin from him, David wants to experience joy again.

This is a wonderful hallmark of forgiveness from the Lord. If we truly repent, he removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. (See Psalm 103:12) We are free to move forward as if the sin never existed at all. What joy and freedom!

That release from guilt is what makes David able to promise something back to the Lord. After the joy of God’s salvation is restored, David says; "then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You." (Verse 13) This is very interesting. How is it that this restoration of joy will enable David to communicate God’s ways to sinners so that they will be converted?

Freedom to be honest about sin

Have you ever noticed that those who have truly repented and received complete forgiveness are usually open and forthright about their past sin? I have heard such men and woman stand up and publicly tell the stories of their lives as alcoholics, adulterers, thieves, drug traffickers and more. I have heard the remarkable testimony of David Berkowitz, the notorious "Son of Sam" serial killer who terrorized New York in the 1970s. The transforming power and grace of Jesus Christ touched his life and he tells his story without hesitation.

When people listen to stories of God’s great grace they often feel that their own case is not hopeless and their own sin not unforgivable. They see joy on the face of the former sinner and they want that same joy. God is there to offer it.

As you read and re-read Psalm 51, what do you find you identify with the most? Is there a hidden sin that you need to repent of with the same heart David had? Do you find you haven’t been completely honest with God? Are you willing to accept the deep cleansing David desired? Do you need to have the joy of God’s salvation restored to you? Do you desire to have your testimony of God’s grace touch the lives of others?

David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 is one of the great prayers of the Bible. After you read it, it isn’t so hard anymore to understand why David was a man after God’s own heart. You and I can hold that same title; we can be men and women after God’s own heart. Repentance is the entryway. Come, enter in.

Great Prayers of the Bible: Jonah’s Prayer — Out of the Depths

The story of Jonah and the big fish (we don’t know that it was a whale) has always been tremendously popular reading, especially with children. That’s easy to understand because it has all the elements of great drama. Rebellion, storms at sea, swallowed alive inside an enormous fish, survival, risky business in an alien land–it sure works like a modern day comic book adventure. Couple that with the fact that the whole story is packed into four brief chapters and you can see why it has always had universal appeal.

Because it is so action packed it would be easy to overlook the fact that within Jonah is one of the great prayers of the Bible. Tucked into Chapter 2 is a profound prayer that Jonah prayed from inside the fish’s belly. This was a prayer of acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty, a final surrender to God’s plan and a prayer of faith for deliverance. Let’s do a quick review on why Jonah was in this predicament in the first place.

Jonah was a prophet living in a time when Israel was severely harassed by the pagan Assyrians, Israel’s long standing enemy. God told Jonah to go to the Assyrian’s chief city, Nineveh, and preach against their wickedness and call them to repentance. The fact that God would offer the Ninevites an opportunity to repent made Jonah mad. He did not want any mercy doled out to this hated enemy. So he got on a ship going in the absolute opposite direction in order to get out of God’s presence and hopefully away from being used in God’s plan. But it didn’t work.

Jonah in the deep

While at sea, God caused such a severe storm to arise that the ship’s crew cast lots to see who was responsible for what they assumed correctly was a divine calamity. The lot fell to Jonah and he admitted that he was the culprit and he told them to throw him overboard so that the sea would become calm again. It probably seems strange that Jonah would suggest such a thing. One way you could look at it is that he didn’t want to follow God’s plan for him so badly that he would rather die than do it. Now that’s rebellion. Or maybe he felt drowning was all he deserved after his direct disobedience. Jonah was a melancholy sort of guy. Whatever the reason; "they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging." (Jonah 1:15)

The Bible says; "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (1:17) It is in this predicament that Jonah prayed his great prayer. Notice that God is the one who prepared the fish and in this act he demonstrated his sovereignty - and also his mercy. He did not allow Jonah to be drowned because he still had a plan for his life and he still had a plan for Nineveh.

Here is what the prayer says: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple." (Jonah 2:2-7)

Part description about what happened to him and part prayer to God, we sense an emotional tangle as dense as the sea bottom. I think when Jonah was thrown overboard he fully expected to die. He seemed resigned to it and at the same time a hope was rising from within him because he says; "Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple." Something from inside him still trusted even though he also felt that he had been cast outside of God’s sight - outside of God’s favor.

He must have come awfully close to death because he says that "the earth with its bars closed behind me forever" and then in the next moment he acknowledges that God brought his life back from the pit. His best moment is when he says that when his soul fainted within him, he remembered the Lord. It is the moment of the surrender of his will. He would no longer turn and run the other way; he would no longer fight the plan of God; he would no longer rebel.

Surrender, finally

Jonah is now ready to cooperate with God as he states in verse 9; "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." After some 72 hours in the belly of the fish he vowed that he would now do whatever God wanted him to do. That’s what God was waiting for. The next verse tells us that "the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." When the Lord said a second time to go to Nineveh, Jonah went and preached God’s message to the great city.

The book of Jonah is the story of the sovereignty of God. Sovereignty means that God is ultimately in control of, well-everything. History, kings and rulers, the seas and the land, weather, the destiny of great cities, the path of a man. It also is the story of God’s compassion. Maybe Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to repent but God did. He wanted to show them his mercy in spite of the fact that they were heathens who did not worship him or follow his ways.

Okay, you might say, but what makes Jonah’s prayer so great? Jonah’s prayer is great because he finally surrendered. The story starts with a hard hearted and rebellious man who ultimately bowed his will before a sovereign God and obeyed. Jesus tells a similar story in Matthew 21:28-32 of the New Testament. A father had two sons and he told each of them to go work in his vineyard. The first son said "I will not". But then he regretted his decision and went out into the field to work. The second son said he would go but then did not. Jesus asks which of the two did the will of his father. The answer, of course, is the first son who initially refused.

God did not reject Jonah because he disobeyed; in fact, he patiently kept pursuing him and protecting him until he had a change of heart. This is good news for you if you have been in rebellion or disobedience. God will give you another chance. Maybe you are in a mess right now because of your own choices; maybe you are reaping what you have sown. Because of that you may have felt that you couldn’t expect much help from God or that there was no way back to God’s plan for your life. It should comfort you to know that God is still sovereign and he is still in the forgiving and restoration business.

If this is you, surrender is your key. Finally, once and for all, surrender your whole self to God’s will and be determined that you will obey from now on no matter what he tells you to do. Then see what happens. You may have your own "Big Fish" story to tell someday. When you do, be sure to share it with us at Hannah’s Cupboard.

Yea! Planet shakers is comin back to Malaysia at this December 13th till 15th!!! Reserved these dates and come and attend the best event of this year! It will be held at the SUNWAY Pyramid Convention Centre. Let’s us hear some words from Russell and Sam Evans.

Dear Planetshakers!
This is it! This is our time! As we enter our decade of Planetshakers Conferences, we know that God is looking for someone to stand up, someone to be counted, someone to arise with the call of God upon their lives to see their generation come to know Christ and all His glory! Is it you? The Bible says "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him". This year is your year to stand up. Let God empower you through Planetshakers Conference.

Love

Ps Russell & Sam Evans

And this is the sneak preview of the spearkers..! Yea..

(A)sk the Father daily in prayer and He will answer.

(B)ELIEVE!

(C)hrist must be the center of your life.

(D)are to be a Disciple of Jesus.

(E)ven you can make a difference in the lives of others by acting out God’s will in your daily life.

(F)riends are special gifts from God.

(G)ive to others cheerfully.

(H)armony is what you should strive for in your relationships with others.

(I)nterest in others will make you a broader minded person.

(J)udge others with love and compassion.

(K)nowledge and wisdom come from the Lord.

(L)ive in such a way that those who know you but don’t know God will come to know God because they know you.

(M)ake sure to always love others as Jesus does.

(N)ew life comes to you when you accept Christ.

(O)bedience of God’s will leads to God’s blessings.

(P)lease God in all of your actions.

(Q)uestion your priorities often. Make sure God always comes first.

(R)ead God’s word daily.

(S)hepherd’s protect the sheep, and I am grateful that the Lord is my shepherd.

(T)alk with God often.

(U)se your heart to show concern for others.

(V)ent feelings, but always with the love of Christ.

e(X)ault the Lord always!

(Y)esterday’s sins are already paid for by the grace of Jesus Christ.

(Z)eal in living my spiritual ABCs will help me grow in the Lord

This going to be a short blog. I’ve just came back to Malaysia last Saturday morning from India. For those that didn’t know, i was actually in bangalore, india for work purposes for 2 weeks. Its an overwhelming experience for me during my stay there and i’ve learn that i’m really lucky to be born in malaysia and even i do sometimes complaint about our government and their inefficiencies, our government really has done a very good job. But besides that, there are also other mixed feeling and experience that i’m still trying to absorb in my mind. Nevertheless, there are also good things that happened during my trip and i got to attend my first catholic service coincidence as i was touring around india. Its also one of the fastest service with communion and all in just 46 minutes!!! This must be a record. No doubt about that. But the sermon by the preist was about faith and it was really good and it struck to me. Work wise was ok even there was a lot of problems including non-work related issues. at the end of day, all my worries just dissapear slowly as the Lord must has work his powers on me. I’ve even have to console one of my close fren that was worried about me working so late in office and etc. cheers to our saviour. faith really is powerful and important! without it, i wouldn’t know how i would ended. This might come as a shock, but cost of living in bangalore are very high. A 2 room appartment would cost around rM400,000!!! and most 4stars hotels costs more than RM800 per night. I stayed at a hotel at the city outskirts but it still cost me to RM400.. Food wise was another experience, which i will continue some other day. =)

Lord, I feel…..

Beaten…yet
You have made me more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37).
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us

Bound….yet
You are my deliverer (Rom 11:26).
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

Confused….yet
You are my counselor (Isa 9:6).
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

A failure….yet
You have made me an overcomer (1 Jn 5:4).
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith

Fearful….yet
You did not give me a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, andof a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Friendless….yet
You are a friend who sticks closer to me than a brother (Prov 18:24).
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

In darkness….yet
You are a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet (Ps 119:105).
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Lonely…..yet
You promised never to leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5).
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you."

Misjudged….yet
I’m accepted and approved by You (Eph 1:4).
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

Poor….yet
You supply all my need according to Your riches in glory (Phil 4:19).
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Sick….yet
You are the Lord who heals all my diseases (Ps 103:3).
…who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

Troubled….yet
You are my peace (Jn 14:27).
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you asthe world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Unclean….yet
You are the purifier and refiner of my life (Mal 3:3).
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify theLevites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will havemen who will bring offerings in righteousness,

Vulnerable….yet
You are my strength and my strong tower (Ps 18:2).
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation, my stronghold.

Worthless….yet
You see me as a pearl of great price (Matt 13:46).
When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

For Each Negative Thing We Say to Ourselves,God Has A Positive Answer For It.

You say: "It’s impossible"
God says: "All things are possible" (Luke 18:27)
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

You say: "I’m too tired"
God says: "I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30)
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: "I love you" (John 3:16 & John 13:34)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

You say: "I can’t go on"
God says: "I will direct your steps" (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

You say: "I can’t do it"
God says: "You can do all things" (Philippians 4:13)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

You say: "I’m not able"
God says: "I am able" (II Corinthians 9:8)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all thingsat all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every goodwork.

You say: "It’s not worth it"
God says: "It will be worth it" (Romans 8:28)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

You say: "I can’t forgive myself"
God says: "I FORGIVE YOU" (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

You say: "I can’t manage"
God says: "I will supply all your needs" (Philippians 4:19)
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

You say: "I’m afraid"
God says: "I have not given you a spirit of fear" (2Timothy 1:7)
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

You say: "I’m always worried and frustrated"
God says: "Cast all your cares on ME" (I Peter 5:7)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

You say: "I don’t have enough faith"
God says: "I’ve given everyone a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3)
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

You say: "I’m not smart enough"
God says: "I give you wisdom" (I Corinthians 1:30)
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for uswisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5)
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you"

some cartoons to cheer up your day.

Christ calls us to follow Him. He doesn’t tell us to come after we’ve become a better person or after so much study. Look at the disciples in the New Testament. "Follow me" resulted in them going right then.

Maybe you are hesitating. You don’t feel worthy. We understand. The only way that you will receive Jesus is to admit that you are not right, not whole, broken…a sinner.
Jesus will heal you!!!

How this healing takes place is one of the great paradoxes. We must first come to the point of complete surrender. We, like Jesus before us, must become broken bread and poured out wine.

In baptism we are taught that we die to our old selves. We must first die before we are reborn. When Christ was crucified our sins were forgiven. Our salvation preceded our repentance! Yet, to personally receive this salvation, you must first repent of your sins.

This is a humbling experience. It’s a real leveling of our pride. We must admit to our innermost selves that we have a lot that is wrong in us. Furthermore, we must recognize that we can’t fix ourselves. Only God can do it and he provided the way through Jesus. "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

For those of us who have repented, invited Jesus in to our lives and turned our entire self over to him, it may still seem like a very long process to become like him. Even though we are saved when we repent and ask Jesus to be our Lord, we may have a long way to go before our actions change.

Do Not Be Discouraged

As new Christians we may be full of joy and enthusiasm. This is wonderful. However, life challenges will continue and your old habits will probably die hard. Some of us find this to be a life-long process. It can be like two steps forward, three steps back.

We should not be discouraged, although at times you may be. Many people become disappointed because they are expecting a security system. They are hoping that everything will be smooth sailing. No more troubles. This is misleading. When you turn your life over to God you should have a sense that ultimately everything will be ok. Yes, God loves us and will protect and provide. But we must learn a really hard part–breaking down our ego.

So, it’s not a security system, it’s a salvation system. And our salvation is not the result of anything we do to earn it. We are saved by faith.

Hard Times Ahead

Christ tells his followers there will be hard times ahead. Paul and other apostles learned to rejoice in this. They discovered it was a great opportunity to test their faith and that persecution was confirmation of their faith!

If you get persecuted for your beliefs don’t take it personal. Instead, remember that others are persecuted and for the same reasons. Some people lash out against that which they disagree with. As Christians, we take a different tack. We love others, even those who hate us and hurt us. Not an easy calling, but what a higher way! Who can condemn you for responding with love when hate and hurt come at you?

This process of denying self and living for others is not easy. True discipleship means we no longer live for our own desires. We want to be useful members of the body of Christ. And just who is the head of this body? Not us! So, we can’t be giving the orders. Our Lord is a loving master. He will come and dwell with us and in us. He’s not cruel and harsh. "My yoke is light". We are not alone in our new life.

I think the key is finding the balance between being hard on our selves, but not too hard. A good rule of thumb is to be harder on yourself than you are on others. We’ve got to watch out for playing the victim, though. This is all about growing and becoming a better person. Pray that God will continually disclose to you areas that need work and pray for the constant renewal of his Spirit.

The ongoing problem in the world is that our desires as humans are typically not in line with what God desires for us. Even when we think they are good, such as love and kindness, if the motive is self-driven it is not pure.

What God asks us to do is always in line with spiritual laws. Break any of them and you suffer the consequences. One of these spiritual laws is that the more you give the more you get. This refers not only to financial giving, but also of your time, talents and, most importantly, your selfless love.

We must be transformed from the old self to a new self. The old self has us striving to control. The new self surrenders this control and lives only to do and please the will of God. Our pride makes this hard for us. We don’t like it. It means sacrifice.

True Love

The reward of living this way is that we find out what true love is. Remember that Jesus gave us a new commandment. It was much like the old commandment-the golden rule-but better. We were told then to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Christ gives us a higher way. Love one another as he loves us. His love is pure.

Each day we can be renewed in Christ. He gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way. No trial or tribulation is too great with God on our side. And he promises to never leave us. Facing our difficulties with Jesus in us allows for overcoming these troubles and demonstrating to others God’s power. This must be why Paul, Peter and James spoke so often of endurance (Romans 5:4, Colossians 1:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:5, James 1:2-4, 2 Peter 1:6).

It is natural that we are still going to have fear and be troubled about life’s challenges. Each day that we totally rely on our Master strengthens us. It’s about trust. Many of us have had to learn how to trust. When we can totally rely on God it will drive out the fear we have that comes from realizing that self-reliance won’t solve our problems.

Part of the transformation process is that we become givers instead of takers. Jesus calls us his friends, and he showed us that as a friend we value others more than ourselves. To appreciate that we must be broken like the bread Christ broke at the last supper.