Freedom and Change
Freedom comes with responsibility. And if we take responsibility for our role in the story, we might just have to change.
Change comes with lots of loss
Changing your story can change your life.
Ted Talk: How changing your story can change your life
"Freedom comes with responsibility. And if we take responsibility for our role in the story, we might just have to change."
- Lori Gottleib
What is the difference?
There is a difference between saying a prayer and praying. Paul's prayer for the Philippians is that they will grow in four areas of their lives. (Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible, p. 1610).
- Spiritual devotion (belief)
- Spiritual discernment (direction wisdom)
- Spiritual development (change)
- Spiritual deportment (behavior)
"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and discernment. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11
How to pray
All prayers do not work. Prayer for Christians is defined as conversation with God, both listening and talking. How can we pray for those who want to change the story they tell themselves.
Learn How to Pray the Scriptures
Jesus modeled prayer for us. He often went away to talk with His Father, to listen to His Father, to be with His Father. He chose to obey His Father even in Gethsemane when others deserted Him. God wants to be with us.
He wants us to ask. He longs to hear from us.
He pursues us with His love.
Do we do the same? Do we honor and adore Him? God wants us to be transformed into the image of His Son. How can that be possible? Think of the stages of a butterfly.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2
As we start the New Year in 2025, our hope and focus is our willingness to be changed by His power working in and through us. We have that clarity when we ask. Just ask. We forget to ask.
He will guide and repair our thinking--our minds--to be transformed to see His viewpoint. We can pray that same verse for others to become aware of humbly surrendering to God's will to live a joyful life, no matter what the circumstances may be.
Pray the Scriptures
Transformation is change. Changing into the image of Jesus to reflect for our good and for His glory is possible through surrender to His will, not our will. Letting go of the old story we tell ourselves is a loss of our old identity. Letting God change us, instead, through His Holy Spirit, reflects a new story--our new identity in Christ.