Transform Me!

Theme

As we pray this week, we are participating in the Story of God by asking God to transform our hearts

Scriptures

Psalm 51:10-12: Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Notice

As we look at these two passages, let’s notice three things:

First, God wants us to change. We aren’t okay just as we are. God wants to form us more and more into His likeness, to make us more and more like Jesus. The Psalmist understands that he needs to change. He begs God to change him.

Secondly, notice who changes us. Even when we get onboard with God and agree that we need to change, we don’t change ourselves. It is God who creates in us a new heart, God who puts in us a new steadfast spirit. God Himself who indwells us in the person 

of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, let’s notice the goal of our transformation: the salvation of the Lord, made manifest in our ability to follow His decrees and keep His laws. The goal is obedience to God - but it is an obedience that is the natural outworking of a life transformed by God, the nature work of those who are in the Spirit.

Pray

Lord, reveal to me those places where I am not living like you, those places where my heart is not fully given over to you, those places where your love has yet to change me.

As you reveal these places, give me the humility and strength to submit to you, to grace to hear your voice, and the faith to trust that letting go of my will and surrendering to yours will be worth any difficulty or pain.

Father, make me more like your Son. Lord Jesus, help me to love you and serve you faithfully. Holy Spirit, transform me. 

Practice

Take one thing that God revealed to you in prayer this week and share it with someone you can trust. Ask that person to pray for you, and to keep you accountable as the Spirit works in and through you to transform you.