Always Emily

We’ve all been in situations we wanted to change. Whether they were situations of mild discomfort or life or death, it’s likely there have been moments you prayed for God to intervene.

My prayers for change usually end up being very similar to one another: “please change this,” “please remove this obstacle,” “please make this all work out in my favor.”

The prayer we usually hesitate to pray is the one that changes us. We want our situations to change, but we certainly don’t want to change. We think “I don’t need to be different, life needs to be different.”

A few years ago, I was in a situation where I had to change. I could not, in good conscious, pray for the situation to change. There was someone in my life that I found it very difficult to relate to. I got irritated easily with them, and found myself trying to avoid interactions with them.

I was in one of these moods, irritated and looking right at them. “You’ve got to do something,” I prayed silently in my head. “I have to be able to love this person well, and right now I am not doing a good job. I need you to step in.”

He exceeded any expectations I might have had. He softened my heart in ways I did not expect. This person became someone I really loved and enjoyed being with. I saw them with the eyes of Jesus, someone deserving and needing love.

I was so thankful that Jesus changed me. He did not remove them from my life. He didn’t change their personality. He changed my perspective, He softened my heart, He let me see them with His eyes, through His love.

Wherever you are looking for change in your life, I invite you to rethink how you are praying for change. Have you asked God to change your heart? Have you asked Him to change your perspective?

One of the main goals of our lives as Christians is to be growing and changing to reflect the character of Jesus. Start your prayer from that posture, of wanting to be different, wanting to be like Jesus.

Jesus, thank you for who You are. I ask that you step into this situation. I pray that you intervene in a way that makes me better, makes me more like You. Help me to see things through Your eyes and mold me to Your character. I pray for breakthrough, for change only You can bring. Thank you for who You are. Amen.

Always,

Emily