"Change Me, Lord"
Suggested Bible Reading
When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before
him, and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he
suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him." Jesus
answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be
with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me." And
Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured
instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could
we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For
truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say
to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing
will be impossible for you."
-Matthew 17:14-20 (NRSV)
Today's Scripture
Jesus said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard
seed . . . nothing will be impossible for you."
-Matthew 17:20 (NRSV)
LATELY, I have been having struggles both at work and in
personal relationships. I knew that positive change would have to start with
me, so in my devotional time I talked to God about my frustrations and
concerns. When it came to specifically praying for the kind of change that I
wanted, however, it was not always easy to put my thoughts into words. All I
seemed able to pray was, "Change me, Lord."
It wasn't until I took time to reflect on the effect of
listening more intently to friends, colleagues, and family members that I
understood these conversations were God's way of communicating more clearly
with me. Through more focused listening, I found that I was able to offer a
deeper level of relationship. Deeper levels of trust developed.
God was changing me and will continue to change me. Instead of
wanting results of prayer on my terms, I am learning to first give thanks
for the small steps of growth God brings. I'm also trying to be more aware
that God is present with me each day, offering the strength to break old
habits and deepen relationships. I am finding renewed willingness to trust
in God's direction.
Bruce W. Bunce (North Carolina, U.S.A.)
Prayer
Dear God, give us the courage to make necessary changes in
ourselves that bring us closer to others and to you. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Instead of asking God to change our situation, we should
ask God to change us.
Prayer Focus
For spiritual growth
Related Reading
Wrestling with Grace
WRESTLING WITH GRACE: A Spirituality for the Rough Edges
of Daily Life shows how to overcome obstacles with grace and how to bless
the undesirables of life to open our spirits to deeper joy and love.
The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION
of the Bible, copyrightC 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
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