“O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.” Psalm 54:2
As you think about a new year, I hope you are also pondering how your relationship with Christ might be different and new this year. Prayer is often one area that I repeatedly hear people say they struggle, and I will admit it is not my best spiritual discipline. So, woman to woman let’s talk about prayer.
Often our prayers are self-centered on what we want God to do for us or others, Bill Hybels has listed 5 words that precede the word “me” that, if practiced, could change our prayer life and our relationship to God. I heard the message on radio, and then sought out the information in print form; I have abbreviated it all below for you to think about as you review your prayer life and attitude. They appear to be progressive in nature, each one drawing us closer to Him and His will for us.
SEARCH ME “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23-24.) Is that the cry of your heart? We often are quick to point out the sins in others, but are we ready to ask God to reveal and expose our rebellious and selfish spirit?
BREAK ME God wants us to come to Him with repentant hearts for when we do we can be in His presence and able to hear Him more clearly in our lives. “You cannot grow as a Christian until you learn to ask for brokenness. Regardless of your level of spiritual maturity, there will always be areas of your life God needs to work in” (Bill Hybels). Our disobedience offends our Lord. Our rebellious attitude and actions estrange us from the fellowship He longs for with us. If we truly love him, we will ask Him to show us where we have given our love over to other things (idols). “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18)
STRETCH ME To be stretched means to be brought to a place beyond one’s human limits. If we want to ever be used by God, we need to allow God to stretch us. If you think about many of the Bible characters we have come to know and love, many were asked by God to do things that they felt were way beyond their abilities. If we can do something in our own strength how will we give God the glory? People will see us, not Him. It may mean that by asking to be stretched you are entering into a place where God will bring trials and challenges into your life for you to walk through on His strength. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV).
LEAD ME “…ye are not your own. For you are brought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20.) King David cried out “Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies…” (Psalm 5:8). “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:5). “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
USE ME “It is exciting to make yourself available to God so that He can touch someone else through you. Such prayer creates adventures.” (Bill Hybels). Anyone who has ever been used of God has gone through the process of searching, breaking, stretching and leading. It is by this process that we are made usable, because of it we offer total surrender to His will. We truly become “doers” of the word and not just “hearers”. Can you pray Romans 12:1-2? “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (ESV). Let’s not forget the verse in Ephesians that reminds us of why we were created, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10 ESV). Let us strive this year to ask God to use us as He has designed us, and how He needs us to be for His glory and kingdom.
Victory Call 