The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize how distracting the world is and how often we try to control our own lives without first seeking His will. I read this today and thought I would share it here. Enjoy.
“Sometimes God asks us to abandon happiness for what appears to be loneliness. Sometimes He asks us to abandon physical comfort for physical pain or torture. Why does God require this of us? Because God requires death before He brings forth life. The Bible says, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Abandonment sometimes leads to the death of our pleasure . . . or our comfort . . . or out immediate happiness.
But God doesn’t leave us in a state of turmoil when we abandon ourselves to His will. When we abandon our desires to pursue those of God, we turn from our feelings of self-love and self-protection and move toward divine love and divine worship. It is then that we get a new desire for living. It’s in that transformation that we find a new desire to worship God. When we die to our selfish plans, we become like the wheat that dies in the soil. Through death to self, we slowly begin to grow and become fruit unto the glory of God.
When we pray, “not our will, but Yours,” we are talking about surrendering our wills, not destroying them. Our will represents our power to make decisions in life. When we eradicate our wills, we become like pieces of paper blown down and empty alley that follow the dictates of the wind, with no backbone . . . no determination . . . no purpose in life.
The prayer of abandonment must always lead to the prayer of transformation: “Lord, I give my life to You. Now transform me into the image of Jesus Christ.” This only occurs when we move beyond abandonment and are transformed to love and obey God.” How to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say pp 102, 103 by Elmer L. Towns, Regal from Gospel Light
