Lord, Change Me: Day 1 – The Struggle to Change
Over the next few weeks, I want to talk about short prayers that will change your life.
Most people don’t want to change or they struggle to change. Too often we want others to change first.
Someone says, “Why is he so stubborn? It’s awful. He needs to change.” Another person says, “How can she be so heartless? She knows I’m doing the best I can. Is this what I get for being kind to her?”
Our tendency is to think it’s always the other person’s fault. They need to change.
Evelyn Christianson, however, learned to pray this way. “Lord, don’t change my children, don’t change my parents, don’t change the people at church, don’t change the people at work, don’t change my neighbors, don’t change anybody else – but, Lord, change me!”
Of course, we do pray that God would change the world around us and the people around us. But at the same time, the Lord also wants to change us.
Our circumstances may stay the same. The people around us may stay the same. And God changes us within those same circumstances and with those same people.
Like the old song: “It’s me, it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. Not my father, not my mother, but it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. Not my sister, not my brother, but it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”
Before telecommunications, one night a ship’s captain saw what looked like the light of another ship heading toward him. He had the signalman blink to the other ship: “Change your course ten degrees south.” The reply came back, “Change your course ten degrees north.”
The ship’s captain answered, “I am a captain. Change your course south.” To which the reply was, “I am a seaman first class. Change your course north.”
This infuriated the captain, so he signaled back, “I say change your course south. I’m on a battleship!” The reply came back, “And I say change your course north. I’m in a lighthouse.”
Not to change is certain disaster.
Prayer: “I know, Lord, I need to change. Help me.”
~ Pastor Dave
