"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation).
Many people in our world do not take the time to speak to God or to believe God for great things. They are negative, pessimistic and toxic in their thinking, and it shows in everything they do. As believers, our challenge is that we don't always realize to what degree our thinking has been affected by this world. Fear, doubt, and unbelief may have entered our thinking patterns over time. It can become very hard for us to pray prayers that are aligned with the "good and pleasing and perfect will of God" for us. That's why we struggle to pray for God's intervention and provision at times. Unknowingly, we have defaulted to the world's way of negative thinking.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 NKJV
We have to ask the Lord to help us as we retrain our minds by reading the Bible to think more like King's kids, rather than outcasts and rebels. When we read the Bible, we become acquainted with the ways of God and the will of God. This way we are better equipped to pray according to God's revealed will. We have also learned in this series of teachings that God answers prayers that are in alignment with His will. This retraining of our minds will result in us becoming new persons who can be used by God in a mighty way.
Make it a priority to pray daily for God to help you by changing the way you think about your life, your family and others. You will be so glad you did!
Action Step:
- Take a moment to inventory the way you have been thinking about your biggest challenges lately. Were you positive that God is helping you to overcome, or, were you negative, thinking that all is lost and beyond repair?
- Ask God to show you in the Word how He wants to be your Good Shepherd, guarding, guiding and providing for you.
- Now pray and ask the Lord to help you by changing your thinking from tragedy to triumph; defeat to victory, and negative to positive.
- Take a moment to thank God for helping you with your thoughts.
- Your prayer results will change when you leave the world's way of thinking behind.
Review:
1. Prayer Is Simply Talking And Listening To God.
2. Prayer Should Flow From A Contrite Heart.
3. Your Prayers Should Be Confident.
4. Your Prayers Should Be Concise And To The Point.
5. Your Prayers Should Be Consistent And Constant.
6. Pray In Jesus' Name.
7. Pray About Everything!
8. You Do Not Have Because You Don't Ask God.
9. Asking God With The Wrong Motive Doesn't Work.
10. Ask Expecting To Receive From God.
11. Ask God To Bless Your Enemies As You Pray.
12. Ask The Lord To Make You More Loving As You Pray.
13. Make Talking To God A Priority Every Day.
14. Pray According To God's Will.
15. Prayer Frames Help Shape Our Prayers.
16. Ask God To Change The Way You Think.
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