How God Goes About Making You Better
It takes a lot of courage. Are you up to it? If you pray this prayer and follow the itinerary, you will become the best version of yourself. Moreover, you will find favor with God and man. Are you ready. Pray this:
Make Me Better Lord
This simple prayer offered in sincerity sets things in motion beyond our comprehension. I hope you like an adventure because you just embarked on one. Your life will not be easy, but it will be beyond rewarding.
Can you quote the 23rd Psalm from memory? I can’t. There is the verse that goes: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” (v.2)
Read on, and you come across, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (v.4)
In response to your prayer, Make Me Better Lord, your itinerary will include stops in green pastures and drive-bys to still and peaceful waters. It sounds like a vacation, but alas, they don’t last.
John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the presence of many witnesses. When Jesus ascended out of the water, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove. Then a voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-16)
After this spectacular introduction, you would expect a press conference immediately followed by a tour of the most prominent cities in the Roman Empire. On the contrary, Jesus completely disappeared from view; God had other plans for His beloved Son:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Mt 4:1) Why did Jesus’ itinerary include such a demanding and dangerous detour?
God deliberately, intentionally, and strategically leads His people into trouble, but not by themselves. I’ve taught this truth to others for years, but I still shake my head thinking about it.
Here is another head-shaker from the writer of Hebrews: “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (Hebrew 5:8)
Let’s get back to your, Make Me Better Lord itinerary. By now, you’ve figured out that there will be bumps in the road. Let’s keep it real. On occasion, you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but not alone.
A great consolation is always knowing, “Thou are with.” God also promises that we will not be tempted or challenged beyond our capacity without Him providing an escape route. (Corinthians 10:13) Take that to the bank.
Here is the greatest consolation. God is conforming you into His image. You are growing in grace. You are progressing from glory to glory and from faith to faith. The Lord is renewing your mind to understand His will and His ways.
God is remaking you into a vessel of honor. You are becoming a friend of God. Sign me up for all of that. Make Me Better Lord. Here are some essential things to know about becoming the best version of yourself.
Many of your prayers will go “unanswered.” The Make Me Better Lord prayer trumps: Lord get me out of this; get me away from here; Lord change them or get them away from me, etc. Here is a prayer that God will answer: Lord change me!
Next, you can be sure that God will place people that irritate you along long stretches of your itinerary. There is no use in praying away those people that God has assigned to you. Ouch!!
I don’t know about you, but there are individuals of a particular personality type that I keep running into all the time. The names change, but I have met them before, if you know what I mean.
Just one more point. Please don’t take the exit ramp on your better version itinerary. Stick it out. You don’t want to have to come back later to to complete that part of the trip.
I hope you will pray the Make Me Better Lord prayer. There is no price too high to pay to be called the friend of God. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 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 12:1-2)
