Dear Heavenly Father,
One of the greatest lessons that we can learn is that of transformation and progression. In Romans 12:2, You tell us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have to change the way we think, so that our thoughts line up with the thoughts of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some of us are struggling with this because we are clinging to the things we desired before we became saved. You delivered us from toxic relationships, bad habits, and lack. 2 Corinthians 5:17(NLT) declares, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” We know Your Word is true, and You’ve made us brand new in Christ; yet, we keep going back to those old things and trying to make them work.
We need to recognize that while earth is our habitation, and we have much enjoyment here, it can be very hostile territory for the Christian. We have an enemy, Your archenemy, the devil. When You take us out of bad situations, environments, or relationships, You do so because they hinder our progress forward. They are blockers and keep us from receiving all the good things You have in store for us. They keep us from expanding Your Kingdom on earth, and this is why the devil tries to keep us entangled with old patterns, habits, and relationships. It’s why he tries to prevent us from transforming so that we don’t progress forward and fulfill Your purposes.
In Exodus 14, Your people had been delivered from slavery under the terrible tyranny of the Egyptian pharaoh. You employed Moses to deliver them, but as soon as they faced a challenge in foreign territory, they began to turn on Moses and said they’d rather go back to Egypt and remain in slavery. Heavenly Father, please help us to see when we’re on the verge of making mistakes like this. Their fear and desire to go back to bondage is a lesson to us. It tells us that it is very easy for the mind to go back to what it is used to if it is not stimulated to do otherwise. This is one of the reasons we must stay in Your Word, and continually renew our minds to it.
You’re all about transformation and progression. You’ve let us know under no uncertain terms that we must be transformed! We also see from examples in Your Word, and in our own lives, that transformation can make us uncomfortable, but it is a crucial component to progress; we cannot progress without it.
It is also important for us to recognize that whenever we’re about to step into a new level of blessings and promotion, the enemy will try to interrupt it. Reminders of what we used to have—how sweet, pretty, handsome, or pleasurable it was—often make us want to go back. Even when those things caused us to regress or caused us to make missteps and mistakes in our walk with Christ, some of us still hunger for them. This is a mistake of the worse kind. Heavenly Father, please help us remember that Your plan is to take us higher. Our destiny is to achieve and receive more so that we’re in a position to be a greater blessing to others. We don’t have time to look back.
Many of us have begged You for deliverance and to take us to a better place. We shouldn’t help the devil to set a trap for our own lives, but instead, we should continue to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus, as Philippians 3:14 states. You tell us to refuse to go back into bondage—to resist the devil, and he will flee from us. Please open our eyes to the tricks of the devil; because he wants to make us a slave to sin. Our past is in the past, and we need to leave it there. Thank You for helping us to transform our lives for Your glory. Help us to live according to Your plan, because Your plan includes a future full of blessings, happiness, and prosperity.
Thank You for Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Transformation and Progression”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.