The Prayer that Changed My Life
Twenty-two thousand women sat on the edge of their seats as the teacher standing center stage asked, “Do you want to have an insatiable love for Jesus?” Her words hung in the air. She answered, “Pray to.”
Scrambling to find my pen and struggling to spell the word insatiable, I wrote these simple yet powerful words in my conference notebook. The words pierced my heart, I knew this was a love for Jesus I did not have.
While Jesus was my Savior, I knew something was missing. I had asked Jesus to be my Savior but not allowed Him to be my Lord. I loved Him for what He did but not who He was.
I wanted to cry out this “pray to” prayer. But I wondered, “What must God think of me?” Service to Him had been my life. Dedication to my church was paramount. But love? How could I not really love Jesus?
My thoughts were misguided.
God heard my earnest prayer. The challenge of the speaker became a lifestyle of prayer for me.
Over time the emptiness in my heart was filled with a love for Jesus I had never known before. My heart not only praised Him for what He had done for me but now loved Him for who He was to me: my Lord.
Obedience and service now flowed from a heart of love instead of from duty. Lies that once shaped my life and feelings about myself where shattered by the honesty and power of His Word. The security of knowing Him as Lord gave me what I had been looking for my whole life: freedom, the freedom of knowing who I am and courage to live it unashamedly.
Do you want to love Jesus with an insatiable love? If you answered yes, then pray to. Humble yourself truthfully before the Lord and ask Him to help you love Him. Pray the prayer that will change your life. Your prayers are powerful and effective. Over time the emptiness in your heart will be filled with a love for Jesus you have never known.
Oh Wendy! How timely was your devotion this morning. I have served the Lord from the time I was a little girl. I am now 50. The past two years have been the hardest of my life as I have fought depression, anxiety, emotional ups and downs and physical things as well. I have questioned my entire past relationship with God as I battled thoughts like, “Have you ever really loved Him? How could you have feelings inside like you’ve had and really had a relationship with Him?” On and on the thoughts and doubts have flooded my very being. Little by little I have been making progress, but just this morning I felt like God was directing me to have child-like faith. Just believe in Him and love Him. Simple as that. I, too, am praying for a love for Jesus like I’ve never known. Since He is always faithful, I know it will happen!
Hi Sisters in Jesus,
When I was a child I knew of God and about God but did not know God or have a personal relationship with Him. I prayed when I wanted something from him but didn’t have much self worth from an authoritarian childhood. I didn’t truly believe God loved me because I didn’t like myself. I drifted through life with a strong belief in Gods existence but was not living it, not repentant and not convicted.
I had multiple failed relationships which I engaged in as a way of increasing my self esteem. Of course the bar for men was not very high, whoever would have me. If he likes me I am likeable. I lived through men and did what ever they were doing and liked whatever they liked. They were my false god, I worshiped them and tried hard to please them. Spotless house and yard, cars clean, looking my best all the time.
They were my identity because I did not have a sense of self. Only danger with this is that when your identity is outside of yourself it can be taken from you as quickly as it has been given and whoever is giving it has the control. Correspondingly my break ups were devastating so I would have to go out and get another relationship. I refused to stay with the pain and learn lessons and find myself. I tended to attract violent and/or mentally abusive controlling men and then become a pretzel pleasing them.
I got involved with a particular man, he was very “unavailable”. He came and went from my life as he pleased. He was very attractive. He had a presence about him that was powerful and commanded respect. He had a hold on me that I had never experienced before and I could not end my involvement with him even though I was desperate to. I had lost a lot of weight, 173 cm and 53kg. I was becoming more and more uncontrollable in both my emotions and behaviour. Completely dependent to the point of ringing this man up and begging and crying for him to come see me. I told him, “I crave you” he said “yeah”.
I prayed to God in desperation. Please show me what hold this man has over me as I have never experienced this before. Please show me what is going on and how to get away from him because I am being destroyed. I fear a point of complete control and no return.
He came to stay and left for work the next day. I woke up after he left, sat up in my bed and looked around. There was white powder and crystals in my bed and on the floor. (dark floor). I knew straight away what he was doing. Drugging me without my knowledge. I had had no prior drug use (or alcohol abuse) in my life, so I didn’t have any knowledge about substances and the symptoms and signs of use and of course no experience with it.
A couple of days after this incident I purchased the local news paper to read. Two articles were in it. One on all the types of illicit drugs and the symptoms. I had symptoms of Cocaine and Meth although I do not know what I was being given. Secondly an article on the perpetrator, a wanted man for drug trafficking.
WHAT AN ANSWER TO PRAYER !!!!
I knew without a doubt God had revealed himself to me and loved me. I prayed for strength to withdraw at home on my own and to have the strength not to have any contact and to find help to heal and get my life on track. I asked for protection as I had experienced some serious threats. I cried for days, weeks and months as withdrawal was the blackest depression imaginable along with the loss of someone I was close too. Each time I turned on the TV to relieve my pain. Joyce Meyer was preaching about everything I needed to hear. I clung to Joyce Meyer and God like and addict and God transformed my life with his biblical therapy and answered prayers. I fully trusted him because he had already shown me he could be trusted.
I have lived on my own for many years now and have gone back to school and university. God helped me to face the pain of my childhood. I have my identity now, in Jesus Christ and his love and goodwill toward me. I have it in something stable unlike the shifting sands of anything on this earth. I have goals guided by Jesus. I like who I am now through the value and acceptance, as a daughter of the King of this World. I have love and acceptance that no one can take away from me.
Trust In the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Kind Regards to you all xxx
Dear Melinda and Faith,
Thank you for sharing your testimonies! Our God is powerful and we are called to love him with all of our hearts for who He is. Lord, help me to remember this also!
Your sister in Christ,
Karen – cent. OR