Prayer shapes us
The hammer of life could leave me bent out of shape.
Everyone gets pounded on the anvil.
For many people, those sickening thuds leave them marred but not changed.
One can shape steel by putting it in the fire until it glows red. Then, when the blacksmith pounds on it, the metal becomes meaningful, useful with each smash.
I’ve discovered that to not get twisted or break under the slams and shattering events of life, I have to go into the fire first.
Only when we are glowing, red hot, will we be shaped by the blows.
Daily.
How do we go through the fire before getting on the anvil of the day?
Jesus illustrated this once by taking His disciples with him up on a mountain to pray.
While He prayed, He began to glow.
He became exceedingly bright on that mountain and they were amazed at the change in Him.
Do you climb to the heights and pray until you are on fire?
Let’s be honest, most people’s prayers do not glow. Mine tend to be dull unless I focus on what I should be accomplishing in that time.
Only the intense, heart-felt, I’m-not-leaving-until-you-bless-me kind of prayers will shape us.
When I have deeply prayed, I truly feel like I glow.
I’ve discovered though that it is not always the same point in the prayer where I become softened and pliable in His presence.
Once, Jesus’s disciples caught Him praying. They demanded that He teach them how to have a lit prayer experience.
He outlined several points of prayer and I’ve discovered that in one or more of those components, I will catch fire each morning (if I’m willing).
- One area is to talk to the Lord about how great He is. All day long, people use His name to curse. You will find a special glow when you bless His name and lift Him up rather than tear Him down.
- In prayer, we invite Him to reign in our region: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.” In that prayer of submission, I have to let my desires go and confirm His. That melts me.
- He invites us to present the things we and others need. While praying for those things, you might weep and be drawn into a timeless experience of closeness with Him.
- He wants us to own up to it when we go out of bounds. If we have wronged Him or others in thoughts, words, and actions, we feel so fresh and alive again after coming clean with Him and them. Confessing my sins always leads to rejoicing afterward, knowing He forgives me the way I forgive others.
- Pray that you won’t sin. You know your weaknesses and the traps in your path today. Talk to Him about them. Ask Him to set you free from the evil one who seeks to destroy you. Something about knowing He’s got your back will light your fire with joy.
Stay at it. If you keep praying until you are red hot, you will find the blows of life make you a better person.
Molten. Shapeable. That’s the person the Master smith can make something out of.