Untwisted Prayer

God has been doing some really neat things in my heart lately. Recently I was previewing the Andy Stanley DVD TWISTED to get things ready for our LIFE Groups. For those of you who aren’t in a LIFE Group or missed that night, Stanley talks about praying a prayer to ask God to keep lies far from him and help him keep his life untwisted. I decided that I was going to commit to praying a prayer like that every day for several weeks to see what would happen.

My prayer goes something like this: God, keep falsehood and lies far from me and my family (I mention them by name). Help me focus on your eternal truth. Unveil my eyes so I see, feel and think as You do.

It has been incredible to see how that simple, daily prayer has changed my life. I have been able to see areas I have been sinning in, areas I have been struggling in, areas that other people are being twisted in and even subtle areas where we have been distracted or off target as a body.

One area that has been pretty profound for me came when I was reading a book on business coaching. As I went through the five types of leaders the first one was the self-made leader. As I read the description I thought What a jerk. Not it. and then I went back to reading, but God wasn’t done there yet. He slowly brought me back to see that although I have had a ton of help from Him, from coaches, ministry mentors, leaders and friends, I was living as though I had gotten to this place in life on my own. And worse yet, because I was living like I got here on my own, I was treating others like they needed to get where God wants them to be on their own too. I was pointing out where people needed to be, but I wasn’t doing anything to help them get there. I was pushing instead of leading. I was completely convicted that I had believed a lie about myself and it had negatively impacted many other people (family, staff, elders, ....) What God helped me see with unveiled eyes (2 Corinthians 3:14-18) was that we all need help to get to where we are going and a real leader points the way and then walks with you as you head there. I have done some confessing and repenting before God and others this week because of it.

I want to personally challenge you to start praying that prayer every day. Commit to praying it every day for 30 days and see what happens in your life. What can it hurt? And maybe, just maybe, there is some stuff in your life that is twisted too and God will help you see it for what it is. There is a great life in Christ and God is waiting to help you get untwisted enough to see it.

Love,
Michael