Romans 12:1-2; I Corinthians 10:12 - "Lift My Life Up"

Over the course of the last few days I have been prompted by the Lord to pray for people specifically to have peace.  Some of these ones I know a little about what they are dealing with while others I don't have a clue.  When I saw this picture, I was thinking about one that I prayed for that I said something along the lines of "May God be your umbrella of peace in this storm of life."  He wants to be our peace.  The desire of His heart is for us to lean on Him through the storms so that our faith can grow and we will become more dependent on Him and less on ourselves.  

When I saw this picture, it made me start to think about those who don't know Him.  How sad that they don't have His strength.  They don't have His hope.  They don't have His peace.  Lord, help them to find You.  It's also sad to think about believers who refuse to give up themselves in order to live a life of surrender.  It is only through a life of surrender that His fullness can be found.  The peace that comes from a life of surrender makes for a life of contentment.  The peace that comes from a life of surrender gives calmness in the midst of a storm.  A life of surrender also takes away the tiredness of trying to live in this world.  Once self is dead there is no longer the struggles of being good enough because the Lord fills us with confidence.  There is no longer the struggles of keeping up with everyone else because the Lord fulfills us through eternal rewards instead of the worldly rewards we strive for as humans.  

I am so grateful for making the decision to follow the words of Romans 12:1-2 to live my life as a living sacrifice.  Even though I still live in this world I no longer live of this world.  People aren't who I please.  Only the Lord.  Things aren't what is important but instead eternity is what is foremost in my mind.  People's souls are more important than saying things to make people happy.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I love the song by Unspoken called, "Lift My Life Up" because that's how I live.  My daily prayer is for the Lord to put more of Himself in me and less of me.  "Have Your way in me" is my way of living.  Yesterday I had a time where the Lord told me to pray for someone and I'm always ready to do so. I don't know what they are going through that they need peace but I prayed.  Then He told me to tell them and I argued because this person doesn't like me nor care to communicate with me.  He told me again to tell them.  I have learned that it's OK to question the Lord but when He tells you to do something a second time He isn't giving up.  So I told them and as I did I prayed for them to accept the words.  There are times people tell me things the Lord gives them to give me and I get confused because they don't apply at that point in my life.  It really shouldn't surprise me that within a short amount of time the words given to me become applicable.  I praise His Holy Name for being the living God that He is.

If peace is a river then let it sweep over me
If I'm under fire I know it's refining me
When I hear You calling out I follow now wherever the road may go
I know You're leading me home

These words are so meaningful.  We not only need to follow the Lord but we need to live a life of surrender.  When we do, we will know that He is leading us home to live for eternity with Him.  The Apostle Paul gives a warning to believers in I Corinthians 10:12.  He wrote, So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!  Many believers think they are "OK" because they believe.  But I firmly believe it takes more than just believing.  It takes surrendering one's self and allowing the Lord to "Have Your way with me…" as this song says.  

Dear Jesus,

Once again I pray for those who are going through storms in this life.  Lord, I'm not asking for You to take away the storms because I know it is in those storms that You grow our faith.  But I am asking that You be their umbrella.  Protect them from the evil one.  Give them encouragement through others.  Father, I can't help them all but I know I can pray for them.  I also know I can't make believers surrender the ways of this world for a total life of surrender.  It breaks my heart to see people struggling when all it would take is for them to surrender.  Father, I pray for more believers to get to the end of themselves.  Father, thank You for being The One I Am Surrendered To.  Amen.