15 Prayers to Transform My Heart and Life

My daughter and I used to enjoy watching shows with the purpose to transform someone’s appearance—hair, makeup, and wardrobe.

Likewise, prayer has the power to transform us from the inside out.

So I gathered prayers I prayed and jotted down in my prayer journal or shared here on my blog.

And prayers I posted on social media to encourage other believers.

Transform My Heart

(1.)  Lord, empower me to live godly in an ungodly culture. And strengthen me to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (ESV)

Lord, empower me to live godly in an ungodly culture. And strengthen me to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen. (Micah 6:8) Share on X

(2.)  God, I surrender all to You. Give me clean hands and a pure heart as I seek Your kingdom above all. I need Your strength to be a living sacrifice, not conforming to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen. (See Psalm 24; Romans 12:1)

(3.)  Father, grow me as a student of the grace and knowledge of Jesus—a faithful student of Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(4.)  Heavenly Father, let my face glow with the beauty of Jesus, my heart beat with His passion, and my soul bloom with His glory and holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(5.)  Lord, give me the strength to set my mind on things above, hide your Word in my heart, daily put on the full armor of God, walk in the light, love you with all my heart, soul and mind, and praise your holy name above all names. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

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Life is Good vs. God is Good

Life is good. We hear it spoken. We see it on clothing, bags, hats, and as a framed quote. 

The phrase rolls off our tongues and scatters across our devices. 

It takes the spotlight when our online friend has a new pet, a new car or a new “something.”

Perhaps the words are in order when we land the ideal job, get a promotion, win a contest or an award, receive good news on medical tests, or anything that makes us feel on top of the world.

But what about when life’s not good? What then?

Life is Good vs. God is Good

Because if we put our hope in the ever-changing nature of real life, at the first hint of things going south, we won’t be on top of the world. No, we find ourselves in life’s pit of despair.

You see, I’ve never been a fan of the phrase. And here’s why; look at Merriam-Webster’s definition of good. “The pleasant things that happen to people.”

Oh, I want pleasant things to happen to me. I’m betting so do you.

Sure, some days the pleasant things come. And I’m on cloud nine. But on other days, life’s pleasant things stay far away. Maybe they go on vacation or visit my neighbor.

Or, the good things in life happen to all those friends on social media. You know, the friends sharing the wonderful news and picture to prove that it really happened. And the friends type the words in all caps and add an exclamation point, LIFE IS GOOD!

Yet as Christians, our hope lies in God, not in life. He’s a good, good Father with a never-changing nature. The Lord overflows with love, goodness, mercy, hope, peace, joy, compassion, patience, and kindness. The things that matter. And no matter what happens, God’s still good.

The Bible never promises, “Life is good.” Not even after we become Christ-followers. But God has promised good to us. Because God is good. Share on X

3 Ways to Remember God is Good

(1.) Change our perspective. Bad days don’t mean there won’t be good days. Life’s a mix of good days and bad days. The Bible never promises, “Life is good.” Not even after we become Christ-followers. But God has promised good to us.

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Did You Know Kindness is Contagious?

I love how kindness is contagious and it’s one of the great ways we show others the love and light of Jesus in us.

There are many things to love about kindness.

First, how kindness is contagious. 

Think about a time someone acted kind toward you.

Did you want to be kind to that person or pay it forward? 

Also, contrary to what people may say or think, kindness never goes out of style. 

Even when society’s pendulum swings toward a me-focused culture, kind acts will always make a difference. 

And that’s why God’s people play an important role in dispensing kindness without discrimination or qualification. 

Our example in this is Jesus and His earthly ministry. 

Because from a spiritual standpoint, kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. Kindness grows in us as we sow and practice it. (Galatians 5:22-23)

So what is the current state of my fruit of kindness? Have I cultivated it in my daily life and in my family, community, and relationships? Maybe I haven’t planted enough seeds for it to grow. Or worse, it’s unused and decaying.

I love how kindness is contagious and it's one of the great ways we show others the love and light of Jesus in us. Share on X

Kindness From God

You see, one of the epic reasons kindness makes a difference is how we never earn it. Consider God’s loving kindness toward us. 

It leads us to repentance. “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 ESV

His lovingkindness saves us. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:4-5 ESV

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