In this series on Short Prayers that will change your life, I'd like to talk today about a dangerous kind of praying. I'm talking about a prayer for personal transformation! The prayer that prayers, "Lord, I'm not asking you to change my spouse or my boss or my situation." "Lord, change me!"

One night a ship's captain saw what looked like the light of another ship heading toward him. He had the signalman blink to the other ship: "Change your course ten degrees south." The reply came back, "Change your course ten degrees north." The ship's captain answered, "I am a captain. Change your course south." To which the reply was, "I am a seaman first class. Change your course north." This infuriated the captain, so he signaled back, "I say change your course south. I'm on a battleship!" The reply came back, "And I say change your course north. I'm in a lighthouse." Not to change is certain disaster. "Lord, change me!"

1. Everybody wants the other person to change first. One person says, "Why is he so stubborn? It's awful. He needs to change." Then the other person says, "How can she be so hardhearted? She knows I'm doing the best I can. Is this what I get for being kind to her?"

It's always the other person's fault, the other one who needs to change. We all have to make this our sincere prayer: "Lord, change me."

Perhaps we spend far too much time praying, "God, change my circumstances, change my coworkers, change my family situation, change the conditions in my life." Yet how often do we pray this most important prayer: "Lord, change me. The real trouble isn't my spouse, my sibling, my friend. I'm the one who stands in need of prayer."

2. The focus of our prayers is often to benefit ourselves. Every day Christians voice a variety of prayers, most of them self_serving pleas. We want God's help. We want God's protection. We want God's provision. The motive behind many prayers is that we want God to do something to change our unpleasant work environment, to change unlovable people, to change undesirable situations.

But God would lead us to pray: "Lord, don't change my work environment, don't change my circumstances, don't change my situation - but, Lord, change me!" I like the way Evelyn Christianson said it: "Lord, don't change my children, don't change my parents, don't change the people at church, don't change the people at work, don't change my neighbors, don't change anybody else - but, Lord, change me!"

I'm not saying that we should stop praying that God would change the world around us and the people around us. But there are times God wants us to take a look inside! Sometimes God chooses not to change the world around us or the people around us. The Lord wants to change us. Our circumstances stay the same, the people around us stay the same, and God changes us in those same circumstances with those same people. Like the old spiritual:

It's me, it's me, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer.
It's me, it's me, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer.
Not my father, not my mother, but it's me O Lord,
Standin' in the need of prayer.
Not my sister, not my brother, but it's me O Lord,
Standin' in the need of prayer.

When we're praying, "Lord, change me," we're acknowledging three things.

LORD, change me = Only God can really change me from the inside.
Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.

Lord, CHANGE me = I need a personal transformation.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever_increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Lord, change ME = I am the one who must change.
Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jim Clark, a minister with Herald of Truth in Texas, tells his story. Early one morning he couldn't sleep well. Frustrating thoughts floated through his mind as he mulled over people in his life that he wished would change. The message from the previous night was still on his mind. A preacher named Lynn Anderson had described ways we can allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. The preacher had said, "If you're no different than you were five years ago, are youreally allowing Christ to change you?" (Challenging question!) Pondering Lynn's words in those quiet, restless moments of the early hours, the Lord convicted Jim of how he was focusing so much on wanting others to change . . . and not considering how he needed Jesus to shape his heart more into his likeness.

A scene from the night before immediately invaded his memory - his defensiveness when his daughter told him she felt put down when he commented on a career she was considering. He realized how his sinful human nature rose up so quickly! He thought of his impatience with his children and his insensitivity to his wife. These things reminded him how far he had to go in Christlikeness. How he needed to release to Jesus those that bothered him with their irritating habits - and focus instead on asking the Lord to change him.

He began praying: "Father, whether others around me change or not, would you please point out the character defects and sins in my life and transform me more by your Holy Spirit. I'm open and willing to change and right now make myself available to you so that you can form me more into the likeness of Christ." Today let me suggest . . .

Seven Dangerous "Lord, Change Me" Prayers
Praying "Lord, change me" prayers is a dangerous kind of praying. It is dangerous, because, like all prayer, God will answer that prayer! God changes us when we ask him! When we prayerfully and courageously move out of our comfort zones, our spiritual lives will never be the same. God loves to hear us pray dangerously - prayers that open us up to him and cause us to grow spiritually. Are we up to the challenge to risk praying dangerously? Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you today. Ask yourself which one of these seven prayers you need to begin praying. The first dangerous "Lord, change me" prayer is . . .

Lord, bless me! Of course, this is from the prayer of Jabez.
1 Chronicles 4:10 (NKJV) And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" And God granted him what he requested.

At first this might seem like a selfish prayer. It is not. When you pray with Jabez, "Lord, bless me," you are praying: "Father God, from your unlimited goodness, I ask you to impart rich spiritual favor to me. Only you know best what I need most, and only you have the power to give it to me. I leave it entirely up to you to decide what blessings, where, when, and how I will receive them. I want nothing more and nothing less than what you want for me. Only that you would bless me a lot!"

The purpose of this prayer is not for some feeling or benefit that you get to enjoy selfishly in the corner. Not at all. You are inviting God to take you on a spiritual journey to bless you so that you can be a blessing to others. Blessed to be a blessing! "Enlarge my territory! Put your hand upon me. Stretch me beyond my comfort zone. I am dependent upon you. Keep me from evil." That is the prayer of Jabez.

Charles Finney was a pastor and evangelist during the nineteenth century. He was both professor of theology and president of Oberlin College in Ohio. He was a man who prayed earnestly and had a heart for the Lord's work. Once, he was bold enough to conclude a prayer that had been in keeping with the Lord's will saying, "And thou knowest, O Lord, that in these matters I am not accustomed to be denied."

When you pray, "Lord, bless me," you are asking God to push the spiritual accelerator down! You are saying to God, "Let's go for it!" "Lord, bless me!" Here's another dangerous "Lord, change me" prayer.

Lord, search me! Are you up for this one?
Psalms 139:23_24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. [24] See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

When you pray the prayer, "Lord, search me," you are inviting God to come and do surgery on your soul. Does anyone ever look forward to surgery? "Yeah, I just can't wait. All that pain and anesthesia and recovery." Right. When you pray this way, you are asking the Holy Spirit to convict you of any unconfessed sin. You are asking the Lord Jesus to apply the scalpel on any un-Christlike attitude or behavior. You are asking God the Father to discipline you as a genuine son or daughter of God.

That is a scary prayer. "God, is there anything between me and you? Just show me and I will confess it. Just show me and I will confront it." And what if God says, "Yes"? Then you lay down on the examination table and let the Lord Jesus do surgery on your soul. Let God forgive you of sin and set you free.

So often when we open the newspaper, we find another depressing headline - words in big letters shouting about a world threat, a crisis, another crime. We always read about bad news. A few years ago, one remarkable headline printed in half_inch letters: I ASKED JESUS INTO MY HEART. This story followed:

"During the night dogs had begun to bark furiously around the home of a local couple. Usually the dogs' barking signaled something amiss, that perhaps prowlers lurked nearby. But the next morning, the couple discovered that nothing had been taken. Instead, something had been returned. Outside the front door were two car speakers that had been stolen six weeks earlier. A note attached to them read, 'I'm sorry that I took your speakers, but now I have repented of my sins and asked Jesus to forgive me. I hope you will forgive me, too. I no longer take other people's belongings. God has changed me. I'm a new creature since I asked Jesus into my heart."

If you really want your heart to be clean before God, if you really want the Lord to transform your personality, if you really want the Spirit of God to purify you, then pray honestly and earnestly, "Lord, search me." Here's another dangerous "Lord, change me" prayer.

Lord, break me!
Jeremiah 18:6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

"Lord, like clay in the potter's hand, break me, melt me, shape me, mold me." To pray this short prayer is to say to God, "Lord, I'm not going to jump off the potter's wheel. I'm not going to jump off and hop around and yell at you for what you're doing." To pray, "Lord, break me," is to submit to God's sovereignty. It means to let go of the prayers that say: "God, what do you think you are doing? Can't you see that I am hurting? Why are you doing this to me?"

A man visited the shop of a famous potter. One operation that seemed to have little purpose had him puzzled. The worker was beating a lump of clay with a large mallet. It looked as if nothing was happening, and so the one who was taking the tour finally asked, "Sir, why are you doing that?" "Just wait and watch the results; then you'll understand," was the reply. He heeded the advice and soon noted that the top of the mass began to quiver and swell as little bumps formed on its surface. "Now you can see the need for the pounding," said the man. "I could never shape the clay into a worthwhile vessel if these bubbles remained in it, so I must gradually work them out."

The great Potter must work upon our souls. The discipline of chastening and the trials God sends are necessary to eliminate the bubbles of pride and selfishness. This is the only way the Master can form us into beautiful vessels capable of holding the treasures of his grace.

When searching for staff, one question I have in the back of my mind is this: Does this person have a broken spirit? To what degree has the work of the cross been evident within his or her life? How has this person suffered? How has this person responded to the suffering he or she has faced? Is this person's life marked by a sense of humility? The measure we have experienced and prayed through suffering is critical for personal transformation - for all Christians and especially leaders. The psalmist prayed:

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Someone said, "Each prayer has its own proper meaning, and it is therefore the specific key to a door in the divine palace, but a broken heart is an axe which open all the gates."

You cannot grow as a Christian until you learn to ask for brokenness. Whatever your level of spiritual maturity, there will always be areas of your life God needs to work in. Perhaps it is a penchant for perfectionism, an inclination to be discouraged, or stubborn insensitivity. Whatever it may be, new Christlike ways cannot replace the old until you let God smash the former patterns to bits.

But don't pray the prayer, "Lord, break me," unless you want you are ready for a powerful transformation through the work of the cross, by dying to self, by going down the pathway of suffering. It is a path all Christians must follow, but some are not ready for it. Today we've shortened it to "no guts, no glory; no pain, no gain." But William Penn (1644-1718), the English Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, said it first: "No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown." "Lord, break me!"

Lord, stretch me!
Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Do you remember the circumstances around this prayer in the book of Acts?

o Acts 1 - The Church had a Prayer Meeting.
o Acts 2 - The Holy Spirit came to the Church.
o Acts 3 - Peter and John healed a crippled man in Jesus' name.
o Acts 4 - The religious Council took them to task. "Don't do that. Don't heal people. Don't talk about Jesus." So the believers got together for a prayer meeting.

During the middle of their prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit was changing them. In fact, they were asking God to change them. They were praying a "Lord, change me" prayer. "Lord, I'm not asking you to change our circumstances or situation. Lord, change me. Lord, stretch me." You see, in the face of judicial demands to keep silent and in the face of potential persecution, they were praying for a holy boldness to keep preaching about Jesus.

Talk about courage! Have you heard the humorous story about courage? A young peoples' group had been studying the book of Esther. His mother knew her son had been paying attention when they had brussels sprouts for supper. Spearing one and looking at it distastefully, he placed it in his mouth, saying, "If I perish, I perish." Courage.

These early believers in the book of Acts were praying: "Lord, would you take note of these threats on our lives? We're in an awkward position. Our very lives are in danger. But we see you as the Exalted One, the Holy One, the Powerful One, the Worthy One. Lord, we're not asking you to wipe out the Sanhedrin. We have no vengeful spirit. We're not asking you to get us out of here. We're not trying to escape. We're not even asking for protection. But, Lord, would you give us courage - courage to carry out your marching orders? Lord, would you stretch us?"

This is the kind of prayer to pray when you want to grow up spiritually. When these first_century believers prayed for greater boldness instead of asking God to take away persecution, they were praying a "Lord, stretch me" prayer. If you know someone whose depth of love is humbling, whose perseverance is inspiring, whose spiritual strength is amazing, that person has probably asked God to stretch them through the challenges of life. "Lord, stretch me!"


Lord, lead me!
Psalms 32:8_9 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. [9] Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

To pray, "Lord, lead me" is to ask God to take your life and do whatever he wants with it. That is risky. Like the hymn:

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord,
I'll be what you want me to be.

If you are comfortable in your home, if you have a growing family, if you enjoy your job, your family, your future, asking God to take the reins of your life and lead you is especially scary. But that is what faith is all about. God's plans for you are better than your own. God guides you with his eye. Where he leads you, follow. Follow God's agenda for your life today. God will bring nothing into your life except by his love and sovereignty.

A young child lost on the streets of a large city began to cry. Seeing her distress, a man questioned her and gained enough information to learn where she lived. "Just go down this street and cross the big iron bridge," he said. "Then turn to the right, follow the river, and soon the surroundings will be familiar to you." The youngster, chilled by the raw evening wind, didn't fully understand, so she started on her way still sobbing. But at this point, a police officer saw her and said, "Come with me." Clasping her hand in his hand and drawing one side of his warm coat around her, he led the little one right to her door. When you pray "Lord, lead me!" it might be scary. But God will compassionately guide you in the right paths. Another "Lord, change me" prayer is . . .


Lord, fill me!
Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

This command is to be being filled with the Spirit. Only as your life is cleansed, yielded, and Spirit-controlled will you become and remain an effective Christian. Take time to be filled. Ask God utterly to control you by his Spirit. Receive by faith that he does. And thank him.

Once a little boy listened very carefully to the pastor's sermon, but one thing didn't make sense to him. After the service he went to the pastor and told him he had a question about the sermon. "You said Jesus is a Man," he began. The pastor said, "That's right." "But I'm just a little boy." The pastor smiled and said, "You're right about that." The boy concluded earnestly, "But you said that if I asked him to, Jesus would come live inside me." Nodding affirmatively, the pastor replied, "Yes, I certainly did say that." "But, Pastor," the lad said in exasperation, "if Jesus comes to live inside me, he'll be sticking out all over!" The pastor laughed and said emphatically, "Son, that's exactly right!" When Jesus is the Lord of our lives, when we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us, the Lord Jesus should be "sticking out all over" you and me.

"Lord, fill me. Fill my cup. Apart from Jesus I can do nothing. I ask by faith to be filled. I am going to be filled. I am being filled. Thank you, God, for filling me now." "Lord, fill me!" And, finally . . .


Lord, use me!
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is exciting to make yourself available to God so that he can touch someone else through you. Such prayer creates adventures.

"Lord, use me. You created me for good works. Use me today, Lord. I want to be zealous in doing good for your kingdom. I don't want to be sitting on the shelf. I want to extend your kingdom in big and little ways. I want to serve my God and King by serving others. Use me for your glory." "Lord, use me!"


"Lord, bless me . . . search me . . . break me . . . stretch me . . . lead me . . . fill me . . . use me!" Which one of these do you need to pray today? Which one does God want to capture your heart? To make your prayer theme? To pray often, to pray regularly? These are "Lord, change me!" prayers. Praying in these ways lets God know that you are open to change. Praying in these ways lets God know you are serious about living for him. When the Lord moves you out of your comfort zone, the Holy Spirit radically transforms your life and the Christian life becomes an adventure.

They tell an amazing but true story of a 33_year_old truck driver named Larry Walters. One hot July day, Larry decided that he needed a change. He had been sitting around doing nothing week in and week out. Two choices stared him in the face: continue his normal routine or seek adventure. He chose adventure! Larry rigged up forty-two helium_filled balloons to a lawn chair in San Pedro, California, got in, and lifted off. Just in case he flew too high, he took along a pellet gun to shoot out a few balloons. Quickly Walters was lifted skyward and was surprised to reach a high altitude rather rapidly. He wasn't the only one surprised! Shocked and confounded pilots reported seeing "some guy in a lawn chair floating in the sky at 16,000 feet!"

Walters came to his senses and began shooting at balloons. Amazingly enough, he managed to hit a few and he was able to land safely in Long Beach some forty-five minutes later. His stunt gave him considerable notoriety. When they interviewed him on talk shows and asked why he had done such a bizarre thing, he said that he was tired of sitting around doing zilch for weeks on end.

This guy needed to break out of old tired routines. What he needed was adventure and a change of pace! Are you tired of your stale Christian life? Need to break out into higher ground? Need the adventure of the abundant life Jesus promised? Begin to pray dangerously, "Lord, change me!"