A Spiritual Practice and Urgent


 One day, the Apostle Paul was sharing with the Church, and he was discussing an urgent matter.  At least he urges people to do something. Listen to him in his own words:

"Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your spiritual act of worship. And don't be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. You do this so that you can test, and approve what God's will is, seeing that it is good, pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2

Did you catch all that? First, he is indeed urging the Romans, and he is urging you and me, to take advantage of God's mercy, to fully surrender ourselves to God, and to do so by making an offering of our entire bodies. God considers this a spiritual act of worship, and while we are doing this, God views us a being holy and acceptable unto HIM. 

Second, something beautiful happens to you and me when we do this: Not only are we worshipping God -- holy and acceptable to HIM, when we intentionally, and totally, give ourselves up to HIM, not only is this worshipping God authentically from our spirits, but we are also beautifully changed! We receive the power to NOT be conformed to the world! We receive minds that are transformed to think like God thinks!! After all we do have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) We can actually see God's will! And as we see it, we experience it as being good, pleasing and perfect. This spiritual practice is life transformational! No wonder Paul is urging us to practice this spiritual practice.

How?

Now, it's real easy to say all this, but it's quite another to know how to do this. I practice this practice every single day, and it makes a HUGE difference in me, and in my daily walk with the Lord.  Here is how I carry out Paul's urgent guidance.  I simply sincerely pray:

I say, "Lord, today I come to you offering my body to you as a living sacrifice. I thank you that you see me as holy and acceptable to you. I surrender myself to you as a spiritual act of worship.  I give up my will to you.  I offer you my whole self to you from the inside out to the outside in, from the front to the back, from the back to the front, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. I do this with my hands stretched out wide so that I am before you, in the shape of a cross, giving myself whole heartedly, and sacrificially, to you.  Give me grace to NOT be conformed to the world. Please, transform me by the renewing of my mind so that your will is clear to me. Transform me so I can think like you. Transform me so that I can test and see that your will is good. Your will is pleasing, and your will is perfect.  Let me, today, walk with you and live according to your will. In Jesus name.  Amen!"

It's no small matter when we embrace God's urgent spiritual practice. It's no small matter when we can become empowered to live according to God's will, and, with the mind of Christ, think like Jesus. It's no small matter to receive the grace of God to not be worldly but Christ like. Let me challenge you to embrace, as a part of your daily life, this urgent spiritual practice.  You will be glad you did.


SoJourner


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