Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Change”
Our Bible verse for today: “You guide me with your counsel.” Psalm 73:24 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “A prayerfully developed plan is an essential tool for bringing about needed change.”
Yesterday I left you with the promise that today we would begin discussing some strategies for implementing and maintaining needed change in our lives. When it comes to bringing about needed change it is essential that we be intentional about it. Real change that endures and which results in a significant improvement in some aspect of our lives, almost never comes about by chance. We have to be intentional about it, and that means we have to have a plan.
When we take the time to prayerfully think a thing through, and then develop a logical and sequential plan to deal with it, our chances of being successful increase substantially. A written plan not only clarifies our thinking about the issue or situation that needs to change, but it also provides us with a road map for then walking it out and for sticking with it.
The first thing to do is to bring the matter to the Lord in prayer. Remember, He has a great plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11); and He has promised to work in you and with you to bring it to pass (Philippians 1:6). Also, as the Psalmist reveals in Psalm 23:3 and 73:24, and as James teaches in James 1:5, God is willing and eager to guide and direct you in the best course for your life. So prayerfully bring your issue – your need for change – to Him and ask Him to help you develop a good plan for dealing with it.
Sometimes part of God’s guidance comes to us through the counsel of other mature Christians. As Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 11:14, there is wisdom to be found in the help of godly counselors. So go ahead and discuss your situation with a spouse, a few friends, or with your pastor, and ask them to help you develop a plan for dealing with it.
One of the most effective strategies for bringing about and sustaining needed change in our lives is to have a written plan for dealing with it.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 