3Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.
Proverbs 16:3
Often times I try this the other way around. I try so hard to "think" my way out of something or into something. I think and analyze until I drive myself nuts and everyone else around me. All God is asking from me today is to commit my plans to him. Just hand over what I think is mine. It takes trust, obedience, willingness to really give your "works" to him. After I submit my day my plans and my life, then my thoughts will be established, grounded and focused on God's heart.
When I was on the plane coming back from Hawaii, I was so tired. The lights were out, 150 people sleeping including me and the kids. Then I was startled awake by a child who just burst out crying. I can't say I was irritated, that wasn't really it, actually it felt normal, being a mom I am used to waking up suddenly to children crying. It took a few seconds but I was pretty bummed because I don't really sleep on planes and now I wandered if I could sleep at all. I felt "sorry" for the parents but that was about it. I wasn't mad but I wanted to sleep so I began to pray really from that "feel sorry" place. There was some level of compassion but mostly I wanted the kid to be quiet so I could sleep. As I prayed for them I was convicted of my deeper motives. Feeling sorry for them wasn't what they needed, they needed me to pray for them from a true heart, one established in God and HIS desire for them, not mine. I immediately said sorry to God for having wrong motives, and I began to pray for them from a different point of compassion than one of pity. It was a compassion bigger than me and bigger than the 757. The child immediately quieted down. The parents didn't know who I was or that I was praying for them, but I know my God heard me and answered me. God spoke to me softly as I drifted off to sleep once again. "Prayers prayed with MY heart are effective" I had to wander later how many times I pray for someone with the wrong motives even if they seemed right. Only God knows our motives and only God can reveal them to us. Give your "works" prayers, day, homeschool, kids, relationships, all that we have and God will establish our thoughts, he will give us his mind and then we can be effective, more effective because we truly have lined up with His mind for us in submission.
