Most Read Bible Verses---#7---Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 (Message)

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:  Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.  Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You’ll be changed from the inside out.  Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it….

These two verses are among my life verses.  They speak regarding the discipline of the body and mind—obedience, service, thought life, discipline (especially against bad habits, even addictions).  Romans 12:1 in standard Bible translations states to present your body a living and holy sacrifice (an example of a Biblical oxymoron) that the Message translation interprets as placing your body before God as an offering.

 

The world value system centers on gratification of self not the sacrifice of self. God says that giving our lives to Him is the way to a meaningful life experience.  A “living sacrifice” is one dead to selfish desires, but alive to God and dedicated to His service.  Our activities need to be under the control of God’s Spirit working in us.  Submission is an act of the will.  Today, will you say, “God, here I am, use me” Will you allow God to work in you to conform you to His will?  Submit yourself to Jesus and allow Him to live through you each day.

Romans 12:2 is the key to presenting our bodies to God as an offering (a living and holy sacrifice).  This tells of the need for “change from inside out”, a transformation to get our minds under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  For that to happen there must be renewal of your mind.  Your mind is the control center of your attitudes, thoughts, feelings and actions.  Renewing your mind means changing your thinking.  Listen to what II Corinthians 10:5b says—“….taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”.  Certainly, your enemy---Satan---knows that the mind is the bulls-eye of his attacks against you.  You have to resist him (James 4:7) and he will flee! 

Your goal must be to let God work in your mind and heart in as many ways as possible to make you more like His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  Those many ways include daily communication with God via prayer and Bible study and fellowship with other believers.  You know how well you are doing in achieving these goals and daily practices.  Keep asking God for help and telling Him “here I am Lord, use me”.

Most Read Bible Verses---#8---Philippians 4:6-7

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 and John 15:7 are primary verses to memorize on the subject of prayer.  There are many wonderful promises and truths in these Philippians verses with key words being anxious (worry), prayer, thanksgiving, peace, understanding, and guarding hearts and minds.

Why is it that we do not believe what this verse says and promises?  It says that you are not to worry about anything, yet you do.  It says rather than worry (you realize, don't you, that worry is always a choice), you are to pray and ask God for everything, yet do you?  Do you really take this verse at face value and pray about everything?  Do you wonder why you don’t have peace of heart and mind in your life?  Read the verse again……it says that rather than worrying about things in your life, you pray about them, and when you pray, you experience the peace of God, both in your heart (your emotions) and in your mind (your thoughts).  If you find yourself anxious, if you still worry, if you do not have peace of heart and mind, you do not believe these verses or you are not practicing them.  Obviously, it takes faith in our God to believe in what He is saying to you in these verses. 

Do you realize that most of what you worry about never happens?  Mark Twain once said: "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, most of which never happened."  Calvin Coolidge once said: "If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you." So often what really bothers you and causes stress can be readily eliminated through praying about it and having the faith that God will take care of it.  He promises He will in these verses and He will replace your worry with peace.  

Note that when we pray about our anxieties, we also must thank God for His answers. Remember that Jesus said in Matthew 21:22 that “in everything you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive”.  For example, you are anxious about a loved one and you pray for them, whatever the situation is that you hope can change.  When you pray and ask God for help, thank Him for hearing your prayer and believe that He has heard it and will respond to it according to His will.  Note that God does not promise to answer your prayer(s) according to your will, but He does promise that praying with thanksgiving will give you peace.  How this happens, these verses are honest, it is beyond our understanding.  Again, it requires faith to believe the promises and truths of Philippians 4:6-7. 

Worry will never get you anywhere.  Praying for peace in your heart and mind will do you more good than anything else.  Thank the Lord for His willingness to help you and give you what you really need today. 

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” -- Winston Churchill