Old Prayers Becoming New Realities

As Christians, we are taught and reminded of how much God loves us. John 3:16 is burned into our brains; shouts of "God loves you" and "Jesus loves you" may naturally fall out of my mouths when we're irked by a stranger. We know of His protection, covering, and guidance; all for ourselves. Lately, though, I have been hearing how He loves and looks out for others as well by God showing me what is good for others. He corrects me of my selfish intentions out of love for others; thus protecting them.

Scripture shares how to treat others as Christ followers (1 Peter 4:8-11 is a favorite of mine), and it may just feel like duty rather than your heart being transformed into doing these things. I prayed for the latter, and I would find scriptures that I wanted to be real and true for me. Like meditating on positive affirmations until you believe it,  I wanted my actions to match God's heart for people. I am tasting the fruit of those prayers today, haha. They come to mind, in my actions, in my longing, in my direction, and circumstances become a test of my character. 

Those scriptures are very personal for me, so I won't share what they are, but I recommend having your own personal scriptures to pray over your heart, mind, and soul. What are some areas you long to grow in? What are some challenges for you in regard to treating others well, that may not come naturally to you?

I used to write a lot about waiting. Waiting for God's promises, waiting for things to move, waiting to see change, and I see now waiting can also mean the time in between speculating and believing. It takes time for faith to grow, gosh, it takes time for trust to grow. And trusting in God's word takes time. I think there are some passages that should not be taken at face value; we should chew on them, ask questions, discuss them with others, and research the context. The scriptures I prayed over myself years ago are still passages I truly believe in today, and I'm thankful for that. I am also thankful that God welcomes questions and doubts. I keep praying, I still read the word, and lean in.