Does Your To-Do List Include God?

God has more in store for our lives than just having a "to-do" list. His purposes

are eternal, not temporal. We must submit our entire being to Him and walk in the fullness of His grace and love in these last days!

 

By Lisa McDonald

 

 

 

 

Have you ever felt out of control? To coin a phrase from a comedian of our day, “Can we talk?” Lately I have felt like I am a bystander in my own life, watching everything move past me without having the energy or motivation to do anything about them. For instance:

 

 

CAN YOU RELATE?

 

I Corinthians 2:2

For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.

 

Hebrews 3:14

For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation (in virtue of which we are believers) firm and unshaken to the end.

 

I know (in my head) that God has showed me through these verses above that all I really need to do is focus on Him and everything else will fall into place. But also (in my head) I think of all the things I need to do and can’t seem to get past them. For an example I believe He has called me to fast, but I can’t stimulate my spirit enough to do it….or else I start and after a day or two stop when I get a headache.  That is my problem… motivation. I am not motivated to have concentrated prayer time; not motivated to diet; not motivated to clean house…etc. All the things I listed above, and others, add to what feels like an anchor hanging around my neck, choking and smothering me.

 

            Since I know that one of my problems is motivation, the real question is, HOW DO I BECOME MOTIVATED? I feel like I keep hitting my head against a brick wall or my feet are as heavy as lead. I know what direction to move toward but can’t. I know what to do but don’t.

 

One of my problems (or strongholds) was revealed to me on a trip to Walmart to get our car fixed. I had time to shop while the mechanics were working so I looked around the store. I picked up some fake nails because I wanted my hands to look pretty. I kept thinking how my rings would look better on hands with pretty nails and how I deserved to have something just for me with all I have to deal with. So I bought them.

 

            I came home and put them on. They were longer than I would have liked. It was hard for me to pick up and take care of my 9 month old and to do the normal things around the house, so I cut and filed them down a little. I didn’t want to wash dishes because I was afraid the glue would dissolve and they would come off. But I kept looking at my hands, admiring how great they looked.

 

            Then the time came when I had to give my child a bath. I tried my best to keep my hands out of the water but they did get wet. To my dismay, one of the nails became loose. I started to check and one by one they all came off.

 

            When I looked down at my regular nails, I could feel in my spirit God telling me, “Quit trying to be someone else. You are My child. Start acting like it.” (Ouch!)

 

Phil. 2:13

(Not in your own strength) for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing and creating in you the power and desire) both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

 

Hebrews 13:5

…be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have for God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax my hold on you.

 

            The question is, am I willing to put myself aside in order to allow God to take control? Can I be content in my circumstances? Am I ready to fully rely on Him to lead me and redirect my efforts so that I will do “everything unto Him” instead of feeling so overwhelmed with life?

 

Psalm 119 states over and over how the psalmist is seeking God with all His heart by keeping all of His statutes.

 

Vs. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statues, and seek him with all their heart.

Vs 7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

Vs. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

Vs 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Vs 32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

Vs 112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

 

            In all these verses the word “heart” is mentioned along with God’s commands. God has said He would give us a new heart, but what is that heart to be focused upon; not only the words in the Bible, but His Word. His word gives Life. His word gives freedom. His word is God. I need to focus more on what He is saying to me, not only in the Word but also by allowing His Holy Spirit to speak to my “new heart” and be lead by Him. In doing this He will show me how to prioritize my life and keep everything in balance. He will provide me with strength and ability, along with a refreshing to maintain all the things that need to be done….God-directed TO DO LIST.

 

Ezekiel 36:25-27

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you shall need My ordinances and do them.

 

Ezekiel 37:1

The hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord…

 

Dear Father,

            I have felt so bad for so long. I’ve felt almost dead inside. I have known that You are inside me, that Your spirit lives within me but felt like You were in a locked box deep inside and I had lost the key.  My life was and still is to some degree out of control. Like Paul wrote, the things I should do I don’t and visa versa. But it seems like I just can’t! I can’t pray. I can’t study. I can’t motivate myself. I can’t be consistent.

 

            I know this is a sin and I’m sorry. Knowing what to do and not doing it is a sin. I have let so many other things creep in which have pushed You deeper into that locked box (movies, television, laziness, procrastination, pride, self-pit,the list goes on.)

            But Father, You have told me to focus on nothing but You; that I am a fellow (sister) with Christ and can share in all that is offered if I keep my unshaken confidence in You.

 

            You promised to cleanse me. You said You would give me a new heart and a new spirit (an ability to focus only on You and to do what You ask). You will fill me up with Your Spirit in order to obey. I don’t have to do it by myself. You will bring me out in the Spirit of the Lord. I ask you for that now.

 

            I have been so preoccupied with doing all these things myself and feeling so overwhelmed, but You keep telling me, “I said it and I will do it. Just trust and believe.” You will bring me into your rest. You won’t leave me alone in my troubles and will not forsake me. You are always with me.

 

            Forgive me Lord for:

 

My lack of prayer

My lack of Bible study

My laziness

My lack of determination

For letting other things and people be more important than You

For continuing to ask for blessings without sacrificing anything to get them

For jumping off the altar

Allowing Satan into my mind to confuse me and cause me to be off balanced

For relying on others to pray for me or study for me so I won’t have to

For not following through with what I start

For allowing my circumstances to dictate how I eat and to make food an idol in my life (overeating when I was really hungry for You)

 

            I need Your help, Father God, and I am asking for your forgiveness and cleansing. I open myself up to You for your inspection. I want more of You, less of me. I want to be able to be so close to You that I can always feel and hear You. That I will be able to minister in Your name more effectively, not because of a formula or something someone else did, but because of the time I spend with You.

 

            I know that in order to open myself up to you I must allows everything else to take a back seat to You. I ask for Your strength while I fast – to die to myself in so many areas. Forgive me for just thinking of loosing weight. I am doing this in order to be closer to You. Help my flesh to keep remembering this.

 

            Forgive me for not being content in my circumstances – to complain, murmur and pout. Forgive me for not being thankful for all You have given me and forgive me for allowing my circumstances to dictate my emotions.

            Create in me a spirit of integrity, a spirit of divine service, a spirit of obedience, a spirit of sacrifice, a spirit of love for You to such a degree that nothing else can creep in to try and take Your place.

In Your Son’s Precious Name,

 

Amen

 

            Right after I wrote this prayer out, I had a great desire and passion to study God’s Word and picked up The Daily Chase by Tommy Tenney. As wonderful as God is, He spoke to me through the first page I read. Here is an excerpt:

 

Your flesh holds you back from the glory of God so you are most likely locked in an unending wrestling match between the flesh and the spirit as you read these words:

 

“Daddy, I don’t just want the blessings; I want You. I want You to come close. I want You to touch my eyes, touch my heart, touch my ears and change me, Lord. I’m tired of me the way I am.”

 

Breakthroughs only come to broken people who are not pursuing their own ambition but who are after the purposes of God. It is death through repentance and brokenness that ushers in the presence of God and causes you to draw near to the Lord and yet live.

 

Fire doesn’t fall on empty altars. If you want the fire of God, you must become the fuel of God. Elijah didn’t ask for God’s fire to all down on the altar until he had loaded it up with fuel and a worthy sacrifice. We’ve been praying for the fire to fall, but there’s nothing on the altar.

 

 

 

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