A Powerful First Step/Your New Name

First off I need to pick up the pace. I am writing about chapter 2 and I read chapter 6 last night. So I guess I need to rethink how much I blog about each time. By the way, love, love, love this book!

A Powerful First Step, is a short section that made a big impaact on me. It even changed the way I pray. This line struck me, "Experiencing life change is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice, choosing God's way instead of your own." I have prayed for a second chance, a do-over, in areas where I know I messed up and want to try again. I changed my prayer language after reading this, actually right in the middle of the prayer. I started to ask God for a second chance, stopped myself, and changed it to "another opportunity to make a choice".

A choice! I have to stop looking for chances and start realizing that I really need to be making choices. I want to choose not to let fear rule. I want to choose to show love when someone hurts me. I want to choose forgiveness, letting go of bitterness, and speaking up when I feel God is prompting me. I want to take the opportunities to make choices, and to make ones that are Christlike. So that is the way I pray now, to have the opportunity to make a choice.

Your New Name relates how Abraham, formerly know as Abram, had his name changed when God confirmed His promise to Abraham. First God told Abram to leave his homeland and go where God lead him. He left and years later God came back to Abram and confirmed His promise to him that he would be the father of many nations. Then He told him his name was changed to Abraham. God made the promise, came back and confirmed it, and then changed his name. Abraham went through his leaving phase and he was given his new name.

Lysa says, "When you go through the leaving phase, you are asked to leave much behind. But you don't walk from this place empty-handed. You are going equipped with a new name." So looking forward to that new name God has for me.

I have really enjoyed the personal Bible study sections at the end of each chapter. They make me want to read God's Word more, the book more, and to really reflect on what Lysa asks me to think about.