Teach Me How to Renew My Mind

Heavenly Father I praise You for opening doors I never expected. I praise You for helping me to find hope through prayer while I deal with the grief of losing my son.  I praise You for my children I still have, that they still communicate and enjoy time with me.  I praise You for a wife that has had much patience. I praise You for friends who know how to give me space yet they continue to check on me also. 

Holy Spirit help me to apply Paul’s wisdom when he wrote to the Romans 12:1&2—Therefore, I urge you, brothers [and sisters], in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

Holy Spirit help me to renew my mind by first: 2 Timothy 2:15&16—Doing my best to present myself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  Avoiding godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Then let me take the step of: I have been raised with Christ, I will set my heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  I will set my mind on things above, not on earthly things.  For I died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God.  (4)When Christ, who is my life, appears, then I will appear with him in glory. (5)I will put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to my earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  I used to walk in these ways, in the life I once lived.  But now I must rid myself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. (9)I need to learn to not lie to others, since I have taken off my old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  Let the peace of Christ rule in my heart, since as a member of the one body I was called to peace, and to be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in me richly as I teach and admonish others with all wisdom, and as I sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in my heart to God. [Colossians 3:1-10; Colossians 3:15;  Colossians 3:16]

Holy Spirit help me to: meditate on these things , whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, so that I can find virtue and anything praise worthy in Your word and lessons You teach me. [Philippians 4:8]  Holy Spirit guide me as I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in me, both to will and to do His good pleasure. Teach me to do everything without complaining or arguing, so that I may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which I will shine like a star in the universe. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. [Philippians 2:12&13; Philippians 2:14&15; Philippians 3:10&11] Lead me with Your Spirit, with Your word and with wisdom that I can only can receive from You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.