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I almost fell for the trap. You gals know what I’m talking about, the new look that’s popular today—false eyelashes.

My friend sat across the table from me. Her cosmetic bag jammed with make-up items. “You have to put them on,” she said. “You’ll see how different you look. It’s easy and your look will be transformed.”

Transformed? Sounded inviting until a woman shared her experience with the results. After a few weeks, one by one, the lashes began to fall off. One eyelid was filled with lush eyelashes and the other looked half bald. See? Transformation in our physical appearance isn’t always the best.

How about if we try a deeper, more profound kind of transformation. What brings beautiful results is choosing the right attitude when we express our needs to the Lord.

And before we tell God what we need, we submit to a make-over of our attitude. We remove old ways of asking. We put aside praying habits we held since we were kids.

12 Important Steps

Instead, we follow these 12 steps of preparation that transform our thinking, re-evaluates our attitude, and brings a new kind of connection with God.

1. Instead of worrying about tomorrow, we walk in His Word today.
2. We don’t ask God to remove our fear, but remove our doubt that He will.
3. We don’t succumb to self-pity; we surrender it all to God.
4. We don’t fret about the success of our business; we make our business to thank Him for what He’s doing.
5. Instead of asking to heal our loneliness, we heed the truth that god alone is enough.
6. We don’t lament yesterday’s mistakes, but are content with today’s blessings.
7. Instead of trembling when our boat is sinking, we make Him the anchor of our soul.
8. When answers don’t come, we go to the foot of the cross and leave our problems there.
9. Rather than wish for the abundance of our bank account, we take into account the riches He poured out.
10. We don’t choose our battles; we give them all to the Lord.
11. Instead of asking for success, we succeed first in trusting God.
12. And finally, when God seems silent, we silence the distractions in order to hear the whisper of His voice.

Lifetime transformation happens when we don’t tip toe in the pain of our problem. We tap into the Power of God instead. His power to perform miracles. To bring down barriers. To keep us from falling. To hear our cries and to ease our sorrow.

That’s why God’s Word says, “…give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Psalm 22:24).

“For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help” (Psalm 22:24, 55:22).

Maybe you’re the one crying for that help right now. We all do at one time or another. But here is the good news.  When we count on His promises, we make God bigger than our trials. When we speak His truth, we tear down the lies of the enemy. When we declare what He will do, we’re already walking in the victory. And when we focus on His never-ending love, our anguish ends.

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank You for the wisdom to embrace each of Your promises. Thank You for the courage to believe what you say. To believe what You can do and what You will do. In Jesus’ name.

How will you prepare your heart for prayer?