It was a prayer that I had no idea would be so life altering. It was the prayer years ago I had no idea of how radically it would change my life. It was shortly after I rededicated my life to Jesus in 1989 that I prayed it.
Having experienced the love and forgiveness of Jesus and coming from a life that I describe as the pit in life in one of my upcoming books, Lifted Out Of The Pit/Called To The Nations, and having lived life trying to be uncaring mostly out of self protection, I prayed a simple prayer.
What prompted me to pray it was experiencing the love of Jesus. As 1st John 4:19 says:
We love because he first loved us.
My desire was to have the compassion of Jesus, to feel what Jesus feels for others. Before that prayer, protecting myself at all costs was all I cared about. What was that prayer?
I asked Jesus to help me have his heart for others, for the lost and hurting in the world. I asked Jesus to help me see others the way he sees them. 2nd Corinthians 5:14-16:
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
The love of Jesus compelled me to pray that prayer and continues to compel me. What transpired after that was Jesus bringing many lost and downtrodden people across my path. Their stories pierced my heart as they would share their wounds in life with me. The first time it happened was only a few days after I prayed that prayer.
I was getting my hair cut and while cutting my hair the woman cutting my hair opened up and shared some wounds in life with me. After sharing with me, she told she did not understand why she felt she could share so much with me but for some reason she felt she could. That was a scenario that would happen again and again.
It was the best training for my ministry I have now of helping refugees and immigrants. My life transformed from being a sales person who only wanted to make money to being a home missionary/teacher who spends most of his time with those who have been deeply wounded in life. It all started with that prayer.
That prayer was tested with a few encounters and as I responded, more encounters followed until it led me to where I am today.
Thank you for reading. God Bless.
Jesusluvsall's Blog 
Wow, this is wonderful 😊 Jesus has the power to transform lives for the better, and He does!
He definitely changed me and my life and is at work in your life little sister 🙂
Thank God for prayers that are answered.
AMEN!!!
Now that you mention how much life can change one’s trajectory in life from a prayer, I can relate.
Maybe a future blog post idea for you?
It is worth a “Think about”
maybe while I walk about
before I talk about
I must fish about
sigh…
thinking while fishing 🙂
Amen! A beautiful prayer of compassion and love. 🌺
Thank you little sister. What flowers for Easter in your home?
My flowers are mostly outside – flowering trees, tulips, and spring flowers. 🌷🌺
My mind thought of the humorous warning to ‘be careful what you pray for!’. For God does surely answer our prayers – especially those coming from a sincere heart. And let me also guess that as a result, your own life has been blessed beyond measure, notwithstanding the hundreds of other lives you have blessed with His love. Praise God for His unsurpassing love. Happy Easter to you, Matt.
be careful what you pray for- so true. If I had known all that I would go through, I might not have prayed that prayer in the beginning, BUT God is gracious
I have had people share their struggles with me. I have never considered the idea that God is using those experiences to grow my compassion. I sometimes feel that my heart and sould are too sensitive to function in this world.
I understand how you feel. It is at those moments we need to enter into the presence of the Lord