God is Faithful to Restore Us and Lead Us
“He refreshes [restores] my soul.” Psalm 23:3
(spiritual renewal)
Restoration is hard work. It is the effort to bring something back to its original condition when time, decay, and circumstances affect its beauty, its purpose, and its value. Any shadow of what it once was or was intended to be has long since faded. The beauty is covered in dirt, mold, and decay, the edges are rough, once-strong supports are rotted, the luster is dulled. But an expert still sees the value and knows what it could be, if restored. Restoration requires someone who is skilled and has vision and an understanding of what something once was or was intended to be in order to restore it to its original state.
Jesus is our Restorer. He created us, so He knows us intimately and He knows exactly who and what He intended us to be. He is able to revive, refresh, and restore our spiritual selves to the “shalom” He intended us to enjoy in the garden, where everything was in a right relationship to Him. Isaiah 60:1 says about Jesus, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”
We can pray Psalm 51:2, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Jesus is able; He can do it!
“Jesus, You are the Restorer of all things. You promise that You will restore us and make us new. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” I pray that You would begin a work of restoration and reconciliation in (name) today.”
“Lord, strip away the rotten things that would cause decay in (name)’s life. Replace the battered and worn parts with new. Refresh their outlook and restore their heart to be aligned with Yours. Work in them to stir a desire to be made new with a heart like Jesus. Remind them that, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24. Show them clearly that You love them and You desire that they would be brought into fellowship with You, welcomed into Your house and home for eternity. Give (name) a heart for restoration so they would not only embrace the gospel and receive a new heart but that they would share the life-giving gospel with others so they, too, could be restored. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
(direction, purpose)
When God restores us, it’s not for our benefit alone, although we do reap great benefits from the renewal of our heart, mind, and spirit. But it is for His glory that He redeems us! He gives us direction and purpose.
Ephesians 1:11-12 tells us, “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.”
He has a plan and purpose for each of us Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” The phrase, “For His name’s sake” indicates that we are to live in such a way that we maintain his name and reputation (1). If we fail to do that we take His name in vain- calling ourselves Christians but living like we are not. “‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Deut. 5:11 (NKJV) Our actions, choices and attitudes have bearing on the name we carry.
“Holy Father, Your name is Sacred. You ARE the Great I AM. There is no other like You and Your supremacy is unequaled. I pray that You would give (name) a godly fear and respect of You. Lead (name) in paths of righteousness so that as they bear Your name, they would be righteous (not self-righteous), blameless (not deceiving others or themselves) and authentic in their faith and their convictions. Lord, give (name) perspective that every blessing is from You and for the purpose of serving You and bringing You glory. Strengthen them in their faith, their conviction, and their passion to follow You in the right paths You set before them, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
H4616 - maʿan - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4616/niv/wlc/0-1/
The Decay of Sin & The Master Builder
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
Have you ever taken time to look at an abandoned house…I mean really up close? They can look rather intriguing from a distance. But the closer you get, the more you begin to see the decay. Windows might be broken out, letting the weather inside. And if the weather gets in, everything starts to decay. What once was a beautiful home, filled with love and life, becomes a shell, rotting from the inside out.
It’s kind of like sin. Sin takes a toll, doesn’t it? Oh, we start out sturdy, solid and beautiful, but the effects of steady sin weathers us. Sometimes the choices we make and the lives we choose to live wear us down over time and leave us battered and worn. The inner beauty we once had gives way to rot and ruin. Sin does that to us.
The window in the picture once framed a beautiful room. It protected it from the elements, yet it also let the light in so that the room was filled with the golden rays of the sun. And at night, in the darkness, it shone from the inside out so all could see its warmth and beauty.. But at some point, those living there left. Then, that window broke and what was once a barrier to the elements and a protector of the beauty within no longer worked. Now instead of a beautiful room, the glass is broken and lying on the ground, the curtains are shredded and the room inside is ruined by the elements. The floors and walls are weathered with rain and it is no longer a place of love and shelter.
There are so many analogies we could use. But, suffice it to say, we’re a lot like those houses, aren’t we? Oh, we may only leave our ‘window’ open but a crack, yet the weather of sin gets in and it slowly begins to destroy. It might not be much at first, but after time, it’s catastrophic. Even a small opening is enough for the Enemy to slowly creep in and begin to erode our foundation. Sin ruins. It ruins heavily, destructively and it’s not easily recovered from. We might not see the effects right away- that’s another deception of the Enemy. But the slow, steady influx of sin begins to rot our inner beauty into a dark, joyless heart that is in desperate need of God’s righteousness. Our holiness departs. We squelch the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and we slowly decay.
Look at the picture again… and look through the window not at the room, but back out the other window to the sky! You can still see the light of day- not darkness! It’s a fresh new day on the other side of that window! You can see hope! You see, despite the decay happening inside, each day there is a new morning that surrounds this house.
Though it would take time and would come at a cost, this window and this room could be restored. God sees through our brokenness and provides redemption and restoration for anyone who asks! You see, God isn’t in the business of ‘redecorating’, He fully rehabilitates and restores. He renovates and brings us back to life. He sees the wreck that we are right now and the beauty that we will be once we allow Him to work in us.
Do you look at your son or daughter and see how their choices have caused damage and decay with the effects of sin? It hurts our hearts because we know what they once were and we long to see that inner beauty restored. But right now, all we can see is how the enemy has wreaked havoc. The disease of sin and selfishness has stripped away the beauty and left a mess. You know they ‘know’ the Truth, yet they’ve chosen to open their lives to everything else, and it shows.
Friends, be brave enough to see through the damage and believe in what God can do! He is the Master Builder! Just as someone who comes along and begins restorative work on that abandoned house, there is hope when God begins to work on us! We only see the house as it is now, but you know the Builder is at work and oh! It will be beautiful again!! Friends, that is how God can restore a life. Pray to that end. Trust in His skill. He’s the Carpenter. He’s the Creator. He’s the Great Physician. He can do artful work on even the most devastated life. He is Faithful and True and what He promises, He will do. “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”” Revelation 21:5
Prayer for Restoration:
“Father, I pray in Jesus’ name that You would begin a restorative work on (name) today. Lord, bandage their spiritual wounds, clean out the damage in their life. Evict the things that don’t belong, tear out the rot and ruin and rebuild their life to reflect Your glory. I know (name) is made in Your image, but right now, they don’t reflect that. Lord, do a work in them. Renovate their heart. Restore their mind. Holy Spirit, I pray that You would sanctify them to obedience to Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:2) Lord, bring repentance and follow it with abundant grace and peace. May the joy of the Lord be (name)’s strength. Help (name) to forsake all others and follow You solely, completely, wholeheartedly. Lord, I know that You can do a work unlike anything I could ask or imagine. I pray that You would restore (name) today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Prayer for Protection:
Lord, I pray for (name) today. I know they love You, Lord. But I also know that as believers, we are all a target of the Enemy. Lord, I ask that You would do some maintenance on (name) today. Seal up any ‘cracks’ in their character or their life that would allow the enemy to get in and cause destruction. I pray that they would put on the full armor of God: the helmet of salvation to protect their mind from spiritual attack; the shield of faith to deflect the fiery darts of spiritual warfare; the sword of the Spirit to defend against attack; the belt of Truth to guard against deception and lies; the breastplate of righteousness to guard their heart from deception and from temptation that would lure their love away from You; and feet shod with the gospel, so that their life, their words and their actions would be a testimony to others (Ephesians 6:10-18) . Help them to live without compromise and to daily take stock of what they choose to watch, read, and listen to so that nothing sneaks in and begins to weaken and destroy. Lord, I pray that you would guard them from ‘sneak attacks’ by the enemy. Make their foundation solid and their protection sure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Do you have a loved one who needs prayer? Feel free to reach out! Leave a comment or send an email. There is an army of sisters in Christ who are ready and willing to pray along with you!
Pray without ceasing, friend. And believe that God can restore a life!