KEEP ME BROKEN

(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)

I was struck by something someone shared with me as we were having a meaningful conversation last week, and I’ve spent the week contemplating it… They said, “I ask the Lord every day to keep me broken. I just want to stay broken and completely dependent on Jesus.”

If you have prayed that prayer before, then you know full well that’s not an easy prayer to pray. In fact, I would say it’s one of the hardest things to ask the Lord to do in us because He will absolutely follow through on His end. Have no doubt.

This prayer is humbling, it increases our trust in Him, and it is an open door for the Holy Spirit to move mightily in our little corners of the world.

My question for you today is, are you willing to pray that prayer?

I know that, for most of us, the truth is we’d actually prefer to remain complacent instead of live a life of complete dependence on the Lord. We aren’t honest with ourselves when it comes to this topic in the American Church, but it’s a conversation we desperately need to start having.

The state of brokenness and dependence on the Lord cannot be maintained in the Christian life without the powerful, and often painful, work of the Holy Spirit by means of conviction.

You can be confident of the fact that Jesus is not afraid to do away with the worldly things that you love and have grown fond of in order to make Himself the main object of your love and attention.

From my own personal experience, this conviction of sin, this pruning of what is not of the Lord, of what is unholy and unpleasing to Him, happens most often in times of waiting. In the midst of my weary waiting, God has made Himself most known, most felt, and most real to me.  

I love this quote by Elisabeth Elliot who once said, “The deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our own way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.”

His will is that we are completely broken and ultimately dependent on Him. Once we cross that threshold, there is endless joy and peace to be experienced in Christ!

This may seem an odd concept to some, as our modern Christianity truly believes that we can come to Jesus, have an “experience”, and leave unchanged.

No. No you can’t.

You see, Jesus loves you too much to leave you unchanged. A true, radical encounter with Jesus will always result in life change. He becomes your source, your substance, your sustainer.

He is everything you have been searching so long for.

C. S. Lewis once said, “After the first few steps in the Christian life we realize that everything which really needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God.”

Whatever it is that needs to be done in your soul today can only take place once you come to the very end of yourself and are broken before the Lord.

Are you ready to honestly pray, “Lord, keep me broken”?

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

SO, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

= Are you willing to pray bold prayers that will impact the way you live your everyday life?

= What are you going to do differently?