Prayer for the Transforming Power of God: Psalm 138

Prayer for the Transforming Power of God

Psalm 138

It is not always the situation which most needs changing; it is, as often as not, the man involved in it.

Derek Kidner

God kindly grants us examples in nature of truths in His Word so that we can more readily understand. One such example is the process of metamorphosis, where a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. Unless we had learned and observed the process of metamorphosis, we would never imagine that a butterfly in its larva stage would ever transform into a butterfly. The change is too radical. The appearance too altered. And yet, that is exactly what takes place. This familiar transformation demonstrates the power of God. God’s power radically transforms. What situation, loved one, or sinfulness within yourself needs that kind of metamorphosis? “God is in the business of transformation” (BSF, Lesson 3 Notes).

David’s confidence in God’s work

Psalm 138 begins a final collection of Davidic psalms which extends from Psalm 138-145. In this Psalm, David displays a confidence in God. Like many psalms, we don’t have the details that led David to write these words. But we know he had faced trouble and the Lord had rescued him, which led to praise and further confidence in the Lord and His continued deliverances. On the day of his trouble, David cried to the Lord and the Lord answered him. He made him bold with strength in his soul (138:3). In his innermost being, God infused exactly what David needed. David ends the psalm saying, “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me” (138:8). The work the Lord began in him and for him, He would complete. Whatever needed changing in David and in his situation, God would do.

God transforms

Transform means “to change in character or condition; to make radically different” (Mirriam-Webster). God seems to love making things radically different. He does it sometimes in a moment, like when he turned water into wine (John 2:1-11), or when Saul was converted on the road to Damascus from a persecutor of Christians to a zealous missionary for the Lord (Acts 9:1-9). Other times, it’s a gradual process like how the Lord changed Peter from someone who spoke and acted rashly to the apostle who preached to the multitude at Pentecost, the man who denied our Lord into a martyr for the Lord. God transforms lives and situations.

How does God transform us? It is first a work of the Spirit. The Spirit must give new life in order for true transformation to take place (John 3:6), and the Spirit continues the work of change in us as we behold the glory of Christ and our minds are renewed with His Word (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2). The Spirit and the Word work together to conform us to the image of Christ. So if we desire to be changed, if we long to be radically different, we must yield ourselves to the work of the Spirit as we consume the Word of God. We press on in confident hope knowing that “we shall reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). When we desire to see God’s transformational power at work in our own lives or the life of a loved one, we must persevere in prayer and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). God uses the hard things of life to transform the believer. When the believer experiences suffering, while we might be longing for God to change the circumstances, He may be lingering in order to produce a change in us. “It is not always the situation which most needs changing; it is, as often as not, the man involved in it”(Kidner). Though we know as we walk through life that our outer man is decaying, yet we can also know that our inner man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). God is transforming us through His Spirit, by His Word, and in the friction of life. And He completes what He begins. Just as David was confident that God would fulfill His purposes for him, we also know He will do that for us. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬).

Right now, in this earthly tent, we groan. We know things are not as they should be. WE are not as we should be. But “God is in the business of transformation.” A day is coming when our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21). We will finally be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1-2). So then, we do not need to lose heart or be discouraged. We will wait for the Lord and call on Him to work His transforming power in us, in the ones we love, and in the hard things.

Let’s pray through Psalm 138 for His transformative power.

138:1-3 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.

Let’s pray:

▫️And give thanks with our whole heart that God has the power and desire to rescue and transform us, His children, and orchestrate the situations in our lives to change us. What can we give thanks for? A previously transformed situation, growth in character, salvation for a loved one?

▫️According to His steadfast love, faithfulness, name, and promises, the Lord would transform ____________. Is there a sin that you need His transforming power? A hard situation?

▫️On this day, as we call out to Him, He would answer and His power would transform so evidently that there would be no doubt that He has done it.

▫️He would increase our strength of soul. We would believe in hope that He will give what is good for the situations/people we are praying about.

▫️He would give the boldness and courage needed for change to take place.

138:4-6 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.

Let’s pray:

▫️His Word and Spirit would accomplish the changes that need to happen in __________. The people who need His help would be exposed to His Word and the situations that need drastic help would be guided by the truth of His Word.

▫️We would hear the words of the mouth of the Lord, and we would yield ourselves to the work of the Spirit to transform us, specifically in _________.

▫️In the situations and people that need to be changed, there would be humility and not haughtiness, knowing that the Lord regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar (Psalm 138:6). Each one involved would humble themselves under the mighty hand of God and cast all their cares on Him (1 Peter 5:6-7).

138:7-8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Let’s pray:

▫️Whatever trouble we find ourselves in the midst of, the Lord would preserve us. He would revive our hearts. He would strengthen us in our innermost being. He would use this affliction to produce in us the image of His Son. What might God be working in you in the midst of this trouble?

▫️The Lord’s right hand would deliver us. If we need to be delivered from a certain situation, He would deliver us. If we need to be delivered from a besetting sin, He would bring freedom and we would seek help in fighting against sin. If a loved one needs deliverance, the Spirit would bring liberty.

▫️The Lord would accomplish His purposes in us, in our situation, and in our loved ones. We would submit our desires concerning these things, the transformation we wish to see, to His wise governing and steadfast love.

▫️We would truly be able to say from the heart, “Your will be done” in the loved one who needs the Lord, in the situation we long to see Him transform, and in us.

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May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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