Prayer for Freedom: Who Sets Your Boundaries?"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
I walked into a funeral home office, where I saw a large salt water aquarium with colorful exotic fish. My eyes landed on what looked like a six-inch shark. It was. The funeral director explained that it was a white shark. He said sharks adapt to their environment. This one would grow no longer than six inches in the aquarium. In the ocean, it could grow up to twenty-five feet long. I thought, as I watched it swimming continuously from end to end with a restless passion, "How sad! That shark's environment determined its maximum size. Five pieces of glass glued together limited the fulfillment of the shark's potential! Born to be a magnificent creature fathoming the depths of oceans, yet confined to a four-foot aquarium." I pictured people who allow their boundaries to be determined by environment, circumstances, negative-thinking, power-hungry people, controlling people, low self-image, memories of failure always playing on the screen of your mind, laziness, and a myriad of dream destroying, potential-robbing attitudes.
That little shark doesn't have a choice. The only way he could fulfill his potential is if someone reaches in and takes him out of the aquarium and releases him in the ocean. God can reach into your imprisonment, lift you out, and place you in the ocean of his love, power, and resources. He promised: I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jer 29:11 NIV). Don't let circumstances, other people, fear of failure, poor self-esteem, the way you look, or anything else set the boundaries for your life and ministry. God says, Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you…and will bring you back from captivity (Jer 29:12-14). That prayer will release you to fulfill your God-given potential and set you free to be the winner he created you to become through his power and creativity!
Jesus says, "Get up, pick up your brokenness, failure, hopelessness and give them to me. Walk into my healing, wholeness, joy, and incredible love like you've never dreamed possible." Pick up every dream for your life, every heart's desire, every longing in your spirit, everything you want to do, and place them in the Master's hands, and pray:
Lord, please set me free from the boundaries that people, circumstances, and I have placed on me. Show me the awesome plans you have for me. By your power, fulfill every good purpose of mine and every act prompted by my faith. Set me free to fulfill my God-given potential. Heal and restore me in my spirit, mind, emotions, body, and relationships. Thank you! Amen!
Dr. Sam Bruce, President, Sam & Sandie Bruce Ministries; Pastor, Hope Point Church, Pearl, Mississippi; Online Instructor, Mid-America Christian University; Member, Transformation Team Connect/Refresh
No comments:
Post a Comment