Isn’t it ironic that what supposedly began as a request for God’s direction, turned out to be outright rebellion against God’s direction. Folks, following God isn’t following when it pleases you, but rather, following and obeying Him no matter what. Following Christ is absolute surrender to His will, nothing more and nothing less. 
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1 Sam. 15:23a “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…”

Do you know what rebellion really is? Rebellion, when one boils it all down, is putting one’s own will above God’s will. Someone has accurately defined rebellion this way: “Reserving for myself the right to make the final decision. (Isaiah 65:2).”7

If you follow God, He will take care of you, even when He is punishing you, He will still take care of you. We are the ones who made it bad on ourselves!
We need to ask ourself the question…“Do I trust God?”
Do my actions prove that you trust God?

God is abounding in love. He is forgiving. He is gracious. He is compassionate. He is slow to anger. Protection is just one expression of that love. In our Scripture, poor old Jeremiah had been thrown in a muddy well, he had been put in chains, locked up for a long time in an underground dungeon. Adam Clarke says, “The dungeon was probably a deep pit; with the cabins or cells, niches in the sides, where different prisoners were confined.”
When Nebuzaradan found him he was bound in chains among the captives being taken into exile to Babylon. But God never left him. And when everyone was being taken from their home – Jeremiah was freed to do as he wished.
See – God is not limited to the physical. When everything is being destroyed – He can build. When everyone’s finances are disappearing – God can prosper you. When all are being cursed – God can still bless you.
Jeremiah was imprisoned and abused by his own people. But God used the enemy to bless him. Even those people who were faithful that were taken to Babylon prospered there. The Judgment is coming – but let not your heart be troubled – put your faith and trust in the Savior. He will protect you in times of trouble.

Because of God’s great love for us, 2. He will deliver you in times of trouble. Remember Daniel? He was taken into captivity to Babylon. He went through his trials; he faced the lions - but God delivered him. He came out of it as one of the greatest leaders in the entire kingdom.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken captive to Babylon. They wouldn’t compromise. Instead of being killed they were delivered from the fiery furnace and then put in places of honor and leadership. David was pursued by King Saul. He had spears thrown at him and armies attacked him – but he was able to say,
“You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me.” Psalm 18:43

God is not only our fortress; not only does He protect us – but He is also our deliverer. David testified,
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”Psalm 18:2

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:16-19
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I love that! “He rescued me because he delighted in me.” God loves you. He is delighted with His children when they walk with Him. In that loving relationship He doesn’t take us out of the world – but He will deliver us when we need Him to.

God is preparing us for the future. God has great plans for us. We are going to rule and reign with Him. He is going to honor us with glory. I have no idea what all that means – but I have enough of the word of God; I have enough of His promises to make me think that even during the Coming Judgment He will use it to prepare us for honor and glory. God will –
1. Protect us
2. Deliver us
3. Prepare us.
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So what does that tell us. It tells me to be faithful. It tells me to trust in God. It tells me that though things may be dark for a time – good things are coming. HOLD ON! Endure to the end! Folks, God is saving the best for last. May God find us faithful. It will be worth it.

So here is what I find interesting. Jeremiah talks about a cistern then he finds himself in one. The other thing I find interesting is that it took 30 men to get him out before he met his death. It was 30 pieces of silver that Judas was paid for Jesus's life.  Whatever we find ourselves in Jesus paid the price to get us out.  Jesus' life is enough for whatever circumstance and situation that I find myself in.  Jesus is the answer to every problem I might have. The things that men have dug to answer their problem of thirst has now become a place of bondage for the very solution to their problem.  Jeremiah preaches to them what they must do to be free and they throw him in a cistern.  A cistern lets water in but not flow out. Just like the people living in sin in Jeremiah's time they took for themselves but would not repent and let go of the sin in their lives.

For Thought:  How often do we find ourselves trying to satisfy ourselves rather than going to God and empting ourselves so that He can fill us with what we are truly lacking?

If your job was threatened would you still do right? Would you risk your job for someone elses's life?  Isn't that what Jesus did?  Jesus risk seperation from the Father and His home in heaven to save you and I.

Pndering this book of Jeremiah all these months has really got me thinking. Sure I am tired of being in this same book but I think this book is finally getting in to me. How about you?

Prayer:  Lord don't let me be one that digs a cistern to answer the quest for a thirst only you (the living water) can fill and fulfill. Amen.

Today we are up to Jeremiah chapter 37.  In my studies I came upon this great lesson we can all relate to on perseverance.  It is written by Rick Ezell is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Greer, South Carolina.  It is so good I wanted to give credit where credit is due and share it with you. Enjoy and persevere!

​Introduction Walter Payton played thirteen years as a running for the Chicago Bears back. During his career he rushed for 16,726 yards. That's more than nine miles. What makes that figure even more spectacular? He achieved it with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards.

I. A man who perseveredJeremiah, too, kept getting knocked down.
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Jeremiah had faithfully proclaimed God's message of coming destruction to Judah for forty years. Now all his warnings and predictions were coming true. Babylon had laid siege to Jerusalem. The fall of the city was imminent. You would think after proclaiming a message that was being fulfilled before their very eyes the people would start to believe Jeremiah. But Jeremiah's message only hardened the hearts of the people. They kept taking shots at him, knocking him down, beating him, leaving him for dead. But Jeremiah kept getting back up. He prevailed despite suffering to be faithful to God's orders. Jeremiah persevered in obedience.

A. Jeremiah was arrested for deserting to the enemyFirst, we find Jeremiah leaving Jerusalem during a withdrawal of Babylonian forces. He was going "to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people" (Jer. 37:12). The meaning of that statement is uncertain. It may relate to the field he had purchased (32:1-15). Nevertheless, a guard saw him leaving, arrested him, and charged him as a traitor defecting to the enemy. Such an accusation angered Jeremiah. He had been loyal to his country. He had stood strong and voiced truth. He longed for his countrymen to turn to God. They refused, preferring the darkness to light.

They brought him to the city officials where they beat and imprisoned him. He stayed there for several days. King Zedekiah sent for him to see if God had a word for Israel. The emaciated servant of God confronted the weak, vacillating king: "There is. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon" (Jer. 37:17).

Considering his circumstances, it would have been easy for Jeremiah to give in and give up, to just stay down. Jeremiah would not. He got back up, boldly proclaiming the truth.

B. Jeremiah was accused of demoralizing the armyNext, we find Jeremiah accused of demoralizing the army. After all, he proclaimed defeat, destruction, and devastation - not really the words of a pep talk before the big game. His words discouraged the soldiers who were left to defend the city. The officials wanted the king to kill Jeremiah. The king, weak and cowardly, refused to do anything to Jeremiah or the officials making the charge. "So they [the officials] took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah . . . There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud" (Jer. 38:6).
Jeremiah's message was not popular, and neither was he. The people wanted a sermon of mercy and not of justice. They wanted a God who would wink at their sin, not a God who would punish their sin. Jeremiah spoke the truth.

The truth is painful to deliver and painful to receive. It causes people to want to pounce on the truth-bearer. It angered the officials so that they wanted Jeremiah put to death. The king refused to kill Jeremiah, so the officials did the next best thing. They lowered Jeremiah into an empty cistern - another imprisonment, another knockdown. Cisterns were dug out of rock, had a small opening, and spread out at the bottom in a pear shape. They were used to collect precious water during the rainy season to be used during the dry season. Escape from a cistern was virtually impossible. Here was Jeremiah sinking in the mud - a slow, filthy way to die, especially for someone who had been faithful and obedient in proclaiming the truth.

C. Jeremiah was asked to deliver the message to the kingAfter Jeremiah's rescue from the cistern, the king sent for him. The king wanted to hear from the prophet again. He asked Jeremiah to be honest, not withholding any information. He was hoping against hope that Jeremiah's prophecy would be more favorable, that Jerusalem would be spared. Jeremiah replied: "If I tell you, you will kill me, won't you? Besides, if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway" (Jer. 38:15). The king promised his protection. Jeremiah told the king that if he surrendered to the Babylonian king, he, the city, and his family would be spared. But if he did not surrender, the city will be burned down and they all would perish.

Jeremiah hid nothing from the king. He ran his race with integrity. He carried the ball without fumbling. And, look at what he got in return: beatings, imprisonment, a polluted cistern, and death threats. He got knocked down again and again. The truth costs. It hurts.

Jeremiah's story reminds us of Jesus' story. He, too, was a prophet. He once said, "I assure you: No prophet is accepted in his hometown" (Luke 4:24). Though popular at first, he saw the tide of public opinion turn against him. He proclaimed a message of grace and justice. He was not accepted by all. He encountered death threats. He was misunderstood. He was called names. He was knocked down again and again. He, too, walked the way of the cross, though He did not desire the horrors associated with it.

Obedience, however, drove him to subject himself to the will of the Father, to bear the truth. His obedience was put to the ultimate test and he perfectly met it. He, too, ran for glory and won.

II. The means to persevereWhat does it mean to persevere in obedience?

A. Stand by your convictionsThroughout Jeremiah's ordeal, he stood by his convictions, speaking the truth of God's will. He was "an iron pillar, and bronze walls" (Jer. 1:18). He was a man of unfaltering conviction. Jesus, likewise, would not be distracted from his mission "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).
A person with convictions knows what he believes, where he is going, and why. Convictions are not forced on an individual. They are beliefs and actions of choice. They are the truth, the mission, and the calling given by God that is not altered by time, people, opinions, or circumstances.
Francis Kelley wrote, "Convictions are the mainsprings of action, the driving powers of life. What a man lives are his convictions." Martin Luther King, Jr. often told his children, "If a man has nothing that is worth dying for, he is not fit to live."

"Chariots of Fire" is the inspiring story of Eric Liddell. During the 1924 Olympics where Liddell was planned to compete, his event was schedule on Sunday, which violated his conviction: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). He had trained for this event, but his Olympic hopes crumbled.

He held to his conviction, not competing in that race, but he entered another event. He had not prepared for it, but was allowed to run in it. Victory looked impossible. Then, just before the race, one of his opponents put a note in Eric's hand: "He who honors Me, I will honor." Eric ran in faith. His convictions were unbroken.  He honored God, and God blessed him. Eric Liddell won the gold medal.

Each day will challenge our convictions. The person who perseveres in obedience lives by those convictions each day.

B. Make the right choicesPeople who persevere chose not to stay down. They get up. The choices we made yesterday affect our today. The decisions we make today will determine our tomorrow. Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, "We are our choices."

Obedience is always a choice. No one forces us to obey God, his Word, or his will. It boils down to a choice we make each day - a choice to be faithful or not, to be loving or not, to be available or not, to be willing or not.

The choices that determine our obedience are the ones regarding honesty, integrity, and sincerity: The husband who remains faithful and loyal to his wife; the athlete who refuses to take stimulants or drugs to improve performance; the student who "cracks the books" rather than opting for the easy road of "crib sheets" or paying someone to write a term paper; the salesman who does not pad his expense account to defray an unexpected cost.

Doug Sherman and William Hendricks in their book, How To Succeed Where It Really Counts, tell about two friends who owned an extremely profitable business. They put it up for sale, and gave their word that, pending a few details, they would sell to a particular buyer. They made their decision on a Friday. However, over the weekend they received another offer that would have netted them an enormously higher profit.
Unsure of what they should do, they spent the rest of the weekend praying with their wives. By Sunday night they all agreed that their word must be their bond. On Monday morning, they called the second buyer and turned down his better offer. They made their decision, not based on dollars, but on obedience to right living. 

C. Maintain personal characterJeremiah maintained his character, standing on the truth of God's Word in the midst of people preaching a different message. His character remained intact.

The most pressing need in our world today is Christ-like character. Unfortunately this trait is in short supply and diminishing every day. Gail Sheehy in her book, Character: America's Search for Leadership, writes, "The root of the word character is the Greek word for engraving. As applied to human beings, it refers to the enduring marks left by life that set one apart as an individual."  In other words, character is that encompassing ingredient in life that makes us different.

D. Refuse to compromiseGranted, there are circumstances that call for compromise to maintain peace and harmony. But one should not compromise the truth. Jeremiah did not compromise with Irijah, the sentry who arrested him, charging him with desertion. Nor with the officials who wanted Jeremiah to soften his message to one of peace and prosperity. Nor with King Zedekiah, who longed for Jeremiah to agree with his hired prophets who said that Judah would prevail.

Christian history is filled with inspiring stories featuring people of principle - those who are immortalized for refusing to compromise their beliefs. In 1660, England's experiment as a Republic came to an abrupt end with the return to monarchist rule under Charles II. With this change, religious freedom also ended and Anglicanism was once again designated as the official state religion. It became illegal to conduct church services outside of the Church of England. Unlicensed individuals were forbidden from addressing a religious gathering.

Under these new laws, John Bunyan was arrested for preaching without a license. His growing popularity, though, prompted the judge to seek some sort of a compromise. Promising Bunyan immediate release if he only promised not to preach again, the judge's leniency was met with the reply, "If you release me today, I shall preach tomorrow!"

Three times in his life Bunyan was arrested, convicted, and jailed for preaching the gospel without a license. In the end, he spent over twelve years in prison. At any time during those years he could have secured his freedom by simply promising not to preach. But Bunyan knew God's calling on his life, and so he adamantly refused to compromise his convictions.

Those prison years were certainly not wasted. It was during this time that Bunyan wrote the book Pilgrim's Progress. Its immediate success and ongoing popularity has made it a Christian classic, the second most read book in English literature next to the Bible.

Today Christians around the world still languish in prison because they will not compromise their faith and give in to government suggestions for release. Christians in Laos are accused of following an "American" religion and would be released from prison and left in peace if they would sign a document recanting their commitment to Christ. Most refuse. Christians in "shipping container" prisons in Eritrea would be released if they also signed such a document but prefer to suffer indefinitely for the cause of Christ than deny Him.
Compromise is not always bad, but when it comes to issues of faith, we are expected to stand for Christ and his kingdom principles.

ConclusionIn the end, after you have been knocked down repeatedly, what will you do? After you have run your race, what will be your legacy? What will your epitaph say?

Rick Ezell is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Greer, South Carolina. Rick has earned a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology in preaching from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rick is a consultant, conference leader, communicator, and coach.

Jeremiah 34-36 ​Adrian Rogers once said, “The only hope for America (or any nation I might add) is to change public opinion.” But how is that done? It is done one soul at a time and the only means by which it is accomplished is the authoritative, inspired, infallible word of God! If at the end of the day all we have is a holy hunch and a human opinion, that’s just not enough.

Stop and think about the word repentance. In the Greek the word is “metanoia”. “Meta” means change and “noia” means mind.  There are things we need to repent of that perhaps we did not know were wrong.

Study Romans 12:2. Come with me to this text.

The summary of Jeremiah can be stated thus. Jehovah has sent Jeremiah to the Jews in Judah to warn them of the judgment to come. Why? Because they have neglected, objected and rejected God’s word! If they would repent they could know His justification and joy.

When it comes to God’s word there are three truths we all need to learn.

1. SOME IGNORE THE WORD (34) Let me give you two good reasons not to ignore His word.

A. Our Future (34:1-7). Focus in on verse 5. If you will note all this was literally fulfilled. God’s word is sure and certain. Again look at v.5. I can’t tell you when, where or how you will die but you will. The Bible tells us “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment.” Those who have bowed before Him and surrendered their lives will hear those words “Well done good and faithful servant.” Remember Jesus’ words in John 14:1-2. Those who have ignored and rejected Him will hear the words “Depart from me…I never knew you.” The word tells of our future.

B. Our Faults (34:8-22). Glance down at these verses and you will note God’s word about slavery. See Exodus 21:2. They had paid little attention to this law. They had ignored it. But in a moment of crisis they suddenly became all concerned. Isn’t that like many today? We resort to God’s word when we think it will be advantageous to us. Why free the slaves? Simple. Placate God and ask them to get right. But when the siege was lifted the people reneged on their promise. It was like a deathbed repentance. It was what one writer called “convenient religion”.

“Commitments born in a crisis often times die in calm.”

Look at v.15. The word is polluted or profaned. That means to make common, not holy. They had disgraced His name. In Hebrews 2:3 it reads, “How shall we escape if we neglect (ignore) so great a salvation?” We should never ignore God’s word because it tells of our future and points out our faults. God’s word is given so that we might be prepared and, also, that we might confess and repent.

II. SOME ARE INCENSED BY THE WORD (36) Pay close attention to two things.

A. Divine. Look at how the scriptures are inspired. (36:8, 14-18). You see here inspiration, proclamation and preservation. By the way, this is the only reference in the O.T. to ink. God’s word is permanent, not temporary or fading. Also see 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21.

B. Demolished (36:22-23). This is nothing short of a violent reaction. He shredded it and burned it piece by piece and probably with an element of delight. He sought to destroy the words and the power behind it. You may destroy the messenger but not the message. Look at how society tries to destroy scripture concerning life, evolution and marriage! Note 36:27-32. It was rewritten. It is the indestructible word of God! It stands forever! Every book on Earth has been given for information except the Bible! It was given for transformation.

III. SOME INCARNATE THE WORD (35)
Who were the Rechabites? This section is not here by accident. They stood in marked contrast to the shallow commitment of Judah.
The Rechabites were the descendants of Jonadab (2 Kings 10:15-23). He was a zealous devotee of the Lord. He was a fierce opponent of Baal worship. Two hundred years prior he had given them these commands. They were still following this holy, separated lifestyle.

Note a couple of things here.
A. Loyalty (35:1, 5-11)
B. Lesson (35:12-16)

They refused to be contaminated by the world. They incarnated (fleshed out) the word. One called them “orthodox”. That’s interesting. The word “orthos” means straight (dentist or back surgeon). The word “doxa” means opinion. Thus, you have a “straight opinion” people. The only hope for a nation is to change public opinion!
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CONCLUSION: When it comes to the word, some ignore it, some are incensed by it, but some incarnate it. What will you do with it?  Your purpose depends on it.

In Jeremiah chapter 31 the word "again" comes up 3 times.  The word "again" speaks of repetition and fresh beginnings. Commentators point out that this passage is all about promise. It is God giving promises and only promises to Israel. There are no instructions to hear---no conditions to meet---no laws to obey---no requirement for the people to renew the covenant with God. It's all about what God will do for them---again​

Our lives continue to need God's love and care. We continue to need the reminder of God's victory. We continue to seek out renewal, restoration and fresh beginnings with the Lord. How is it that almost every animal except man renews its beauty and youth at particular seasons? Birds moult their plumage, snakes slough their skins, even the cockroach casts off its old covering, and all come forth bright and beautiful as in the days of their youth; but we grow uglier and more discoloured every year, and the same skin must serve until our dying days.​Jeremiah lived through the demise of his civilization when the Babylonians invaded Judah, assaulted Jerusalem, and reduced the temple to rubble, exiling, or killing the royal family, priests, prophets, and majority of the population. The resulting chaos may be unimaginable to readers who have not lived through war and its aftermath in their own land. Here in the United States, those who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor or the attacks on the World Trade Center will have experienced some of what the citizens of Judah saw and felt. However, in neither case did the US government - or even those of Hawaii or New York - fall. In fact, in both cases governmental, religious, and social organizations responded immediately demonstrating the preservation of American institutional life.
In Judah in 586 BCE, broken families would have been ravaged by grief and loss; those left behind would have had to scramble to find surviving relatives and a place to sleep if their homes had been destroyed. Produce and food animals were either destroyed or taken. Every object of value was plundered. Anyone with any authority or skill to help rebuild the society was dead or gone.

Again God speaks through Jeremiah to a broken people, "I took them by the hand" and "I married them" in verse 32. (The latter phrase is translated "I was their husband" in the NRSV.) God is willing to start over with them and make it easier for God's people to keep the covenant; this time God will engrave the Torah ("revelation," "teaching," and "law") on their hearts (verse 33). They will not have to be told (or taught) to (get to) know the LORD; for the knowledge of the LORD will be implanted within them.

The passage ends with a commitment from God to forget their sin for all time. These words promised desperately-needed hope to the survivors of the invasion. The God of Creation would re-create them. The God of Exodus would embrace them again. The merciful, tender loving God would forgive all their sin and absolve them of the sins of their ancestors. The sin that led God to surrender Judah and Jerusalem to the Babylonians would be forgiven.
Jeremiah's words were recorded and remembered, preserved, and reckoned as scripture. They have come down through time to us as living words of God in part because they nourished famished souls at their most desperate hour. 

Action Step:  Read Jeremiah chapter 31 out loud today and be encouraged God has not forgotten you and you can begin again.


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Jeremiah 30 can be summed up in this sentence. God is at work among a suffering people for their future well-being. Though they have been wounded in the judgment they have experienced, God promises healing. Have no fear, be not dismayed, for I am with you, and I will save you (30:10-11). The present time of captivity is a time of chastisement, for sin will not go unvisited; yet, it is not an end in itself, but a means to refine and restore Israel (30:11).

The Following steps were taken from: https://reflectionsintheword.org/2010/05/06/four-steps-for-spiritual-restoration/     This is a great daily devotion web site for your further enrichment.
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STEP 1: Humility
The first step in spiritual restoration is humility. To start the restoration process we must first recognize our nothingness before an Almighty God. I have neither rights nor commendation before God. On my own, I am both guilty and unworthy to be in his Holy presence. God is everything; I am nothing.
…the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. ~Habakkuk 2:20
STEP 2: Prayer
The second step in spiritual restoration is prayer. Prayer is an act of humility. Prayer is NOT presenting God with a list of desires. God DOES care about our needs and He instructs us to “cast all our cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7).
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” ~Matthew 6:10
However, Jesus showed us that the primary purpose of prayer is to prepare persons to perform the perfect will of God (Matthew 6: 9-13, Luke 22:42).
And he… prayed, Saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” ~Luke 22:41-42
After we humble ourselves before God, we then seek to discover His will for our lives through prayer.
STEP 3: Communion/Fellowship
The third step in spiritual restoration is communion with God: ‘seeking God’s face’. To ‘seek God’s face’ is to live in His presence: to commune/fellowship with Him. Prayer is the doorway through which we enter into communion with God. Scripture instructs us to seek God, and to do so “continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 27:8, Psalm 105:4). To commune/fellowship with God is to live one’s life every second as if serving before God’s throne in heaven. It is to be in constant dialogue with God. It is to be intimate with God: talking with Him “face-to-face”:
“Give us this day our daily bread.” ~Matthew 6:11
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend… ~Exodus 33:11a
To “seek God’s face” is to walk with God as Enoch did: in such close fellowship that the line between earth and heaven becomes blurred. When Moses communed with God he came so close that after the experience his face shone (Exodus 34:34-35). Paul communed with God and was caught up in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-3). God wants to lead us from humility into prayer; and from prayer into communion with Him.
STEP 4: Repentance
The fourth and final step in spiritual restoration is repentance: turning from “wicked ways”. Repentance is the offspring of communion. This is not the same “repentance” that is a prerequisite for salvation (Acts 3:19), because this passage was addressed to “my people, which are called by my name”. So, God was addressing those who are already in the fold. Repentance for believers is described in Romans 12:2 as transformation by a renewing of our minds.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” ~Matt. 6:13a
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” ~Romans 12:2
God intends to bring us from humility into prayer, from prayer into communion with God and finally communion gives birth to repentance (mental renewal): a change in mindset allows us to turn from our “wicked ways”.
Start… and You Will Finish
These four steps of spiritual restoration, though sequential, are not independent of each other. The believer that humbles himself before The Almighty God will pray, because he recognizes that he must submit to the will of the Lord of Hosts. The believer that discerns the will of God through prayer must also ‘seek God’s face’, because to walk in the will of God is to walk in communion with God. And the believer that walks in communion with God cannot help but have his mind renewed.