Listen to the Lyrics #5

A Fair Bit More  - Claire Hazzard

Well I’m not asking for any big revelation

And I’m not asking for a formula

To work this whole thing through

But what I’m asking for Lord Jesus

Is to be a fair bit more like you

Just this afternoon things are very clear

That I’ll never get it right no matter what I do

So what I’m asking for Lord Jesus

Is to be a fair bit more like you

And yes I wanna die to the way I seem to be

And yes I wanna live through your Spirit in me

But once again I’ve let you down

By the bad things that I do

And I guess that’s why I need to be

A fair bit more like you

I wonder if you could pray these lyrics?

I read them and I am challenged to reassess my prayers. So much of the time I pray the opposite to verse 1.....I pray asking God for answers and help, in the hope that He will make my life easier...more comfortable....less stressful. I pray prayers for my own convenience with regular monotony. 

And I am sure God shakes His head. He wants me to pray the prayer that asks Him for transformation. To be made 'a fair bit more like' His amazing Son. He wants me to grow, to change, to be refined and to better reflect the character of Jesus. To be more patient, obedient, faithful, loving, joyful, peace-making, meek, generous, kind.....and the rest. He wants me to pray the dangerous prayer, not the convenient, easy-way-out prayer.

I call it a dangerous prayer because it is likely that He will answer it in a way that will stretch and confront me. In order to develop more patience, I might be faced with situations that unfold frustratingly slowly or people who won't do exactly what I want, when I want, the way I want. To become more loving, perhaps I am faced with 'unloveliness' and like Jesus, I need to make the decision to show love...make it a choice and an action. And to learn generosity, perhaps He'll put before me needs that I find challenging to meet, but what He is asking, is for me to rely on His generosity and resources in order to give.

And for as many times as I get it wrong, how wonderful that He is there to forgive and help. To move me on today from where I was yesterday...if I let Him. And the key to letting Him? The Holy Spirit. Empowered, led, guided, counseled by Him, I can become 'a fair bit more like' Jesus.

The question is....am I willing to pray that prayer?