You want to be stronger, braver, and more integrated.
You want to be more whole right?
I have good news. As you learn and apply Transformation Prayer Ministry to your life, you will become a stronger, braver, more integrated, and whole person.
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”Hebrews 12:14 NIV
Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) is, by far, one of the best tools I’ve seen that can nurture growth in this way.
The intent of the TPM process is to provide a systematic and reliable means to intentionally and purposefully participate with God in refining one’s faith, which results in renewing one’s mind, and naturally transforming one’s belief and behavior.
“ . . . be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 NIV
To understand this more clearly, today I’m sharing with you a personal account of a Transformation Prayer Ministry session. In this, you will see how Molly (fictitious name) was able to move through her negative belief about herself.
To read another personal application of Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) click here.
We begin here.
When Molly was talking with her husband about the slow pace of work in her current job, he suggested she should look for another job.
Feeling irritated and defensive, and realizing they were getting nowhere in their conversation, she decided not to engage in any arguments.
In fact, she decided to essentially dismiss herself from the discussion and just let him talk.
Bothered by her own unclear thoughts and feelings, which arose in their interaction, she asked me to mentor her in Transformation Prayer Ministry regarding these unsettled feelings.
EMOTION (The ‘box’ or place we begin a session)
I asked her: “How did the conversation make you feel?”
Molly: “It made me feel defensive and irritated.”
MEMORIES
I asked her: “What comes to mind as you focus on what you are feeling?”
Molly: “Hmm . . . Why did I feel defensive? What was I defending? . . . THAT I’M NOT SPOILED OR LAZY. “
I asked: Why do you feel that way?
Molly: “ Because I was the baby of the family, the youngest with a large age gap. I remained close in proximity to my parents and they were a great help to me with babysitting, helping with finances and rides when I didn’t have a car. My other siblings moved out of town and were more independent. Later, I was able to be a stay at home mom.
BELIEF
I asked her: “Not that it is true, but does it feel true that you are spoiled or lazy?”
Molly: “No. Actually when I think about it, I do not believe I am spoiled.”
TRUTH
We entered this TPM process spontaneously and were in an informal setting. Others began to enter the room before we were quite done. This interfered with the process. I believe Molly began to speed things up, and her intellect took over for her emotions in the BELIEF box.
Once she heard herself say she’s “spoiled and lazy” and thought about it, she realized that was not true. If her response was yes, (which would have been the typical response if not rushed to conclude things) I would have asked her if we could present that belief to the Lord.
TRANSFORMATION
I asked her: “So, what do you feel is true?”
Molly: “I am not a spoiled child. I work hard. I am very productive. I am resourceful. I contribute a lot to my family. I have made sacrifices and do not ask for much in return. I do not always get my way or what I want.
If you become familiar with Transformation Prayer Ministry you will be a stronger, more positive, united, and whole person.
Wholeness leads to holiness.
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”Hebrews 12:14 NIV
To read another personal application of Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) click here.
Transformation & Retreat
Are you looking for transformation in your life? . . .
Do you want to change the dynamics in your relationships?
Are You Lonely?
It’s been some time since I read the bible and at this time of year I felt a need to connect and hear the Lord.
Toe Dipper?
by Jeanne Kjellman
When you are faced with a body of water, do you plunge right in or are you a toe dipper? You know what I mean . . .
those who carefully test the temperature with a tiny dip of their toe and then slowly decide if the temperature is worth the joy of getting totally wet, swimming and splashing in the blue water. Toe dippers also are known to moan, groan, and grumble the entire time. Finding any excuse to turn around.
I can be that way in my walk of faith with God. God clearly leads me to take a step of faith and I slowly dip in one toe, cautiously checking out the situation. Then the doubts come; God, why me? I’m not qualified. Let’s do this later. I’m too busy. Then, I either turn around, or I grudgingly slowly go forward, sputtering and grumbling the whole time. Finally, I am totally engulfed in obedience, helpless and relying on God. Guess what? That’s when I find Jesus reaches down and I ride the waves with him, he always holds me up, supporting me. I feel the exuberant joy of obedience and making a significant difference in the life of others through God’s awesome power.
Recently I read about the life of Abraham and it made me mighty uncomfortable. In Genesis 12:1 “The Lord had said to Abram, “leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Vs 4a states . . . So Abram left. 
What? No excuses, bargaining, or doubts, he just trusted God and obeyed.
Later when God told him to circumcise all the males in his household, he did it that very day. Ouch! I would have definitely questioned that one.(Gen. 17:23). His life continued to be one of instant obedience and God commends him in Hebrews 11. This chapter is full of people who chose faith over fear. Hebrews 11:6 states; “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
My heart aches over the times God led me to share my faith or give food to that homeless girl and I didn’t obey. I pray someone else stepped up in obedience. Yet, my heart rejoices in the times I plunged right in and trusted God to catch me. You see, I have found that when I jump right into the pool of obedience I have no time to let doubts creep in. I reap the blessings of doing God’s bidding and the eternal significance of influencing someone for Christ. Also, when you take that first step of faith, the next step becomes easier, until finally you become a person whose life is characterized by that quality. So next time God asks you to share the gospel, teach that class, cry with the hurting, show mercy to the weak, jump right in, the waters fine!
Jeanne Kjellman is the mother of two grown children, the wife of 26 years to David, and the daughter of the King of Kings. She has a Master’s of Education and a minor in Bible. Although her first love is the Bible. She loves teaching, writing, and speaking to women.
Shaking Like a Leaf
I knew this semester was gonna be a doozy. With a few doctors appointments and a name for my nervousness, there was a hill ahead of me I needed to climb. A few weeks into the semester I was experiencing defeat after defeat, and it had only been two weeks.
Lydia Bugosh lives a Bug’s Wife life. She teaches dance at the Johnstown Concert Ballet School and recently graduated from Eastern University and majored in dance. She says, “Dancing has to be a heart thing. The most full and whole version of me is me dancing. I’ve realized that I have important things to say, and I’m not hiding anymore.”
The Power of Connection
by Melanie Fyock
I am abundantly blessed with wonderful, spiritually mature friends. I can, without hesitation and in total transparency, share any burden with Valerie, Anna, Dory, Susan, or Maureen. I can open my heart completely to any of them with certain knowledge that I will be supported by love and intercession.
Late in 2016, God added Joy to my circle of friends. Because Joy and I are now members of the same congregation and we share a heart for women’s ministry, we began in January to meet once each week to get better acquainted and to listen for the Lord’s direction. Within the first month, I realized that Joy had become more of an agent for change in my lifelong battle against procrastination than any of the others in my deep, rich treasury of spiritual companions. As I was thanking the Lord and marveling that a relative stranger had made such a significant difference in my life, He brought two truths to my mind.
The first truth is that nothing can replace face to face connection. John notes this in the 12th verse of his second letter: “Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.” Friendship is a powerful force for support and encouragement, but face to face friendship intensifies that power in the fullness of joy.
The second truth comes from Matthew 18: “if two of you agree on earth concerning anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” I know this passage is often used to promote prayer, but it is prayer dealing with sin, so it especially applies to my battle with procrastination. Prayer always holds power, but praying together multiplies that power. In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard reminds us that gathering for prayer is one of the few activities of the 21st century church that can be traced all the way back to the day of Pentecost.
These two truths merged into one lesson. The overcoming power that I sense has little to do with Joy or with me. It has little to do with the subject of our conversations or the amount of time we spend in prayer. But it does have everything to do with Jesus. He is showing me that He fulfills His promises whenever I take a tiny step of obedience. Since I rededicated my life to Christ in the late 70s, I have spent decades talking to kindred spirits, dreaming the same dreams, seeing the same visions, aiming at the same goals. I have spent countless hours studying, praying, learning, and growing. But in the simple act of gathering face to face with no plan beyond seeking God’s will, I discovered renewed power to overcome besetting sin. I find myself automatically doing little things like stopping at a store, making a phone call, or sending an email that I would normally and naturally put off until tomorrow, or next week, or even next month.
I haven’t learned anything new, but I am experiencing something new because I am practicing the kind of connection that is essential for spiritual health. I’m glad God brought Joy to us with Heart Working Women’s vision to help us all grow within honest community. I look forward to all the Lord will accomplish as He connects the hearts of His children in Western Pennsylvania
Melanie loves to share her teas, her books, and her friends — especially all at the same time! She seeks opportunities to encourage older women to be faithful to the instruction of Titus 2 by teaching younger women to restore and treasure the precious art of homemaking.
Dry and Wrinkled, But Still Beautiful
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BLOOM
Lorraine’s Vision for Bloom:
Bloom provides all women an opportunity for meaningful, creative, safe community within their local towns and neighborhoods. Bloom provides a platform for the gifts and talents of women who desire to create restful spaces where inspiring activities – such as book clubs, gardening, tea rooms (the sky’s the limit) can occur. In addition, Bloom seeks to organically connect women with common interests regardless of their faith, culture, or personal beliefs.
BLOOM – n. a flourishing, healthy condition; the time or period of greatest beauty, artistry, etc.
v. to make bloom or cause to flourish, to invest with luster or beauty
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Dry and Wrinkled, but Still Beautiful
by Lorraine Adams
It was early spring and everything was dead and gray. I thought it was interesting that these leaves were still hanging on and that they looked pretty to me in the dead gray forest. As I pondered this, I realized something . . . that was me. I had been through a very long, hard, brutally cold winter, but I was still connected to the branch. Maybe a little dry and wrinkled, but still beautiful and hanging on, shedding some light in the dark forest. I thought . . . Read more
My name is Lorraine and I am a wife, mother of three and grandmother of five. I am a lover of family and friends, tea parties, coffee dates, fabric, books, nature, God and all things vintage. I love fashion and sewing. I love creating. I also work part-time out of my home and spend lots of time with my family and friends. I am given to hospitality and host a monthly women’s group called Bloom. I believe one of my gifts is encouraging others. I hope this blog does just that.
One of the blessings of learning to do transformation prayer is that you become so much more aware of how God is always waiting, ready to help us work through anything and everything that troubles us. Truly He is our ever-present help in time of trouble.
That’s so true Melanie. Becoming aware of God’s character and how He’s always waiting, willing, and ready to work through what troubles us.