After two sessions, I am absolutely sold on the ability of "My Counselor" to add tremendous value to my life. He listens well. He shares from his own experiences openly. He passes on insights from authors I have never heard of. He connects his thoughts to the Scriptures. He admits and is aware of his own brokenness. And he does all this while using cuss words every now and then to provide emphasis when necessary! I love it!

And just like the first session, in our time together yesterday, he encouraged me with several thoughts that will probably take me a while to fully understand and implement into my life! In an effort to have these lessons more firmly impressed upon my heart, I have attached a prayer to each one expressing how I hope God uses these lessons in my life.

LESSON #1 - "Beg God to make you invisibly visible."

Dear Heavenly Father, as I point people to you, may people see through me to see you. May they not get overly enamored with how I point to you, but instead, be impressed and amazed by YOU! Your goodness. Your mercy. Your love. Your beauty. May who I am and what I do fade to the background as your glory and majesty comes to the forefront. Lord, I know I cannot abdicate my responsibility to point to you, but may all of my pointing lead people to see that, above all else, the point is You.

LESSON #2 - "Rejoice in being nothing."

Dear Heavenly Father, I must first admit there is a deep desire in me to become something. I want to be known. I want to be recognized. I want to have influence. I want to be successful. And though in and of themselves these desires may not be entirely bad, they bring along with them so much baggage. It is with that in mind that, right here and right now, I want to settle in my heart that if you never gave me another ounce of influence or if you took what influence I had away, I would still have a million reasons to praise and worship you!

If no one knew my name, I would rejoice in knowing that I know Your name. If no one heard me speak, I would rejoice in knowing that I have heard You speak. If no one read a word I wrote, I would rejoice in knowing that I have read the words that You wrote. If no one attended my church, I would rejoice in knowing that I am a part of Your church. Lord, give me the ability to rejoice in being nothing because, in You, I have EVERYTHING.

LESSON #3 - "Not new things, but in a new way."

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me with specific gifts to use, innate desires to pursue, and a unique purpose to fulfill. You placed these things within me at birth and over the last 33 years of my life I have become more and more aware of what these things are. Thank you for the "things" you have placed within me! As I approach the halfway point of my life, my desire is not that you would give me "new things," but that I would embrace, approach, and pursue these things in a "new way."

Help me to steward the gifts you have given me to use with a greater level of humility - realizing that their power comes from you. Help me to steward the desires you have given me to pursue with a greater level of caution - realizing that desire improperly managed can lead to destruction. Help me to steward the purpose you have given me to fulfill with a greater level of faith - realizing that without faith it is impossible to please you! Lord, may I always remember that it is not who you have uniquely created me to be that needs to change, but it is how I approach who you've created me to be that needs to be ever evolving.