Devotional Bible Study: Renewing Your Mind | Romans 12:2.
Welcome to Day 18. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Romans 12:2. This verse begins our portions of scriptures about how God transforms us in His presence.
Read Romans 12:2.
Romans 12:2 is from a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome. It was probably composed at Corinth in about 57CE. Paul is writing to the church about the importance of a transformed life in Christ. In the previous verse, Paul calls the church to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as an act of true and proper worship, and then compels them to not conform to the world in its thinking and way of doing things.
The Greek word for "conform" is "syschēmatizō" which means “to form according to a pattern or mold.” The J. B. Phillips Bible translates it, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” These words are so important for us today as well as when they were written because we are called to reflect the Lord's glory and to be His ambassadors on earth, attracting new disciples with a desire to know God's presence in their lives.
We will look at 3 questions in our short devotional below:
What does it mean to not be conformed to this world?
How does the Holy Spirit renew our minds?
What is the perfect will of God?
Join me at the end of the post for prayer on renewing your mind.
Short Devotional: Renewing Your Mind
When you surrender your life to Christ and invite Him to take up residence in your life, you become a holy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. That is quite an awesome thought!
We are called to be in the world but not to be 'of the world'. Followers of Christ pattern their lives after Him (see 1 Peter 2:21), not according to the principles of the world, which the Bible says is controlled by the devil, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are called to be Holy in a godless world, pointing others to Christ.
How is this possible, to not conform to this world?
It takes a metamorphosis or transformation of your mind. This is accomplished through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, changing our hearts and minds from within.
Steps to renewing your mind
We have already established that as a Christian (followers of Christ, His disciple) we become a holy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Our job is to provide space in our lives to allow Him to renew our minds through the words in the Bible. This process will take all of your life to be completed. It will be an exciting time and at times it may be a little painful. Transformation is a process and a big adventure!
Renew your mind daily
One of the benefits of practicing the presence of God is that our minds are renewed and transformed daily as we are thinking 'God's thoughts ' and reading His transforming words from the Bible. This occurs from prayerfully reading scripture and inviting the Holy Spirit to enable us to apply them to our hearts and lives.
1. Set aside time in the morning as soon as you awake to start your day with God. It doesn't have to take a long period of time but just even a few minutes at the start of your day can put your day in good order. I hope to help you accomplish practicing the presence of God throughout your day with these devotional bible studies. You can download them to your phone and use the digital prayer journal to record your thoughts and prayers and read scripture. I know that our electronics have the power to distract from a devotional time with God but I hope to change this perspective, so that throughout your day when you suddenly find 'stolen moments of time', you can take some precious moments with your savior and be refreshed in His presence.
2. Remember that you have the choice of what you watch and read. The renewing and transforming of your mind need wholesome thoughts. Be careful of what you meditate on.
Colossians 3:2-3.
3. What are you allowing into your life? The world can fill you with fear and entice you to make bad choices.
If you become fearful, remember to recall scripture to your mind and just watch God's peace fill your heart. A wonderful scripture to meditate on when you become fearful is Philippians 4:7.
4. We find the perfect description on the steps to take in renewing your mind straight from scripture in
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Praise, pray and be thankful. This is such a perfect prescription for renewing your mind. You will find your perspective changes on whatever situation that you are in when you get your heart and mind on Christ through praise prayer and being thankful!
This leads us to the closing statement of Romans 12:2, "that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
What is the perfect will of God?