When You Ask God to Change You… He Really Does

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this past year, it’s this:

When you ask God to change you, He will.

It might not feel natural. It might not be easy. But He will do it—slowly, faithfully, and so tenderly that one day you look up and realize… I’m not who I used to be.

Richard and I have been doing some very intentional soul-searching and God-searching. We WANT Him to be number one in our lives and in our home. But wanting change and living change are two different things, and let’s be honest—it doesn’t come “naturally.” Anytime you try to live differently, you’re choosing to fight against old habits, old patterns, and old comforts. But that’s where God meets you.

For years we’ve read the Bible using different plans—The Bible Recap, chronological programs, read-through-the-year guides. Those were fantastic starting points, and they helped us build daily habits, spark understanding, and strengthen our foundation.

But it wasn’t until the last few months that I started to see the fruit of the tree actually growing.

The Prayer That Changed Everything

Every time I slipped back into old habits, or forgot to pray, or caught myself reacting from an old version of me, I did something simple:

I asked God to forgive me.

And then I asked Him to change me.

I asked Him to live in my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, and my tongue—so that everything I thought, everything I felt, everything I saw, heard, or said would be filtered through Him first. I even prayed, “Lord, remind me to remember You.” It may sound silly, but I knew I needed it.

And guess what?

He listened. He answered. He moved.

A Vacation Conversation That Wasn’t an Accident

On our last vacation, our kids were playing with another family’s children. Naturally, we parents started talking. The mom watched Richard and me interact for a while, and finally she said quietly, “I’ve been watching you and your husband… and we don’t have that. I think we might be headed for divorce. How do you get that?”

In the past I would have said something light like, “Humor and wanting it to work.” But it was like God stepped in and spoke for me—just like I’ve been asking Him to.

I said, “God. It’s 100% because of God.”

She leaned in. She wanted to hear more. So I shared it all:

– How we started listening to the Bible every morning

– How we’ve become almost fierce about making God number one

– How it isn’t always easy or natural

– How our marriage has had rocky seasons too

– How focusing on God softened how we saw each other

– How following God’s design for marriage changed everything

The more we talked, the more I saw that God’s been growing roots in us for years. And on that vacation—one of those roots reached the surface.

Roots Before Fruit

Every time I prayed, “Lord, help me be better,” a new root grew. I didn’t see the results right away. But He was working. And now, those roots feel strong enough to support so much more fruit than I ever imagined.

Even something as small as my Apple Music station shows the change—where it used to be random music, now it’s overwhelmingly worship: Brandon Lake, Cody Carnes, Phil Wickham, Jelly Roll. It’s amazing to hear your own heart shifting.

The Change Matters Most for Our Kids

But the sweetest part?

The impact on our children.

This—above all—is why Richard and I have chosen to make God the priority. We want our home to be filled with Him, not just occasionally but consistently, naturally, wholeheartedly.

And Lucy… oh my goodness.

Her comfort with speaking about God, her gentle wisdom, the joy she spreads, the way she loves—all of it is light straight from Him. Watching her talk about God so freely makes my heart want to burst. She doesn’t just know about God—she knows Him. She carries His light like a lantern.

And that’s the fruit I prayed for.

That’s the change God promised.

That’s the story He’s writing in our family.

When you ask God to change you, He will. Not instantly. Not without effort. But faithfully, deeply, and beautifully—root by root, habit by habit, prayer by prayer.

A Gentle Challenge for Your Heart

If you’re reading this and feeling that tug—the one that whispers “I want that in my home… I want that peace, that closeness, that steadiness”—then let this be your moment. You don’t have to overhaul your whole life. You don’t have to know every verse. You don’t have to be “good enough” first. You simply have to decide that you want God to be number one. Start with one prayer. One moment of honesty. One desire for Him to plant a root. Ask Him to change you, remind you, and lead you. And then watch Him work. Your family deserves the harvest that comes from roots grounded in Him—and it all begins with the choice to invite Him in today.