Good morning, my brothers! Most men want God's blessing, not transformation. Here's what happened when I prayed for holiness, and God began the refining process in me. Costly and rewarding. It may be the most important prayer you'll ever pray. Let’s go! A 5-minute, 3-second read
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One Word Changed Everything
It was November 2006, and I was stuck.
As was my custom, I had set aside time to pray about goals for the coming year. Usually, the list came easily. There would be goals for fitness, family, finances, and my relationship with Jesus. But that year, nothing came.
Each time I sat down to write them out, I kept staring at a blank page.
Until one morning, during my Bible time, I came to 2 Corinthians 7. I never made it past the first verse.
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
One word jumped off the page:
Holiness.
That was it. That would be my goal for 2007. You can see in the picture above what I wrote in my Bible that morning as I meditated on it.
At the time, I thought it sounded reasonable enough. I was walking with the Lord. I was active in church. I was serving, giving, and trying to live faithfully. Surely holiness would involve God sanding off a few rough edges and cleaning up a couple of areas of my life.
I had no idea what I was asking for.
What began as a goal for one year became a painful, costly, and yet incredibly rewarding journey that would shape the next decade of my life. I wouldn’t wish what I’ve been through on anyone, but I wouldn’t trade this time of transformation for anything.
The reason is simple: holiness is far bigger than most of us realize.
Holiness Is More Than Avoiding Sin
Many Christian men hear the word "holiness" and think primarily of avoiding sin. While moral purity is certainly part of holiness, the Bible paints a much larger picture.
The primary meaning of holiness, is "set apart", belonging fully to God.
God is holy. He is completely distinct from His creation. He is morally perfect, utterly pure, and unlike anyone else. When God calls His people to holiness, He is calling them to become increasingly set apart for His purposes.
Holiness is not merely avoiding bad things. It is increasingly belonging to God in every area of life.
That distinction was at the heart of the refining process God was working in my life.
As I continued praying through 2007, I regularly asked the Lord to show me anything in my body or spirit that was not like Christ. I assumed the list would be short.
Instead, God began opening doors into rooms of my heart I didn't even know existed.
What God Revealed Along the Way
He exposed pride I had mistaken for confidence.
He revealed self-reliance masquerading as strength.
He uncovered approval-seeking hidden beneath the pursuit of excellence.
He pointed out idols that had quietly taken His place.
Some lessons came gently. Most came painfully. All came through circumstances I never would have chosen.
Over and over, the Lord answered the prayer I had prayed. Not by making life easier, but by revealing areas where I still belonged more to myself than to Him.
That is what holiness does.
It shines light into places we as men would rather leave untouched.
The Scottish pastor and author Andrew Murray wrote, "Holiness is not something we do or attain. It is the communication of the life of Christ within us."
That was exactly my experience.
The pursuit of holiness was not primarily about trying harder. It was about surrendering more completely.
It was less about behavior modification and more about transformation.
Less about becoming impressive and more about becoming dependent.
Looking back, one of the most important revelations was how much God cared about my motives rather than my actions. I’m still learning that my actions flow from my heart…and that’s where He focuses.
Most of us can identify obvious sins. But holiness reaches deeper.
Why do I need recognition?
Why do I compare myself to other men?
Why do I become anxious when circumstances change?
Why do I feel threatened when someone else succeeds?
Why do I seek significance outside of Christ?
Why do I feel that I’m not enough?
Those questions became part of God's refining work.
Becoming More Fully His
The older I get, the more convinced I become that holiness is not about becoming a super-Christian.
It is about becoming more fully His.
The Apostle Paul captured this beautifully when he wrote:
For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
God initiates the work. God sustains the work. God completes the work.
Our responsibility is to cooperate with what He is doing, fully surrendered.
He must become greater; I must become less.
That is both encouraging and humbling.
Encouraging because we are not responsible for changing ourselves.
Humbling because we cannot hide from the areas God wants to change.
Twenty years later, I still pray some version of that same prayer.
“Lord, show me anything in me that is not like Jesus. Continue Your work. Claim more territory. Make me more fully Yours.”
Apart from Christ, my heart is still deceitful, my actions like filthy rags. But when I surrender to His leading, His righteousness can shine through me, as His vessel.
I can honestly say that a single word from 2 Corinthians 7:1 shaped my life more than any annual goal I have ever written.
Not because I achieved holiness.
But because God used the pursuit of holiness to draw me closer to Himself. He still does.
Maybe that's where some of us need to begin today. Not with a new productivity goal. Not with a new fitness plan. Not with another achievement to pursue.
But with a simple prayer:
"Lord, show me anything in my body or spirit that does not look like Jesus, and make me more fully Yours."
Don't be surprised if He answers that prayer.
And don't be surprised if it changes far more than a single year. It might not be easy. Probably won’t. But it will be rewarding and fulfilling, here on earth and for eternity.
It will change your life.
Reflection and Action for This Week
When you hear the word holiness, what is the first thing that comes to mind? How does that compare to the biblical idea of belonging fully to God?
Is there an area of your life that you have intentionally or unintentionally kept off-limits from God's transforming work?
Looking back over the last five years, where have you seen God exposing attitudes, motives, or habits that needed to change?
Which of the questions above hits closest to home right now: pride, self-reliance, comparison, approval-seeking, anxiety, or finding significance outside of Christ?
Would you be willing to pray this prayer every day this week: "Lord, show me anything in my body or spirit that does not look like Jesus, and make me more fully Yours"?
-WIll
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