Your desire to be changed and made into who you are supposed to be in Christ is a gracious and necessary desire, and it is right to bring it before the Lord in prayer.
All created things need renewal, for nothing that God has made is self-existent, and how much more does the soul need it if it would persevere. Without seasons of renewal there steals upon us an unconscious apostasy, as Hosea speaks of Ephraim having gray hairs here and there upon him, but he knew it not. To be made anew is a stern work. It is called in Scripture conversion, and in conversion the same power is exercised that was put forth in raising Jesus Christ from the dead. What power then must be required in the renewal of a soul. Yet this is the very power God delights to put forth.
Only the God who works great marvels could accomplish such a wonderful transformation, not only to take away the bitterness and give sweetness in its place, but to turn the bitterness itself into sweetness, and to turn the deepest sorrows of His people into the most sublime joys. The crooked thing is really crooked now, but there is a transformation in store. You are dark and crooked by nature, but you shall be light in the Lord and upright through His grace. As the thorn which rends and tears the passers by is transformed into the fir tree, so the hurtful heart of man is made fruitful and comely, and this is to the glory of God, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. This transformation is worked by the secret and mysterious agency of God the Holy Spirit. Certainly it can never be worked in us by the power of man.
Remember also that this work is personal. Having been personally redeemed by Christ, personally washed in His blood, personally saved by His grace, you are to render personal service to Him. You are not content with promises that are held in a sort of joint stock by the entire community, you long to have in your own heart the personal cry of adoption, nothing but vital personal union to the Son of God can ever satisfy you. You live upon the personal realization of your interest in the covenant of grace. What more reasonable than that you should give personal service, spirit, soul and body, for these are claimed by Christ as your reasonable service.
So the word to each of you is, Let us cleanse ourselves. There can be no better way of promoting all good than by increasing in personal holiness, for divine indwelling and divine communion both require it. Has the Lord entered into covenant with us that we shall be His people, then does not this involve a call upon us to live like His people, as becomes godliness. This is activity that each must own before God for himself and herself.
Take comfort that in every event of Providence God has a purpose. He is in one mind and who can turn Him. His purpose is unchanged and what His soul desireth, that He doeth. He is carrying out still His one great purpose, and none of these things cometh by chance. That you should pray is as much the divine purpose as that the asked for blessing should come to you. Your prayer and God's act work upon the one hinge of the eternal purpose. We have a personal Providence, a personal God and a personal God listening to our prayers. He has gone into heaven on purpose that He might represent His people at the throne of grace and plead their cause, and when we ask in His name and set His seal to our petitions, we must win our suit.
May the Lord hear this prayer for each of you individually. May He effectually call each heart at conversion and in every season after, renew your graces, cleanse you from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and conform you more and more to the image of His Son, through whom alone is salvation. May He make you to know His one unchanging purpose for your lives and give you grace to walk worthy of it, rendering to your personal Redeemer your personal service all your days.
We will pray with you to that end. Heavenly Father, look upon each of these two souls for whom prayer is offered. By the power that raised Christ from the dead, convert, renew and cleanse them. Turn what is crooked into straightness and what is dark into light. Give to each a personal hold upon Christ, a personal holiness that befits Your indwelling, and a renewed covenant joy in following You. Make each into who they are supposed to be in Christ Jesus, to Your everlasting glory. In Jesus mighty name, Amen.