🌿 The Beauty of Obedience: A Doorway to Peace and Deeper Prayer

I’m on a Path of Rediscovering Obedience

Obedience isn’t something I’ve always found easy. But lately, I’m starting to see it in a new light. I used to associate it with struggle and surrender—something that cost me comfort. But now, it’s becoming something far more beautiful: a doorway. A gentle path into deeper peace, stronger prayer, and a more intimate relationship with Papa God.

As I’ve been studying prayer through the writings of E.M. Bounds, one truth keeps echoing in my spirit: God never asks us to do something without also giving us the help to do it. He doesn’t leave us to figure it out on our own.

He equips, He strengthens, and He lovingly walks alongside us.

That’s what’s shifting in me. I’ve come to believe that obedience can become easy—not because the task is always light, but because the help is always present.

When Old Habits Compete for Our Attention

Not everything in life has felt hard to obey. But there are certain places—entrenched habits and reflexes—that have been difficult to let go of. Neural pathways formed by years of turning to things that soothed or distracted me. For me, it’s been things like overeating during stress or drifting into long daydreams when I didn’t want to face the present moment.

These aren’t just surface-level behaviors. They’ve often been a kind of self-comfort. But I’ve realized that they were slowly robbing me—of connection with God, of presence in my body, of clarity in my mind.

And I know I’m not alone in this.

We all have areas like this—places we instinctively turn to instead of turning toward God. Maybe it’s scrolling through social media, staying busy, controlling outcomes, zoning out, or lashing out. These places often feel too entangled to surrender. But here’s the invitation I’ve come to recognize: what if those places are actually cues—beautiful signals that show us where we still need God’s love and mercy?

God doesn’t shame us for the struggle. He meets us there with compassion. And instead of demanding perfection, He simply holds out His hand and says, “Let’s walk this together.”

Learning to Walk with God Like a Child

This is how I now picture obedience:Like a child learning to walk.Wobbly. Hesitant. Reaching up for a Father’s hand.And He’s there—steady, patient, smiling with love as He helps me take one more step.

That’s been my story lately.

Just the other day, I caught myself daydreaming while driving. Not exactly the best time to drift off—definitely unsafe for everyone around me. But in that moment, something different happened. I didn’t spiral into shame. I noticed it. I paused. I whispered to myself: “I have the mind of Christ.”

And it brought me back.Back to the road.Back to the moment.Back to the presence I deeply desire—with others, with God, and with myself.

Obedience is becoming easier—not because I’ve figured it all out, but because I’m noticing more quickly when I’ve veered off course. I’m practicing the realignment. And with every small “yes,” I want to say yes again.

The Obedient Heart of Jesus

Jesus modeled perfect obedience—not as a distant deity, but as a Son who stayed in constant communion with the Father. He listened. He responded. He trusted. Even when it led Him to the cross.

And He invites us to do the same.

“If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”—John 15:7

When we stay close to Jesus, He teaches us how to walk like He walked. He reminds us that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Obedience becomes a shared rhythm, not a solo performance.

The Connection Between Obedience and Prayer

What I’m learning through E.M. Bounds and my own walk with God is this: Obedience strengthens our prayers. It positions our hearts in alignment with God. It softens us to hear. It humbles us to receive. And it makes our prayer life feel alive and full.

“God cannot help but hear the prayer of an obedient child.”—E.M. Bounds

When we live in step with God—when our will bends toward His—our hands are lifted in both surrender and confidence. Our prayers rise, not out of desperation, but out of intimacy.

What About the Struggles?

If obedience is still hard for you, I get it. The first places I struggle most are the heart and the mind.

When I’m not connected to God, my heart wanders. Scripture says “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). But He’s given me a new heart—one that can respond to Him. He’s softening the places that were once stone.

And then there’s the mind. The battlefield.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”—Romans 12:2

“Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.”—2 Corinthians 10:5

When I drift—mentally, emotionally, spiritually—I pause. I pray. I realign. And I do it as many times as needed. That’s the journey. And the more I do it, the more my heart longs for it.

Obedience Is Not About Perfection—It’s About Presence

Obedience doesn’t make you better than anyone. It doesn’t make you perfect. It simply places you in the posture to receive God’s goodness, peace, and joy.

So walk humbly. Let obedience become a rhythm, not a race.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”—Lamentations 3:25

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”—Matthew 6:33

Final Thoughts: A Journey of Grace

If you’ve ever felt like obedience was too hard or too complicated, take heart. You’re not alone. And you’re not expected to figure it out on your own.

Ask God to help you.Spend time with Him.Let Him teach you how to walk.

Let the hard places become holy places—sacred signals that you are still growing, still learning, still being loved by the Father who holds your hand.

Obedience is not the end of freedom—it’s the beginning of it.It’s not about perfection—it’s about presence.It’s not a demand—it’s a dance.And the One leading you is full of grace.

💛 Ready to Walk This Journey with Support?

If you're wrestling with the tension between old habits and the life God is calling you to live, you're not alone. And you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

That’s why I offer faith-based coaching—to walk with you through the real, raw places where obedience feels hard, and help you discover how God’s grace makes it not only possible… but beautiful.

✨ Let’s discover together how to walk in the rhythms of grace.You don’t have to do this alone.

www.rhythmsofgracelife.coach

Email Coach Shel at shel@rhythmsofgracelife.coach 

🌿 Reflection Questions:

1. Where in your life are you still learning to walk in obedience?

2. What old habits or thought patterns might be competing for space in your heart or mind?

3. How can you invite God into those places today and let Him hold your hand?