When people make resolutions at the beginning of January, things usually start out pretty well. But somewhere around the beginning of February, things start going downhill. The newness wears off, the motivation is gone, and people start realizing how hard it really is to make changes in their lives. People are much more successful in their resolutions if they don’t do it alone; if they have someone to help them, whether that is a friend or a professional. When you and I are accountable to someone about changes we need to make in life, we are more likely to succeed.

When we resolve to make changes in our spiritual lives, we are not meant to do it alone. The Lord is the only one who can make these changes possible. In Psalms, the song goes, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” We need help! And who better to help us than the Creator of the whole world? He created us too. He is definitely able to help us make changes, if we ask Him.

Earlier in the Psalms, the psalmist asks for help from God. He says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” This should be our prayer, whether we are asking God to change us for the first time or the hundredth time. He will always help us change if we sincerely ask Him.

This is Luis Palau.