The early church's most notorious enemy was a man who firmly believed he was doing right, yet in reality was blind to the truth. Later on he described himself as "foremost of sinners." (1 Timothy 1:12-17) But he had a transforming encounter with the resurrected Jesus that gave sight to his spiritually blind eyes. He believed that if God could change him, the worst, God could use his transformation to give hope to all other sinners.

There is hope for anyone. Presidential candidates can change. You can change.

In interviews recently I have been asked if I believe our nation has gone too far to be rescued from destruction. Some, looking at two very flawed candidates for President, wonder if there is any hope for either of them, that he or she could be fundamentally changed for the good. My answer: I have no option but to hope, because I believe in a resurrected Savior who specializes in transformation.

History is replete with testimonies of people being radically transformed when their eyes were opened by the grace of God. They admit that they were not immediately made perfect in behavior, but they also confess that once they saw reality, they began moving toward the truth that progressively liberates us from deception. (John 8:31-32) There is definitely hope for individuals to change -- including ourselves.

But God does not always fix people the way we might ask in prayer. We must realize that as we pray for His work in the lives of others, we are giving Him permission to work in us. But why wouldn't we want Him to change us? Who would want to live in deception when He desires to give us sight?

The same Paul whose eyes were opened to the truth by his encounter with Jesus later prayed for the people to have their eyes opened. (Ephesians 1:18) It is the nature of deception to fool us: we're unaware that we've been deceived. We continue believing and doing the same things thinking we are in the right. Others may see how misguided we are, but blind men can't see until they are given sight. He has given His people the privilege of working with Him by praying and proclaiming the truth, but God alone specializes in giving new sight. The outcome is up to Him.

That sounds too timid for some. They are so exercised by the problems they see, they find prayer too slow or consider it a cop-out. But that's a reflection of the same spiritual blindness that we're hoping God will heal in others!

The truth is that prayer is always the first response of those working with God. We have already built too many walls that have had to be torn down, and planned programs that have turned to dust, because we worked before we prayed. We must believe that God cares more about what we are praying for than we do. He is ready to work with us, but refuses to simply stamp our independent initiatives as valid. If we can do it without Him, we aren't doing it His way.

There are bountiful reasons for hope, but only if we include what only God can do. He can give sight to the blind. He can displace deception with reality. He can empower weak people to do what they couldn't do. Why would we waste time worrying and complaining when we could be praying and obeying?