Have the conference speaker begin with a testimony of someone who came with prejudices to a retreat but who experienced freedom, love and the transformative power of God.

“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. .” Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. .”

What is the Heart? The heart is the fountain of our emotions. In the Bible the heart is also the place where our thoughts and our will are found.

What is the Heart? What does that mean for us? 1. God desires not only our heart, 2. But, He also wants our thoughts and feelings as well.

What does this mean? To give our hearts to God is to give our thoughts and our emotions to him. That means we change our way of thinking. The Bible calls repentance that change in our way of thinking. Repentance is not just feeling guilty. Repentance is to accept God’s calling toward change.

What does this mean? “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:2).” The way to change (transformation) is through our hearts and minds being renewed in God’s power.

Why must we change? We must change because this is the path (repentance) to a new life. We must change because our relationships with God and with others are broken.

Why must we change? We must change because we have lived under the lie that we are the masters of our lives. We must change (in other words, repent), because we have lived our lives in a destructive and oppressive way.

Today That we have disobeyed God’s commandments. We must repent and recognize: That we have disobeyed God’s commandments. That we are sinners and that we live in darkness. That we have done wrong and lived destructively.

Today That we have hurt the lives of others and at times even our loved ones. That we desperately need God in our lives. That only Jesus has the power to change us.

Naaman Apparently, Naaman had it all: Riches, fame and power. However, under his clothing, there was a horrible and deadly disease: Leprosy. Naaman was dying.

Naaman “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper (2 Kings 5:1).”

Naaman Naaman wanted a miracle but his pride got in the way. God had a plan to heal him.

Naaman “So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean (2 Kings 5:9-10).”

Naaman Naaman needed to open up his heart to be healed and transformed. The first step toward your transformation requires you to open your heart.

Naaman Naaman was completely healed when he opened his heart to God. “Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:14).”

PRAYER Lift up your hands and open your heart to God in prayer PRAYER Lift up your hands and open your heart to God in prayer. Recognize that you need him and that only Jesus can give you spiritual, emotional and physical healing.

Ask for your blessing in the name of Jesus.