The Possibility of Sudden and Immediate Change and Transformation

The View From Above: Thoughts To Help With Everyday Life

September 23, 2026

Pastor Paul Stephens

The Possibility of Sudden and Immediate Change and Transformation

It’s the most amazing feature of the Christian life.

The possibility of sudden and immediate change and transformation.

Yes, it is true…some of the most dramatic changes come incrementally and slowly over time.

Radical change really does take time.

I’ve been a Christian for 51+ years, and a lot of the change has taken that long to take place, and it is still ongoing.

2 Corinthians 3:18

“And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are PROGRESSIVELY BEING TRANSFORMED into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.”

But then there are those moments!

Those moments where change and transformation happen in a moment.

The 19th-century evangelist John Wesley said:

“A man can fall off a horse, and by the time he hits the ground, he can be born again.”

That’s the miracle of conversion unto salvation.

It happens in a moment…from death to life, from darkness to light…from fear and confusion to the beginning of clarity.

I knew, the moment I gave my life to Christ, that Jesus was real…change happened in a moment.

I know I had a long way to go to be more Christlike, but there was an immediate forgiveness of all my sins, deliverance from things in my life that held me in captivity, and I knew that I knew that Jesus Christ was real.

I could feel and sense it, and the evidence of change was immediate.

I began to think differently, feel differently, talk differently…no longer did I want to sin.

I was acutely aware of the wrong I was doing, and I no longer wanted to do it.

And, suddenly, I wanted more of Jesus, more of God’s Word, and I wanted to be in church with other believers.

The point I am making is that there is ALWAYS the possibility of sudden, immediate change, and that continues throughout our Christian life.

Slow change, yes…we spiritually grow over time, we learn how to love, forgive, serve, and live an obedient life over the long haul…we are all in a constant state of flux, change, and transformation.

I’m talking here about moments of revelation that inspire decisions that change things in the now.

One good sermon on marriage that convicts you about how you have been treating your spouse, how you’ve been thinking and talking about and to them. The neglect that you have allowed and any number of other things that are contributing to the deterioration of your marriage.

You see where you’re going wrong, you repent, and you make a decision to change…and change now!

What happens?

You have initiated transformation…It may take time and patience and a lot of love to fix the damage, but you’ve set something in motion that you can feel and sense immediately.

There are so many other areas where decisions can be made or the miraculous intervening hand of God can work in your situation.

Young David faces off Goliath (1 Samuel 17) when no one else would…all were afraid, and an entire army was defeated…then, by faith and courage…the giant goes down…the tide of battle turns…and it turns immediately, and a great victory was won.

That makes me wonder:

What tide of battle can turn in your life…today, now?!

That’s something to think about, pray about, and consider.

Some things in our lives are not of God; they need to change.

A sickness can be healed, a financial circumstance can be reversed, and money can pour into your business, your wages, or sales.

Let’s all see if today is a day we can move the needle dramatically in some area of our lives.

How about a prayer something like this:

“Lord, I come to You in an emergency of my spirit and situation, reaching the end of what I can do on my own. I ask for Your immediate intervention right now. Step into this circumstance with Your power, bring a sudden shift, and align my mind and heart with Your truth. I believe that You hear me and are moving instantly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Psalm 50:15

“Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

Psalm 18:6

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice.”