An Ordinary Morning, Sacred Ground
by Angela Miller | Program Manager at Serenity Retreat
Some of the most important moments of transformation don’t happen in prayer rooms or retreats; they happen in kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms before the day has even fully begun.
This Advent, I wrote on my personal blog that I had what I would honestly describe as a good morning. I woke up steady, moved into my usual rhythm… and then realized I was completely out of my green drink and collagen (if you know, you know). Normally, I mix those with a little matcha, my gentle springboard into the day. That springboard was gone.
“Almost immediately, I felt that familiar edge creep in: I need coffee or I’m not going to survive.”
What surprised me wasn’t the frustration, many of you know that feeling, but what the Lord gently invited me into next.
When Frustration Is a Signal, Not a Norm or a Failure
Emotions are not the problem; they are an opportunity.
That morning, frustration told me something deeper was happening. I wasn’t just annoyed about ingredients. I was unknowingly trying to fix something in my flesh. I was leaning on a ‘coping mechanism’ to function.
(Let me pause here: I’m not saying coffee or routine is always a coping mechanism. But sometimes an honest evaluation is needed—especially when frustration or another negative emotion is associated with a habit, routine, or the desire to escape discomfort.)
So instead of pushing the feeling away, I paused and acknowledged it honestly:
“Lord, I’m frustrated with my circumstances because my routine is off, and I need to function.”
This is what we call the Anger Box in Transformation Prayer Ministry, naming the emotion without judgment, spiritualizing, or self-correction.
Then I moved into what we call the Solution Box, asking a question we teach people to ask regularly:
Do I sense hesitancy or resistance at the thought of letting this frustration go? Would it take effort on my part to let it go?
Uhhhh… yes. This cloud felt like it was just hovering over my head.
So I kept going and asked the next question:
“What do I believe would happen if I let this frustration go?” or “What bad thing might happen if the frustration was gone?”
The answer surprised me:
“If I let it go, I might not function today.”
So I asked the next question:
“So the reason I need to hold onto this frustration is what?”
And there it was:
“I need to be frustrated at my circumstances in order to function.”
This Is What TPM Looks Like as a Lifestyle
This is the heart of Transformation Prayer Ministry, not fixing behavior, but allowing God to reveal the deeper belief so He can speak His truth into it and transform our lives.
I shared that belief with the Lord and sat quietly. I didn’t strive. I didn’t try to replace it with truth on my own. I simply listened.
And what He impressed on my heart was simple and profound:
“I am your function.”
That one sentence changed everything.
“In it was everything I needed to hear… He is my help, clarity, strength, wise counselor, and capacity to do what He has called me to do.”
As I sat with that truth, the frustration lost its grip. The fog lifted. The I-need-coffee-or-else feeling faded. I felt clear, present, and capable.
This is not about having a perfect morning.
This is about learning how to walk with God in real time, on random, ordinary days, especially during seasons like Advent and the holidays when life feels full, loud, and heavy.
We Were Never Meant to Carry This Alone
If you notice frustration surfacing often…
If you find yourself snapping at the people you love…
If there’s a low hum of anxiety or pressure to “just function”…
I want you to know this: you don’t have to stay there.
The Lord provides a way through, a way to slow down, listen, uncover what’s happening beneath the surface, and receive His truth right where you are.
I won’t lie, this was a paradigm shift for me when I learned about this process, especially two of our core principles, but it made so much sense: “We feel and do what we believe.”
While learning this process is a process, it has been so worth it to no longer live in performance or anxiety mode.
That’s why at Serenity Retreat we teach TPM not as a technique, but as a relational prayer lifestyle.
- TPM 101 introduces this framework and helps you understand what’s happening beneath emotions.
- TPM 201 equips you to engage this process on your own, in your everyday life, with the Lord.
And fun fact! We’re launching a TPM 201 Immersive Experience in January, and there are only 12 spots! This guided journey combines 7 self-paced modules (plan to start early!), supportive Zoom check-ins with seasoned leaders, and a powerful 2-day retreat in Bellville (January 29-31) where you’ll receive personalized training and coaching.
Whether you choose the six-week course or the immersive experience, the goal is the same:
that you grow in confidence drawing closer to God, recognizing what’s happening in your heart, and receiving His truth, the kind that leads to lasting transformation and peace.
An Advent Invitation
Advent reminds us that we are waiting—not passively, but expectantly—for the God who is righteous, just, and deeply loving to finish what He has already begun.
The Lord is still meeting us. Still speaking truth. Still inviting us deeper through His Word and through community with other believers.
Perhaps this process, learning to cooperate with Him as He refines your faith, renews your mind, and transforms your life (TPM Purpose) is the gift He’s placing in your prayer toolbox for this next season.
If you feel that gentle nudge, I encourage you to say yes.
Yes to a prayer session.
Yes to sowing into this ministry.
Yes to coming out to Bellville for a retreat or bringing your own group.
Yes to training.
Yes to what He is inviting you to walk into next.
Merry Christmas,
Angela
P.S. Check out the TPM 201 Immersive