Psalm 51:10 (NKJV) 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Many believers start to clean up by changing their actions.
They change the places they used to hang out at. They may even change the people they hang out with.
They may change their entertainment choices, stop using vulgar language, or stop listening to different types of influencers.
And although that is good, we need to make sure we are addressing our inside, not just our actions.
We can clearly change the outside actions. But that still does not mean we are addressing our insides, our heart.
Just as Jesus mentioned to the scribes and Pharisees, we can change many things on the outside and still be full of extortion and self-indulgence.
Matthew 23:25 (NKJV) 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
The heart must be addressed.
How do we see our heart?
We ask God to show us ourselves, and what is in our heart.
The first place we can start is paying attention to the things we pray for. What are we asking Him for? This shows us what we are most focused on. What we are concerned about. What is important to us.
If our prayers or our thoughts are always about ourselves and our needs, then we can pretty much guess that our focus is on us.
We may think, “what does having a clean heart have to do with asking God for things for ourselves?”
To be clear, it is not that we can’t ask for things, because He wants us to lean on Him. What’s important is what we are always focusing on. That shows us where our concerns are.
A clean heart will not be focused solely on “us”.
A clean heart will focus on God and His desires more than our own.
A clean heart will focus on putting others before our own needs.
And a clean heart will resemble Christ’s walk with us; pure and sacrificial.
What are we asking God for in our prayers today? Do we want to see our neighbor better off than we are? Or do we want what they have and more?
A clean heart will not drool over the success of others, or over wealth and material items. A clean heart will be happy for them and be able to bless them in our words and actions.
What is going on in that heart of ours? Let’s pray together for a heart like that of Christ.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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