The Bible gives us at least six ways we can cultivate a pure heart. In this post we’ll look at the sixth way we can do that.
God says, if I’m going to keep my heart pure, then #6, I need to pray for my heart. After regularly examining his heart, the next thing we learn that David did to become a man after God’s own heart is this: He prayed for his heart. Listen to this sampling of prayers David prayed:
- In Psalm 19:14 David prayed, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight…”
- In Psalm 51:10 David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God…”
- In Psalm 86:11 David prayed, “…give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
- In Psalm 139:23-24 David prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart…See if there is any offensive way in me…”
I’ll bet I know one thing that’s NOT on your prayer list – your own heart! We pray for all kinds of things but we don’t pray for our own heart and that needs to change if we’re to cultivate a pure heart.
Now Solomon learned the art of praying for his heart from his father David. So one day when God appeared to Solomon and told him to ask for anything he wanted, Solomon replied in 1 Kings 3:9, “…give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” Solomon prayed for the right kind of heart to lead. And in 1 Kings 3:12 God granted his prayer request, promising, “ I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart…”
So we need to pray these prayers that David prayed! Cry out to God: Give me a pure heart and an undivided heart! Then trust God to do it! Here’s two more prayers you can pray in addition to the prayers David prayed.
- 1 Kings 8:58. Heavenly Father, please turn my heart to You, to walk in obedience and keep your commands, your decrees and your laws.
- Ezekiel 11:19. Heavenly Father, please give me an undivided heart and put a new spirit in me. Help me not to have a hard heart, rather one that’s always open to you.
You want a pure heart? I challenge you to pray those two prayers for the next week to see first-hand the difference it will make in your life.