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November 25, 2020 - October 27, 2021
Praying from the heart is personal and unmistakable.
anger in order to protect and show honor to the king. Yet knowing that his motives weren’t always perfect, David surrendered his heart before God and prayed one of the most vulnerable, transparent, and dangerous prayers you’ll ever hear. Wanting to honor God in every aspect of his being, David prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23–24).
Not only is this prayer difficult to pray, but it’s even more challenging to apply and live out. Because if you have the courage to pray it, then you’ll need to exercise the courage to live what God shows you in reply.
Be forewarned, this prayer has the potential to convict you. To correct you. To redirect your life. To change the way you see you...
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Our ways are not God’s ways. That’s why we need Christ. Not just to forgive us, but to transform us. To redirect us. To make us new.
The most common lies are the ones we tell ourselves.
I realized the closer I got to Jesus, the more I’d have to face my shortcomings.
Instead of simply asking God to do something for me, I asked him to reveal something in me.
Instead of simply asking God to do something for you, ask God to reveal something in you.
What is it that makes you anxious? Nervous? Unsettled? Afraid?
(Ps. 139:23).
He wanted to share his worst fears with God. To face them and give them a name. To trust that God was bigger than any fear David could dream up. Are you willing to pray such a prayer?
“Lord, reveal what holds my mind hostage. Show me what I fear the most. Go ahead, help m...
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God showed me that what I feared the most revealed where I trusted God the least.
What we fear the most often reveals where we trust God the least.
What about you? What are the areas that you’re clinging to even while allowing them to terrify you? What fears are you withholding from God?
praying this prayer, God has often revealed my anxious thoughts and the fears fueling them.
Our fears matter. Because ultimately, our fears show how we’re relying on our own efforts and not trusting in our Savior. The truth is we—you and I and everyone—are always inadequate. We’re never enough. We’re always weak. But here’s the incredible thing: when we’re weak, God’s power is made perfect (see 2 Cor. 12:9).
Faith doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Faith means you don’t let fear stop you.
“In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good” (Ps. 36:2–3).
We need God’s help to see the sin that’s difficult to see in the mirror.
Would you ask God to show you if this is something he would have you change?
Search my heart, God. God showed me my hypocrisy. I often show people the me I want them to see. My words honor God, but my heart can be far from him.
See if there is any offensive way in me. Time and again, I’ve put the approval of people ahead of the approval of God.
I’ve battled with wanting to be liked by people more than wanting to express my love for God.
And it’s keeping me from serving God with my whole heart. Why? Because becoming obsessed with what people think about me is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about me. Being obsessed with the approval of others is, in a word, idolatry.
I’ve consistently battled with putting the approval of people ahead of the approval of God.
Your deepest need becomes a gift when it moves you to depend on Christ.
If I wanted to be used by God for his glory, then there was no way around it. I would have to surrender to God.
What are we losing by clinging to our comfort?
What are we missing out on because we’re so committed to avoiding pain and discomfort?
What if instead of always asking God to do something on our behalf, we dared to ask God to use us on his behalf?
Then one day I came across a prayer attributed to Sir Francis Drake, an English sea captain who lived from 1540–96. His prayer messed me up. It wasn’t easy to pray. And it definitely wasn’t safe. This dangerous prayer helped stretch me, to move me from comfortably coasting to soaring by faith. As our time together comes to a close, I encourage you to take a few minutes and read through Drake’s words slowly. Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the
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Sometimes knowing the next best step to take is incredibly challenging. Pray these words of David when you aren’t sure what God would have you do. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. . . . Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. —psalm 25:1–2, 4–6
