Should We Examine Our Hearts Before We Pray?

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart,
    though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
    my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
    my feet have not stumbled.
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

Once again we get a glimpse into David's intimate prayer life with the Lord. David starts the psalm asking God to hear his cry, for he is just and there is no deceit in him.  He says, "God you already know everything.  Search me and test my heart see if there is anything offensive in me."  

Since prayer is a conversation with God, we see that David interacts with God as he prays.  Though he is surrounded by enemies, He know God cares and will act to deliver him.  But there is also a sense that David takes stock of his life as he approaches God.  He knows that God holds him as, "the apple of his eye", but he still knows God requires an honest and transparent heart as we come before him.  It seems as if he is saying, "Before I ask anything, judge my heart and life." He points to his life and uses the example of someone trying to bribe him.    

When we are praying it is always a good thing to examine our own lives.  David says that though you examine and test me at night (presumably when bad things happen!), you will find I have no planned evil.  Though none of us our perfect, it is good to ask if we have any evil planned.  Anything we are planning on doing that we know is wrong.  It is then that in our honesty we can turn from what we know is wrong and put our trust in God.  We are then in a position to present our requests with a clean conscience.  

When you pray do you consider your heart condition before God? God is not just like Santa Claus, who we ask for stuff and hope we have been a good boy or girl.  Prayer is a mutually interactive exercise in our faith in the One who hears and answers us.  The next time you pray, take time to examine and test your heart. Talking to God is a good time to take stock of our own lives before we pray for others. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why a...
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the...
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in ...
Read more