“That He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways…” – 1st Kings 8:58 (NKJV)
Deuteronomy 5:29, NIV says, “Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!”
Brothers and sisters, God created us with hearts capable of feeling and experiencing emotions. It is the centre of our thoughts and feelings. We love others as God wants us to love. But sometimes our hearts are blocked with garbage – sin, unforgiveness, malice, lying, to name a few. We clean out this garbage by sincere prayer and fasting. We can turn a new page, like David, who prayed: “Wash me thoroughly from my inequity and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalms 51:2, NKJV).
Brethren, our Father in Heaven is faithful. He loves us unconditionally. He hears us when we pray. He will clean our hearts as soon as we ask Him to, and, of course, when we yield to Him, we will be transformed. He loves us with an everlasting love and desires that all of us have clean hearts towards each other.
To clean up our hearts, we can ask God to forgive us for the things we keep holding on to that hurt us from ‘yesterday.’ Ask Him to wash away the bitter roots of resentment and unforgiveness. James 3:9 admonishes us that our speech can act as a healing stream or as a source of friction, i.e., we praise God and curse man with the same tongue. Let’s strive to speak healing and represent peace as kingdom people. Let’s connect what is inside our hearts to what comes out of our mouths because the heart represents the core of a person’s inner life, thoughts, desires, and moral character (Matthew 12:34).
Today, ask God to guard your heart, but in doing so, pay attention to what you feed your mind, for example, gossip, jealousy, and daily influences, because the state of your heart shapes your actions and the course of your life.
Read: Psalm 51:10; Titus 2:11-12
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 119:57-64; 1 Timothy 3; Jeremiah 38; Jeremiah 39; Jeremiah 40:1-6