A Person after God's Own Heart

Psalm 19:12b-14

Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 26:2

Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 139:23-24

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.

These were prayers prayed by David, the one whom God Himself called “a man after my own heart.”

We will only have a heart after "God’s own heart" if we are intentionally and consistently opening it up before Him and inviting Him to have His way within it.

Last week we talked about asking God our questions and bringing the pains of our heart before Him. This week we’re talking about sin.

It’s time to open our hearts before God and invite Him to shine a light in the dark places. Again, what is exposed to the light becomes a light (Ephesians 5:13).

Our human nature tends to want to hide, and keep hidden, the sinful tendencies residing in the darkest recesses of our hearts—just like Adam and Eve hid from God after their sin. But that tendency is straight from the enemy himself. If Adam and Eve would have stayed hidden, they would have never received the covering of the Lord and gained the freedom to continue with their lives. The enemy knows that if we bring our sin before the Lord in repentance, that we will receive freedom—and that the sin we’ve exposed to the Light will become a light. 

So this week, let’s pray these prayers of David. Literally. Pray these scriptures, and invite God to shine His Light on the darkest places in our hearts.

Then wait for the freedom that follows.