Maintain A Right Heart | 30 Days To Becoming A Woman Of Prayer by Stormie Omartian

Maintain A Right Heart

We all have a propensity for heart problems. I’m talking about our spiritual heart here, but I imagine our physical heart is affected by our spiritual heart more than we know. We all can look back to times when the condition of our heart—whether good or bad— affected the way we felt in our body. How many of us have become physically ill because we have been heartsick? How many of us have a body that broke down at one time or another because our heart was broken in some way?

Our heart is broken when someone disappoints us, is mean to us, says things that hurt us, or leaves us—whether by death or by their own decision to depart. Our heart can be filled with destructive things, such as anger, hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness, selfishness, or resentment. Our heart can be polluted by the things we see, read, or watch. Our heart is affected negatively when we compromise the ways of God in our lifestyle choices.

Our mind can be tainted by just living in this world and letting it rub off on us. How many times are we shocked to hear profanity on a television program or in a film that is supposed to be “family oriented”?

I recently saw the previews to a film for children that used the Lord’s name in vain many times. And for what reason? To make more money, I’m sure. But such a thing pollutes little minds and paves the way for young hearts to be hardened to the things of God.

I will not subject myself to that because I don’t want my heart hardened, my mind polluted, and the Holy Spirit within me grieved. Yes, I am an adult and can discern between good and bad. And that’s

exactly why I make an adult decision to separate myself from all that doesn’t glorify the Lord. There is a price to be paid when we don’t do that, and it’s not worth it.

We cannot expect God to make our life work when we’re doing things that hinder His work in our lives.

Life works best when the ongoing cry of our heart is like King David’s, who said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). He wanted God to uncover anything in his heart and mind that was ungodly. He desired to live God’s way and knew that having a right heart was the key to that.

David also prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). David’s main fear—which is my concern as well—is found in the next verse. “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). David wanted a cleansing and renewing of his heart because he did not want to experience the departure of the Holy Spirit from him. He had seen that happen to King Saul—who was king just before David—because of the sinful things Saul had done. David had done some terrible things as well, and his life fell apart. But unlike Saul, David repented of everything and sought to get his heart right with God again.

Because Jesus has come and given the Holy Spirit to those who receive Him, the Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us unless we deliberately reject Him. However, we can lose some of the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives if we harbor uncleanness in our heart. I know that the Holy Spirit won’t leave me, because I am never leaving Him, but I don’t want to do anything that will keep the presence of the Holy Spirit from manifesting fully in my life.

God wants your heart to be soft and not hard. He wants you to have a heart that is humble and not full of pride (Proverbs 21:2). He desires that you have a pure heart so you can see Him and His goodness in

your life (Psalm 73:1). God gave you a new heart and put a new spirit within you when you received Jesus (Ezekiel 36:26). Now He wants to establish your heart “blameless in holiness” before Him (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

What Can I Do To Maintain A Right Heart?

First of all, you must realize that you cannot hide even a thought from God. ” ‘Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:24). God sees and knows everything.

Second, you must know that you cannot make your heart as pure and clean as God wants it to be. “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin’?” (Proverbs 20:9). You must ask God to give you a clean heart and show you what steps to take. The Bible says that “the preparations of the heart belong to man” (Proverbs 16:1). But how do you prepare your heart? Below are some practical suggestions that will help you do that.

Ask God to Reveal the Condition of Your Heart

God knows—and is eager to reveal to you—what is truly going on in

your heart. When you ask Him to do that, He will (1 Corinthians
4:5). Ask the Lord to reveal any pride you may have. You don’t want
to experience the trouble that comes along with it (Proverbs 13:10).

That is where so many of our serious problems begin.

Stay In God’s Word

The Word of God is referred to as “living,” “powerful,” “sharper than any two-edged sword,” and “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). That means as you read the Bible, what’s in your heart will be revealed. God wants “a broken and a contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17). He doesn’t want us to harden our

hearts against Him in any way.

We harden our heart when we refuse to listen to what He is speaking to us in our times alone with Him in prayer and in His Word. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). We harden our heart when we see clearly in His Word what we should do and then don’t do it. “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1).

Our heart is hard when we resist God’s Word in any way. Jesus had just done a miracle in front of His disciples by taking five loaves of bread and two fish in order to feed 5000 people. Yet the disciples still could not comprehend His power toward them for their own needs. It says of them that “they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened” (Mark 6:52).

If the disciples, who were with Jesus every day and witnessed His many miracles, had hearts that were hardened, how much more so might we have a heart that is hardened too? Ask God to soften your heart every time you read His Word.

Get Rid Of All Sin In Your Life

Sin is deceiving. Sin tells you it’s okay to do what you’re doing. Sin tells you, “It’s not that bad, and, besides, everybody else is doing it.” Sin tells you, “It’s your life and you can do what you want.” Sin in your life reveals where your loyalties are. God looks for the faithful people “to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Don’t allow yourself to become “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). If you allow any sin to reside in your heart, God will not listen to your prayers (Psalm 66:18). Sin will take away your joy (Psalm 51). It will become like a cancer that grows silently, until one day it is discovered and the damage is done.

Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

Your heart cannot be trusted. That’s why you must keep a close watch over it (Proverbs 4:23). You cannot assume that nothing bad will ever find a place to reside there. Make a special effort to fill your heart with good treasure. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things” (Matthew 12:35).

Aside from filling your heart with the Word of God, as I mentioned earlier, fill your heart also with worship and praise, and you will find good treasure there. David said, “To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way… I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” (Psalm 101:1-2).

He goes on to say something else that is key to maintaining a right heart. “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness” (Psalm 101:3- 4). In other words, David would not allow his eyes to look at evil, he would not tolerate violations of God’s laws, he would not allow anything perverse to reside in his heart, and he would refuse all wickedness.

This is a lesson for all of us who want to maintain a right heart before God.

Prayer Power

Lord, create in me a clean heart. Set me free from anything that is not of You. Cleanse my heart of all sin and direct it to Your ways (Psalm 119:36). Help me to hide Your Word in my heart so that I will not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).

Keep me always awed by Your Word (Psalm 119:161). I don’t want any sin in my heart to hinder my prayers to You (Psalm 66:18). Keep me undeceived (Deuteronomy 11:16). Help me not to foolishly trust my own heart, but instead to trust You to reveal the truth I need to see (Proverbs 28:26). Give me a wise heart so that I can receive all Your commands (Proverbs 10:8).

Holy Spirit, align my heart with Yours. Flush out of my heart all that is dark and wrong and replace it with more of You. Search my heart and make changes wherever they are needed. Soften my heart where it has become hard. Purify my heart where it has become polluted.

Help me to set nothing wicked before my eyes.

Lord, I pray You would take away anything in my heart that keeps me from being a full partaker of Your holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Help me to praise You with my whole heart, so that I withhold nothing from You (Psalm 9:1). Teach me to always maintain a right heart before You.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Word Power

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

Psalm 66:18

Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.
Deuteronomy 11:16

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Proverbs 28:26

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23