A Prayer for a Completely different Type of Decision Setting
By Jessica Van Roekel
Bible Studying:
“Search me, O God, and know my coronary heart! Attempt me and know my ideas! And see if there be any grievous means in me and lead me in the way in which eternal!” – Psalm 139:23-24
Pay attention or Learn Under:
I’m a serial decision breaker. It’s true. I make resolutions, after which three days later, my resolve breaks. My emotions about it vary from frustration to disgrace as a result of I couldn’t hold my phrase to myself. To resolve, based on dictionary.com, means to return to an earnest choice to take a decided plan of action. Setting resolutions helps us develop, so why not go to the one who is aware of us greatest? After we go to God for steering, we’re much less more likely to develop discouraged once we battle to maintain our resolutions as a result of we all know God permits and empowers us to stroll in his will for us.
David, often known as the person after God’s personal coronary heart, reveals us the best way to discover the resolve to make life adjustments in Psalm 139. This psalm reveals how the all-knowing God touches our life and is aware of us intimately in verses one by way of six. Then, in verses seven by way of twelve, we uncover how the all-present God is at all times with us. Verses 13 by way of sixteen reveal how the everlasting God shaped us.
Then, the tip of the Psalm leads us right into a response to the greatness of God in verses seventeen by way of twenty-two, which takes us into right now’s humble prayer in verses twenty-three and twenty-four. God has excellent information, offers fixed presence, and will be trusted to look and know us on the deepest ranges. David wished God to look his coronary heart for worries or unperceived sins so he might stroll in God’s methods, not what he thought was greatest for himself.
After we method decision setting this new 12 months, we will start by admitting God is aware of us higher than we all know ourselves. We could have an concept of the adjustments we need to make to our lives, however God is aware of what’s greatest for us inside his larger function. He could need us to take a theological understanding about himself and apply it to our progress in discipleship.
For instance, we could need to alter our consuming habits, however God might want us to alter our ungrateful habits. Or we could need to select a phrase of the 12 months like improve, however God might want us to lower. God cares a lot extra concerning the state of our hearts and the renewal of our minds as a result of He is aware of we expertise lasting outward change when it takes place first on the within.
It may be a danger to ask God to look us. The Hebrew time period for search is to “study completely.” There are occasions I need to conceal components of myself from the Lord as a result of I don’t like what I discover. However God doesn’t reply with dislike. He cares about us an excessive amount of to let unhelpful habits and tendencies persist. He leads us in His means once we are prepared to offer it up, flip from it, and give up to His resolutions for us.
Whenever you sit all the way down to make your resolutions for this 12 months, why not strive beginning with this prayer from Psalm 139? God loves you a lot and is aware of you higher than you recognize your self. Let Him information you right into a decision setting. Possibly He desires to proceed what He’s began in you, or perhaps He desires to show your route to one thing new. Once I’ve let the Lord lead my resolutions, I’m way more profitable in conserving them. We will belief Him to information us in His methods for the brand new 12 months.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thanks for loving me and figuring out me sufficient to information me in the very best methods. I belief You to indicate me my coronary heart, to find what You need to change so I replicate You to a misplaced and weary world. I need to run forward of You and decide what I feel is greatest for my life. I admit I don’t know what You need with out taking time to ask You to look my coronary heart. Look deep inside me, Lord. I belief You to deal with me with mild love.
I resolve to rising in religion and non secular maturity, and I’m going to let You lead me as a result of you recognize me higher than I do know myself. Let this 12 months be a 12 months of my life bringing You honor and glory. Attempt me, know my ideas, after which lead me in the way in which eternal.
In Jesus’ identify, Amen
Picture Credit score: ©GettyImages/krblokhin
Editor’s Observe: We’re proud to announce we have simply launched a brand new nighttime companion to Your Each day Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You’ll find it on the web site at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer, the place you’ll be able to signal as much as obtain it each night in your inbox. We’re additionally providing it in podcast kind at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/. We hope it is a enjoyable and soothing approach to wind down your day with wealthy meditations on God.
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