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•A Prayer for God to Search and Know Your Heart•By Anthony Valente👉 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”(Psalm 139:23-24)“Can you please take out the trash?”“There are dishes in the sink…who’s turn, is it?As a single father of multiple teens, my days are lately filled reminder after reminder for them to complete the tasks needed to help our house feel like a home. Yet, if I am honest, having a cozy home is not my only motivation for having them to work around the house. As my mother used to say, “Always keep your house clean so that if someone comes over unannounced, you won’t be embarrassed.” Although we don’t get regular visitors, etched in the back of my mind is the reality that an unexpected visitor could walk in to see the bursting trash can or the dishes stacked to the roof. The idea of being ashamed keeps me on my toes.Over the last few weeks, I started to think about how much effort I make to not let others see “my mess.” Truthfully, this level of trying to “cover the trash” is not just pertaining to my home. In public, I try to keep myself from getting angry. Many times, I hide my emotions to not be seen in a negative way. Even more so, my secret thoughts would put me to shame if brought to light. How could one recover from the shame of their own jealousy, fury, disgust, and selfishness were ever aired out like dirty laundry? Much like the way I seek to hide away the trash in my home, the same happens in my own soul. Day after day, I think we all work hard to ensure no one is exposed to our “messy situations.” In Psalm 139, we see David’s heart cry as he says, “Search me Lord.” David had a life full of messy moments. From adultery and deception to murder, his fleshly desires had caused him much inner turmoil. Yet, instead of allowing these moments to define him, we see in the Psalms a humility to run to God with his turmoil.The Lord is not only David’s refuge, his place to share his heart, but also his guide to deliver him from future temptation. David doesn’t resolve to simply hide his thoughts for fear of embarrassment. Instead, he faces them head-on and asks the Lord for help to experience true change.I believe his heart cry for God to “point out anything that is offensive” is why David is called the man after God’s own heart. Rather than settle in the mess, he decides to get things right with the Lord.The truth is, without a conscience effort we will find that sinful thoughts and actions will overtake our lives. Much like I need to remind my children to clean dishes or take out the trash, if enough time goes by without purposeful action the entire home will suffer. Until we acknowledge the areas of our lives that need change, we will continue to allow it to build and become a heavy burden.Today, I want to encourage you to pray for God to do a thorough cleaning of your heart and mind. Yet, instead of doing so for everyone else and what they would say or think, do it for your growth. It’s time to ask the Lord to search you and your thoughts so you can live a more peaceful and joyful life.Let’s pray.✝️ Heavenly Father, Thank You for the wonderful insights that David has given us into Your perfect character. Thank You for Your love and grace and that You are our all-knowing God, Who knew us intimately in our mother’s womb and scheduled every day of our life. Thank You that You are the all-powerful God Who has promised to help and protect us; uphold and support us; sustain and defend us; comfort and equip us — heal and help us. I pray that You would search my heart and expose anything that is clouding my Christian walk and hindering my relationship with You. Cleanse me from my sin, purify my heart, comfort any anxious thoughts and draw me into closer fellowship with Yourself, from this day forward. Lord, lead me along the path of righteousness and bring Your conviction when I need to do better. I give You full permission to transform me from the inside out. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace and love towards me. I trust and love You Lord.In Jesus' Name,AMEN 🙏 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.(1 Peter 1:7)“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”(Jeremiah 17:9-10)Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity.(Job 31:6)I will eagerly pursue your commandments because you continue to increase my understanding.(Psalm 119:32)Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.(Deuteronomy 8:2)Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.(Proverbs 17:3)LORD, I have so many enemies! Lead me to do your will; make your way plain for me to follow. (Psalm 5:8)Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.(Psalm 25:8-9)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.(Psalm 143:8)Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!(Psalm 143:10)Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.(Proverbs 28:26)You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.(Psalm 16:11)You have probed my heart. You have confronted me at night. You have tested me like silver, but you found nothing wrong. I have determined that my mouth will not sin.(Psalm 17:3)For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.(Matthew 7:14)Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.(Hebrews 12:15-16)In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.(Proverbs 16:9)Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.(John 12:3)And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.(Ezekiel 36:26)(pic verse)“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”(Luke 22:42)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld