The prayer for a clean heart was penned by King David after Nathan confronted him for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 and 12), written with a heart of true repentance. David knew his guilt, and most of the time, we do too. However, sometimes there are things that don’t glorify God in our hearts of which we are not aware, so I can imagine how much He loves to answer this prayer.
A Caution
Be sure to be ready for Him to do just that if you plan to pray it, though. The following story is one way God chose to answer this prayer for me, although it took me over a year to put it all together.
The Example
COMMIT. This is the word God gave me for 2019. I was not the least bit excited. I wanted a fun word, like FLY, BELIEVE, or RISE (super spiritual, I know). I wrestled with God about it for a while before I finally settled in and “accepted” it.
In the weeks that followed, He showed me the three areas in which He required me to commit: healthy eating, exercising, and writing 20 minutes every day.
The Resisting
Well, I spent much of my year doing the exact opposite. My self-control went out the window. Exercising was the last thing on my mind, and I was the busiest I had been in a long time which crowded out writing time. I found myself in a cycle of defeat. But the Lord was patient, and He never turned His back on me.
The Revelation
I struggled all. year. long. In this time, God showed me that I have a tendency to turn to food, sweets, or even a glass of wine after a long day or when I feel disappointed, sad, or frustrated. I never realized I did this.
Jesus desires for me to depend on Him for comfort. He is able to fill my soul to overflowing, and wants to be my source of encouragement and strength.
The Answer
I realized today that God used a full year of struggle to answer my prayer to create in me a clean heart. I wonder if I had realized what God was doing, would I have been more cooperative?
What I do know is, He has shown me much grace and given me a new word for 2020: FEARLESS. However, He has made it clear that I am not to forget the commitments He has required of me.
The Prayer
Lord, thank you for answering the prayer of my unclean heart and for not giving up on me when I struggled with what You asked of me. I look forward to learning even more as You show me how to walk the road of this life without fear.