“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:23-24
DEVOTION – by Andrea Cheetham:
When I read this passage, I am in awe of David’s courage and humility to cry out these words. It is not easy to come face to face with our own sin, our own depravity, or our own selfishness. At times, our flesh wants to ignore it or sweep it under the rug. However, as believers, the Spirit will continue to bring it all front and center where we must be dependent upon the Lord for His grace and discipline to cover us. Hebrews 4:16 reminds us that with confidence [we can] draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Praise Jesus for the Cross and the ability to call upon Him.
I pray this prayer quite often. Like everyone else, my flesh can be weak, and sin can envelop me when I am not anchored in Jesus and His Word throughout my days. Oftentimes, my thoughts are written all over my face. Busyness, lack of rest, and being too independent for my own good result in my need to cry out these words. In humility and true dependence, I rely on Jesus to reveal, heal, and lead me in the way everlasting. Praise Him that I cannot do this on my own. It is only because of His love, grace, and discipline that I can continue to be transformed in heart, mind, and soul.
Over this next week, I encourage all of us to make David’s prayer our own. Ask God to reveal to you any grievous thoughts or actions. Guess what…He already knows. Allow the Father to reach deep into your soul and lead you in the way everlasting.
PRAYER:
Matthew 6:5-13 teaches us how to pray. One of the ways we teach children to remember this passage is through the A.C.T.S. acronym.
Adoration
Heavenly Father, you are the Almighty One. You continue to transform my heart and draw me closer to You.
Confession
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!
Thanksgiving
I am grateful that I can approach Your throne of grace with confidence. Your love and grace fill and heal my soul.
Supplication
Father, my desire is to love You, love others, and make You known. Lead me to be a light for You. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
Our staff is praying for our Faith Family as we enter a season of prayer and fasting. If we can come alongside you, please reach out to us individually or through the prayer team at prayer@sanctuaryinhim.org.
Invitation:
We invite you to join us in person at any of our weekly prayer gatherings this month:
- Monday Mornings at 7:00am in the Auditorium
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Tuesday Mornings at 10:00am in the Green Room (Room 125)
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Sunday Mornings at 8:30am in Room 104
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Women’s Prayer Night on May 15 at 7:00pm
It’s never easy, but offers a springboard of personal growth and opportunity for healing to look at our own sin. Thank you for this thoughtful re-direction of our vigilance to see where the Holy Spirit indicates that self could use some honest attention and work to strengthen our walk, fill our sense of peace, adjust our mindset, and reach deeper levels in our relationships!