When have you prayed like there’s no tomorrow? I mean one of those prayers that leave your heart pounding and a glisten on your forehead. We have all said those “generic” prayers but how many of us have really prayed for change in our lives and a different self?
David does that in Psalms 139 but before he gets to the meat of his prayer, he acknowledges God is supreme. He knows God is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful. We serve an awesome God who has never been and will never be beaten in any regard. Like David’s prayer in Psalms 139:23-24, we too should be praying for transformation. There are four different parts of the prayer we need to imitate that David prays.
First, we pray for God to search our heart and show us the places we do not look like Jesus. Without Jesus, we don’t have good hearts. Jeremiah knew this as he states in Jeremiah 17:9, ““The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
If we prayed this honestly, what would God show us? Are we prideful, self-centered, or prejudiced? Are we compassion, loving, and forgiving? When you openly pray this, God will show you where your heart truly is and what you might need to work on in order to look more like his son Jesus.
Secondly, we pray for God to show us the things that make us anxious or worried. For each of us, it’s something different. Maybe you are worried about your marriage or your kids. Maybe you are anxious about the career path or being able to pay your bills. What I do know is what we fear the most shows us where we trust God the least. But we cannot be driven by fear if we follow Jesus. God has given us a spirit of boldness, love, and power, not a spirit of timidity.
The third thing David prays for and we should as well is that our sins be uncovered. The things in our life that distance us from Jesus should be revealed so that they no longer hinder our walk. It’s easy to see other people’s sin but much more difficult to see mine. I can point out all the deficiencies in your life but never see how I need to change.
So to help with that, we should ask ourselves three questions: What are others trying to tell me? There are always a handful of people who are jealous and trying to give you false info about yourself. I’m not talking about those folks. But your have 10-12 people in your life you trust and if they are all saying the same thing, maybe it’s time to be aware of what they are revealing to you.
You might ask yourself, what have I rationalized for a time? or where am I most defensive? Those two honest answers will reveal areas of your life you should examine to be more in line with how Jesus would want us to live as his disciple. Ultimately, when sin is revealed, it reminds us as imperfect people there is only one person who can make us right again and his Name is Jesus.
Finally, like David, we ask God to lead us. Once I said “yes” to Jesus, I threw away the script the world gave me and now I live like Jesus would live. So, if someone takes advantage of me, we don’t return with worse action. If someone hits me, I simply walk away. If someone talks poorly about me, I bless them. I follow another way of life…the one Jesus has called me live.
When we pray for God to search us and then lead us, it will totally change and rearrange your life for the better. Jesus can and will change your life for the better. Blessings on the journey.