 |
| Guard Your Heart |
I was on my morning walk and passed a neighbor’s house about 2½ blocks away. We had greeted each other before because he likes to work in the front yard early in the morning. One day he initiated a conversation with me and I stopped, and we had a pleasant talk. Following that day we spoke a couple more times, just casual neighborly conversation — nothing wayward at all.
After a while, I found myself still thinking about him long after my walk was done. I slapped the top of my head and said, “Stop that!” I said a prayer for him and moved on with my day.
Shortly after that, I stumbled across the Verse of the Day in my Bible app… it said, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” I am happily married to the love of my life and knew it was time to go into my secret closet and address it.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your heart of compassion, that is gracious and merciful to us even though our hearts tend to lean the other way. I know Scripture says for me to keep my heart with all diligence, but I still need Your help guarding it. I pray You will give my heart its right desires so the things I seek will be right and pleasing in Your sight. Let me not grieve Holy Spirit by dwelling on things that are not godly. Help me to remain holy as You are holy. Help me follow the right path for my feet.
The prophet Jeremiah stated the heart can be deceitful and desperately wicked. I need Your help keeping it guarded against lust and pride. Help me to maintain a servant’s heart.
I pray You will put desires in my heart so that You and I are in perfect alignment. It is difficult, at times, to know what Your will is, but I do know that my heart’s desire is to be on one accord with You. I’ve heard Pastor Dirden say a few times, “You may not know what you will do, but at least you’ve got to know what you won’t do.” I am determined to walk in lockstep with You all the days of my life. I don’t want anything to come between us or get me out of step. I pray You will deliver me from the evil one, and provide the way of escape for every temptation that comes my way. Let Your peace abide in my heart.
It is written, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
It is also written in Proverbs, “My child, give Me your heart.” Well Lord, here it is, with a bow around it. đź’ť My heart is in Your hands. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Amen.
The Lord answered my prayer. He diverted my thoughts, and also changed my neighbor’s yard keeping schedule. I’ve only seen him one other time since the prayer, and that day his hello was halfhearted. I laughed to myself because I knew the reason why.
We should be careful when judging others by saying, “I would never do that!” The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who (except God) can know how it will turn?
Proverbs 21:1 (NKJV) The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Pay careful attention to your thoughts and submit them to God for safekeeping. The apostle Paul said, “I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to guard what I’ve committed to Him until the day we stand before the Judgment Seat.”