Monday, July 20, 2009

A Prayer Not For the Faint of Heart

“Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.” Psalm 26:2.

I don’t know about you but David had more guts than I to pray this prayer! Life is a difficult journey based on circumstances we must face on any given day. The Bible tells us not to be surprised when we experience trouble, and to actually expect it. For David to ask for additional testing is mind blowing. That is why David was deemed a man after God’s own heart. He was never satisfied with spiritual mediocrity and wanted to always be feeding his spiritual growth in God.

This reminds me of when my mother used to pray for patience with four little girls. She stated that each time she prayed for patience some sort of trial arose. God knows what we need and the way in which He can develop that aspect of our character.

David’s prayer is a tough prayer to pray but it exposes what our hearts are made of and our desires to be spiritually fed even at the hand of adversity. Testing comes at the end of a season of learning which was the case for me 3 ½ years ago. I felt a rumbling in my spiritual stomach and began digging in the word of God in a pursuit of a deeper relationship with Him. My spiritual walk had turned into a life of Christian “to do’s.” I was to pray, I was to attend church and I was to open the Bible occasionally. Instead of feasting on Christ I snacked on Him a little here and a little there. I had shrunk my stomach to the point to where I was filled up pretty easily but never was I satisfied.

God put a hunger in my soul which prompted the examination of my heart and my mind. My spiritual hunger and pursuit of God revealed many areas I needed to develop so it is no wonder that I was tested and tried after a time of being tutored by God. We should all have the courage to pray this prayer of David if we truly have a heart bent towards Christ.

I praise God that He prepared me in the calm to sustain me in the storm.

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