Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

                                                                                                                    Psalm 139:23-24 

If there was ever a prayer that only the truly serious follower of Jesus would pray, I believe it’s this one. David is going straight to the heart of the matter by asking God to do a thorough evaluation of his innermost being, the part of his life that no one else sees. Much like a doctor who scans the body to see what is going on inside, this prayer is an open invitation for God to do a scan of our spiritual life.

First, David asks God to search his heart. When the Bible uses the word “heart” it most always is referring to the central part of a human being. Much like our blood pumping heart resides in the center of our chests, our spiritual heart is at the center of everything that we are about. The heart is often referred to as “the seat of our affections” meaning that our heart reveals what is really the most important thing to us. It is how we spend our time, our money, and our lives. Today, we still refer to the heart this way. When we want to communicate that someone playing sports is going all out, we often say, “He plays the game with heart.” Also when expressing our affection for another, we might say, “I love you with all of my heart.” In each case the heart represents someone who is dedicating everything they have towards another person or endeavor.

So what David is asking God to do is search his innermost being to see where his true loyalty lies. You can understand his tone by considering the phrases, “See if there is any hurtful way in me” and “Lead me in the way everlasting.” David desires to have a heart for God. His desire is to eliminate anything that might be damaging to another. Also, he hungers for God to lead in the way that leads to eternal life. This truly is a prayer that only the most serious follower of Jesus would pray today.

In addition to asking God to search his heart, he also requests that God see into his mind. “Try me and know my anxious thoughts” opens up the way for God to assess David’s thoughts. The battlefield for the Christian is in the mind. What we believe is of the utmost importance. We don’t change God with our thoughts but what we think about God greatly affects us. You can usually tell how a person perceives God by the way they treat others. If someone views God as harsh and authoritarian then that individual is often a harsh and difficult person in his/her dealings with others. If someone experiences the love and mercy of God in his/her life and is enjoying a life of spiritual freedom then that individual tends to be more loving and merciful. If we know that we are forgiven of all of our sin, we are more likely to forgive others of theirs. What we believe about God and the direct experience we have with Him in our lives usually bears direct correlation to our treatment of others.

Today, I believe there are at least two factors shaping the battle for the hearts and minds of Christians. I believe that there is an extraordinary amount of biblical illiteracy inside the church. That statement may come as a shock to some, but there seems to be a movement of allowing other’s opinions to act as the basis for biblical instruction. What I mean is that for many professing believers, there is an absence of private, biblical study. Knowing the truth of scripture is the responsibility of every believer. We need to know what scripture actually says and that is only accomplished through personal study of the Bible. Secondly, believers need to examine whether or not they truly believe what the Bible says. It is one thing to read the word of God, it is entirely another to believe it, trust it, and apply it to one’s life. I believe that for the church to see the power of God demonstrated in a mighty way, our hearts and minds must be on the truth of scripture, reading it, memorizing it, meditating on it, and believing it.

Would your heart reveal that Jesus Christ is at the center of everything you pursue? Is your mind being renewed through daily study and application of the Bible? Pray and ask God to search your heart and mind and reveal what changes you might need to make.

(Pray)…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

                                                                                                            Ephesians 3:17,19

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

                                                                                                     1 Corinthians 2:14-16