“Create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
This verse has challenged me, broken me, and keeps opening up different layers every time I really spend time studying it. It’s taken me a long time to decide to write this post and honestly I’ve edited it (added to it) several times. About a year or so ago I began praying this scripture every day over my life. It impacted me when I first started studying it and it’s a good thing to ask of the Lord.
This verse should be our prayer daily, we should always desire the Lord to create in us a pure heart and to renew a steadfast spirit within us. But when we pray scripture do we really realize what we are asking? I prayed this scripture for many months before really taking to heart what I was saying. Once I started really thinking about what I was asking things began to change. I started seeing things differently and noticing things about myself that I didn’t like, I started seeing motives of my heart and habits that shouldn’t be there. I started feeling down and broken, when I would read the Word I would feel guilty and shameful. That can’t be right, can it?
So again I’ll ask, do we realize what we are praying and do we mean what we are saying when we pray? I think about the parable of the potter and the clay. God is the potter and we are the clay. He is our Creator, He is Elohim. When you create something it’s not always pretty, it’s not always perfect, and sometimes you have to reshape it or remold it. When a potter has a piece of clay, when there is a blemish or something on it or inside it that shouldn’t be there, the potter starts over, breaking it down and reshaping it.
Create in me.
Do we realize what we are asking?
When I pray this verse, I’m asking the Lord to search me like a piece of clay, find every impurity and get rid of it. I’m also asking Him to renew a steadfast spirit within me, let me see with His eyes. Sometimes when we pray things I think we don’t really think about the repercussions of what we say. Do we take God at His Word? If I’m asking Him to create in me a pure heart and I begin to feel broken and notice impurities in me, He is doing what I’ve asked Him. He is remolding me, showing me impurities to remove. It’s my choice whether I sit back and sulk in shame and guilt or if I stand up, praise Him for his forgiveness and grace, and walk out differently.
I truly feel like I’ve been through a refining fire this past year or so. I did NOT like it, it was painful, it was hard, it was scary, it was uncomfortable, it was stretching. But I’m different. I’m stronger in my faith, I’m more confident in Him. I hear Him more clearly, my love for Him has grown and I my eyes are more open with understanding to His Word. I’ve come to realize that I need this breaking, reshaping, stretching, molding time, I’ve come to appreciate it. I’m definitely not saying I want to live in this season (haha) but I’m thankful for it.
So, again Ill ask. Do you realize what you’re praying?
Asking God to create in you a pure heart is opening up yourself to see all the impurities, sin, and yuck of the flesh. But there’s not better place to be than realizing your dependance on Him, seeing His unconditional love for you. When you come out on the other side it’s a beautiful thing.
I want to challenge you today to read this Psalm, study it, mediate on it, then begin to pray it over your life. I challenge you to allow the Lord to open your eyes to impurities, attitudes, and changes that might need to be made. As He reveals these things to you don’t let the enemy lie to you and make you feel that you’ve “missed it”, address these things, change them, and draw nearer to the Lord.
Journal Prompts:
(Suggestion: When you see scripture listed below with a journal prompt or throughout the blog, writing that scripture out and hanging it somewhere that you will see it frequently is always a good idea. Learn the scriptures throughout the week, meditate on them, speak them over yourself.)
1. Write Psalm 51:10 in your journal.
2. Write Psalm 51:10 on a note card and place it around your house or in places you will see it. (Feel free to print the image above and place it around.)
3. Take a few minutes and meditate on the scripture above, ask the Lord to open your eyes and create a pure heart in you.