Today’s Key Scripture

“God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

— Psalm 51:10, CSB

One of David’s most amazing prayers took place after some of his worst failures. Confronted with the sin in his life, he poured out his heart, openly confessing everything that God already knew.

What makes Psalm 51 so remarkable is that humans naturally tend to wear masks and pretenses. It has been that way throughout recorded history, and it certainly continues today. We simply don’t want people (or especially God) to see us as we really are.

Many do this with good intentions, seeking to make good impressions, but often that desire to be tactful and friendly simply degenerates into phoniness and falsity.

Matthew speaks of this: “On the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:28, CSB).

It can be a constant struggle to be completely honest in your relationship with God. The late noted Bible teacher A. W. Tozer once said, “The artless little child is still the divine model for all of us. Prayer will increase in power and reality as we repudiate all pretense and learn to be utterly honest before God as well as before men!”

 

A Prayer for Today

Lord, whatever I face today, help me to remember that You are with me. Even as I once again ask You to cleanse my heart and my life with Your everlasting blood, I ask for pure thoughts and the innocence of a child. Give me courage to face my fear of openness with You. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. When things don’t go exactly as I had planned, give me a cheerful, obedient spirit. And give me the supernatural determination to do everything that needs to be done today. I pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.

 

*All Scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise noted.