Set It

He (King Rehoboam) did evil because he had not set 
his heart on seeking the LORD.     2 Chronicles 12:14

I don't think that I am an evil person. I am far from perfect (ask anyone who knows me even a little bit), but I don't believe that I am inherently awful and ill-willed. The scary thing however, is that the slippery slope from "not bad" to evil isn't that far of a journey. Decisions made with a lack of conscience will certainly expedite that progression, but that isn't the root of the problem. When we choose to passionately seek out anything except God we are on a dangerous pathway. Our desire for satisfying personal ambitions, pleasing other people, or finding personal happiness can be toxic when we remove a desire for God from the heart of our search.

I don't believe that all of my decisions will be right or work out perfectly, but I do believe that my motives will be more pure when I search for God above all else. This isn't always easy, but by regularly questioning my desires and intentionally striving to honor God I can feel more secure in the outcome of my decisions.

A Sinner's Prayer

Create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Create: make something new that I cannot make on my own. I will will try & fail to do this every day under my power.

In me: not external, but in the wellspring of my soul that will affect everything else that I do

Clean heart: I recognize that my heart will not be pure based on my willpower. I am not content with my heart's current state & I humbly ask that you make it clean for Your sake and for mine.

o God: I call on You as my first and last resort my King. I will call on Your name as the Creator of all things, the King to whom I pledge allegiance, my compassionate Father, and the lover of my soul.

Renew: my dedication to You unfortunately fades. While I do not wish for it to be this way, I seek out Your regenerative love and beg You to refresh my soul.

Steadfast spirit: while I recognize that I fluctuate in the intensity of my devotion to You, I can honestly confess that my heart desires to seek You more consistently. It is only in Your ability to forgive my sin and set me on the right path that my spirit is made stronger. I desire unwavering intimacy with You, my Lord, and believe in Your magnanimous love that makes this possible.

Consistency

I pray Psalm 51:10 frequently--"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

I usually pray this out of a desire for a clean heart when I find my thoughts drifting into areas that I want to stay out of. It becomes a reflection of things that I have done & yet don't truly desire to do. I want a clean heart before God because I know it opens me up to communication with Him and allows me to walk more closely with Him in the process.

It was the second half of that verse that really impacted me today though. It is the principle of having a steadfast spirit. It is one that is able to endure difficulties and maintain connection to God. It is a spirit that is consistent and does not constantly waver between old patterns of sinful behavior and thought. There is an implication of constancy and an equilibrium to our hearts. It reflects perseverance and the faithful trusting in God that will enable us to maintain our relationship with Him regardless of our circumstances.