Lord, Create a Clean Heart Within Me
. . . Have you ever stopped and asked yourself is my heart clean? . . .
. . . Is my heart right before You Lord? . . .
. . . Show me my heart, Lord . . .
Whew . . . what a way to start out . . . asking God to create a clean heart within us . . . then asking our self
is my heart clean? . . . Is my heart right before Him? . . . then the last question Lord show me my heart?
These can be difficult questions to ask . . . especially if we don’t really want to know the answers . . . .
But first we have to set something settled. That you and I are not perfect. No one is perfect. None of
us has arrived. None of us is incapable of sin. None of us is without problems. None of us have walked
so long with the Lord that we know it all and therefore have nothing to learn. None of us is so complete
that we don’t need anything from God. I do not believe that any of us has it all together.
Please don’t think I said this because I believe you need to know it. To the contrary, I believe you
already do know it. I said it because I want you to know that we all know it. We know it about ourselves
and we know it about each other. Therefore, we can be completely honest with ourselves about
ourselves. I don’t want you to feel that you have to live up to some impossibly high standard for your
life because we are to let God become our standard in our life. It’s not about trying to make something
happen for ourselves. It’s recognizing that we can’t make anything happen, but we can surrender our
life to God and let Him make things happen. It’s not about finding ways to avoid God’s judgement and
feeling like a failure if we don’t do everything perfectly. It’s about fully experiencing God’s love and
letting His love perfect us. It’s not about being somebody we are not. It’s about becoming who we really
are. But in order for us to see these things happen, we have to be completely honest with ourselves and
with God about who we are at the moment.
Women all over the world would like to live fruitful lives, and to dwell in God’s grace while still
obeying His laws. They want to be unshakable in God’s truth yet moved by the suffering and needs of
others. They want to know God in all the ways He can be known, and they want to be transformed by
the power of His Spirit. But they are often hard on themselves when they don’t see all these things
happening on a daily basis. They are quick to observe all they are doing wrong and slow to appreciate
all they are doing right. For that reason, I want us to look upon this idea of cleansing our heart not as a
judgement that our heart is dirty, but as God’s call for us to get completely right before Him so He can
bring all the blessings He has for us into our lives. See it as God preparing us for the important work He
has ahead for us to do.
For that reason, I want us to look upon this idea of cleansing our heart not as a judgement that our
heart is dirty, but as God’s call for us to get completely right before Him so He can bring all the
blessings He has for us into our lives. See it as God preparing us for the important work He has ahead
for us to do.
In order for us to accomplish this, we need to examine our own lives closely, and be brave enough to say,
“Lord, show me what is in my heart, soul, mind, spirit, and life that shouldn’t be there. Teach me what I
am not understanding. Convict me where I am missing the mark. Tear down my arrogance, pride, fear,
and insecurities, and help me to see the truth about myself, my life, and my circumstances. Expose me
to myself, Lord. I can take it. Enable me to correct the error of my ways. Help me to replace lies with
truth and make changes that last. It’s going to take courage to pray a prayer like this. Probably more
courage than any of us have at this moment. If we are hesitant to let the Lord expose our hearts
because of what He might reveal, then we need to ask Him to give us the courage that we need. In order
to see positive changes happen in our lives, we have to be open to the cleansing and stretching work of
the Holy Spirit. We have to allow Him to expose our hearts so we won’t be deceived about ourselves and
our lives.
(We) - (You) – (and I) - have to invite Him to create a clean heart within (us). Then be willing to do
these two things:
1. Confess to God any sins of thought or action that He shows you or (us).
2. Repent of the things you or (we) have just confessed.
True Confession
Don’t think just because we are not a serial killer or we have never robbed a bank that we don’t have
any sin to confess. Don’t think because we have walked with the Lord for a number of years and go to
church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, and to all prayer meetings in between, that we
have nothing for which we need to repent. Sin doesn’t have to be glaring and obvious in order for it to be
sin. For example, have you or I ever doubted that God can do what He promises in His Word? We’ll
doubt is a sin.
Have you or I ever said anything about a person to someone else that isn’t exactly flattering? Gossip is
a sin. We’ll you may say I was not gossiping . . . but according to God’s Word it is considered Gossip.
Here’s another one, have you or I ever avoided someone because we thought they might ask something
of us that we didn’t want to give? Selfishness is a sin.
Have you ever had an unloving attitude toward another person? Whatever does not come from love is a
sin.
Sin is hard to avoid 100 percent of the time. That’ why confession is crucial. When we don’t confess
our sins, faults, or errors, they separate us from God. And we don’t get our prayers answered.
“Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so
that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).
What this verse is talking about is that (sin always separates man from God).
When we don’t confess our sins, we end up trying to hide ourselves from God. Just like
Adam and Eve in the garden, we feel we can’t face Him.
But the problem with attempting to hide from God is that it’s impossible (we cannot hide from God).
The Bible says that everything we do will be made known. Even the things we said and thought in secret.
“There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore
whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in
inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3). “There is no creature hidden from His
sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews
4:13).
What a frightening thought! If each of us will have to give an account, the quicker we get it straight with God the
better. In fact, the sooner we deal with the sins we can see, the sooner God can reveal to us the ones we can’t.
And God only knows how much of that there is residing in each of us.
There is always a consequence for sin. King David described it best when he wrote of his own
unconfessed sin: “When I kept silent, my bones drew old through my groaning all the day long. For day
and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (Psalm
32:3-4).
(Psalm 32:3 – Groaning: Complaining, instead of confessing, results in physical and emotional
repercussions).
This next part is Stormie Omartian telling from her book about a situation between her and her
husband:
I remember having resentment toward my husband for words he said that hurt me deeply. As long as I
held on to the hurt and resentment, it made me feel physically ill. I didn’t want to confess it because I
thought my feelings were justified and he was the one who was wrong. But I finally realized that all sin is
sin, so I confessed my resentment to God as sin---- and the moment I did, the feeling of sickness in my
body left.
“There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are
foul and festering because of my foolishness” (Psalm 38:3-5). Life is hard enough without us having to
carry around old, dry, sick, weak bones.
Nothing is heavier than sin. We don’t realize how heavy it is until the day we feel its crushing weight
bringing death to our souls. We don’t see how destructive it is until we smash into the wall that has
gone up between us and God because of it.
That’s why it’s best to confess every sin as soon as we are aware of it and get our hearts cleansed and
right immediately. Confession gets sin out in the open before God. When you confess your sin, you’re
not informing God of something He doesn’t know. He already knows. He wants to know that you know.
Confessing, however, is more than just apologizing. Anyone can do that. We all know people who are
good apologizers. The reason they are so good at it is because they get so much practice. They have to
say “I’m sorry” over and over again because they never change their ways. In fact, they sometimes say,
“I’m sorry” without ever actually admitting to any fault. Those are professional apologizers. And their
confessions don’t mean anything. But true confession means admitting in full detail what you have
done and then fully repenting of it.
Full Repentance
Its one thing to recognize when you have done something that has violated God’s laws; it’s another to be
saddened by it to such a degree that you are determined to never do it again. That’s repentance.
Repentance means to change your mind. To turn and walk the other way.
Repentance means being so deeply sorry for what you have done that you will do whatever it takes to
keep it from happening again. Confession means we recognize we have done wrong and admit our sin.
Repentance means we are sorry about our sin to the point of grief, and we have turned and walked away
from it.
Repenting of something doesn’t necessarily mean we will never commit that sin again. It means we don’t
intend to ever commit it again. So if you find that you have to confess the same sin again after you have
only recently confessed and repented of it, then do it. Don’t let the enemy saddle you with guilt and
ride on your back shouting words of failure in your ear. Confess and repent as many times as necessary
to throw him off and see yourself win the battle over this problem.
Don’t entertain thoughts such as, Surely God won’t forgive me again for the same thing I just confessed
to Him last week. He forgives every time you confess sin before Him and fully repent of it. “Blessed is
he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm32:1). You can turn things around in
your life when you turn to the Lord and repent.
Learn to confess and repent quickly so that the death process that is set in motion each time we violate
God’s rules is not given time to do it’s full damage, “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Ask God every day to show you where your heart is not clean and right before Him. Don’t let anything
separate you from all God has for you.
My Prayer to God
Lord, I come humbly before You and ask You to cleanse my heart of every fault
and renew a right spirit within me. Forgive me for thoughts I have had, words
I have spoken, and things that I have done that are not glorifying to You
or are in direct contradiction to Your commands
Specifically, I confess to You (name any thoughts, words, or actions that you
know are not pleasing to God). I confess it as sin and repent of it.
I choose to walk away from this pattern of thought or action and live Your way.
I know that You are“gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness
” (Joel 2:13). Forgive me for ever taking that for granted.
Lord, I realize that You are a God who “knows the secrets of the heart”
(Psalm 44:21). Reveal those to me if I am not seeing them.
Show me any place in my life where I harbor sin in my thoughts, words,
or actions that I have not recognized.
Show me the truth about myself so that I can see it clearly.
Examine my soul and expose my motives to reveal what I need to understand.
I am willing to give up meaningless and unfruitful habits that are not Your best
for my life. Enable me to make changes where I need to do so. Open my eyes to what
I need to see so that I can confess all sin and repent of it. I want to cleanse my hands
and purify my heart as You have commanded in Your Word (James 4:8).
I pray that You will “have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2).
Lord, “create in me a clean heart . . . and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit
from me" (Psalm 51: 10-11).
"Cleanse me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12).
“See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:24).
Make me clean and right before You. I want to receive Your forgiveness
so that times of refreshing may come from Your presence
(Acts 3:19)
GOD'S PROMISES TO ME
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
I JOHN 1:9
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have
confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we
receive from Him, because we keep His
commandments and do those things that
are pleasing in His sight.
I JOHN 3:21-22
I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I
have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my
transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the
iniquity of my sin.
PSALM 32:5
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may
come from the presence of the Lord.
ACTS 3:19
He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever
confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
PROVERBS 28:13