31 Days of Prayer: Because only God knows your heart

Only God knows your heart. 

The Bible says "the heart is deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9). But it also says, "delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). While I cannot explain those two similar yet different promises of God in this one blog post, I do plan to dedicate a future post to those words of wisdom, with the help of a theologian or pastor who can help break it down to simple terms and show you what that means for you today.

But for now, let's talk.

You know how it is when you have someone in your life-- a significant other, family member or trusted friend--with whom you can share everything? And I do mean everything. Well while it's not too smart to share literally everything about yourself with people (Psalm 146:3), it is priceless to be able to confide in someone who will not betray your trust or expose your secrets. Now who would that be? His name is Jesus Christ and He's there for you. Your deepest thoughts, hurts, pains and triumphs can be safely shared with Jesus Christ because He will never let you down or disappoint you. When you cry, Jesus cries. When you hurt, Jesus hurts. When you are happy, Jesus is happy. Yes, He is just that empathetic.

Now sometimes, people say: "Why should I talk to Jesus in prayer when He already knows what I'm thinking or am going to say?" Well, to that, I have a parallel story: People in relationships want to know that their significant other loves them, right? Have you ever seen a couple in love who never ever says "I love you" to each other or never ever does anything to show their loved one that they truly do love them? Someone once said when it comes to love, "Don't trust WORDS, trust ACTIONS." Meaning if someone says they love you but does nothing to prove it true, then chances are they don't mean what they say to you. But oh dear friend, when JESUS says "I love you," he MEANS it. And He proved it-- Jesus Christ died for you (see previous posts) and rose again, returning to heaven to fight for you. That's right. Jesus is your Advocate. He goes before the Father (God) whenever you sin and ask for forgiveness to remind God that He (Jesus) died for you as your substitute. Remember, we deserve eternal death in payment for our sins. But God extended His grace to us through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ in our place because, the Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death but, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

So who better to share your greatest hopes, your deepest pain, your hidden fears with than the One who loves you beyond the moon and back? Who better to trust? Who better to have a relationship in prayer and devotion? Who better to know as your truest Best Friend? In case you have not already guessed, "JESUS is the answer"! :) And He never runs out of time or is too rushed to listen to you. He is ALWAYS there, available to you.

Let's pray...

Dear God, 

Thank You for my Lord, Savior and Truest Friend Jesus Christ! Thank You that He understands me better than anyone else, even the mother who birthed me. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us mere mortals from our sins and give us a chance at eternal life. Help me to become more like You as I journey through this world. Live in me, shine through me and may others desire to know You as their truest friend and Savior as they see what you're doing in my life. You are AWESOME! Help me to share my heart with You and leave all of my concerns in Your capable Hands. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.