Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should ask God for a heart like His

A Heart to See as God Sees
A devotional by Monique M. Anderson

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” –1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

One day, the Lord spoke to me through a friend of mine.

She approached me randomly while volunteering at church and said, “God wants you to tell Him what you want.” Completely puzzled, I replied, “Huh?” She repeated herself. I stood there in silence, momentarily processing the question.

I feel like this is the “million-dollar question” that we all wish God would ask us. If we had time to practice, we could provide Him with a long list of things. However, when you are not expecting it, it can be daunting to think of everything you want on the spot. Nonetheless, slowly, each desire started to come to mind one by one: what I wanted for myself, my future, my family, my finances, business, ministry, etc. Once I got going, tears started to flow as I thought about the more in-depth things I wanted—certain loved ones to come to know Jesus Christ and give their life to Him, for other loved ones to be delivered or healed.

Once I was done listing everything in my heart, my friend continued to deliver God’s message to me. The Lord told her he would grant me the desires of my heart under one condition: I had to see His people’s hearts the way He did. These are the same people I continually pray for but find challenging to minister to. I had to find a way to see their hearts how God sees them so that I can reach them.

God was giving me a conditional promise. If I did not keep up my end of the bargain, God would not deliver on His. There was just one problem: It was hard for me to see good hearts in challenging people. Particularly in people whose behaviors and actions do not align with a good heart. How could I see what I could not see?

One day, while praying for one of these seemingly difficult people. I started to ask God to help me. I asked Him to help me see this person’s true heart, and not what they portray. It wasn’t easy at first. I did not understand how this would work. Then the Holy Spirit stepped in, and I found myself praying the Word of God over them.

I started to declare Psalm 51:10 (NKJV) by saying, “Create in them a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit.” I also prayed Jeremiah 24:7 (NKJV) by saying, “Give them a heart to know you, Lord, and they will be your child, and you will be their God, and they will return to you with their whole heart.” Finally, I prayed Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV) by saying, “Give them a new heart, Lord, and put a new spirit within them. Take out their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

On and on I went, praying God’s truth over the lies of their character and calling those things that were not as if they were. I spoke about what I wanted to see and what God already sees. I continued this daily until I started to see them the way God does. I began to see the actual pain behind their ugly behavior. I started to see the true intent of their ungodly actions. It was genius. It made it easier to show compassion for those who are challenging to love and minister to.

I don’t know who you are called to help, but not everyone you are sent to will be an easy case. Whether a family member or a stranger, we are all called to help God’s people, especially the challenging ones. We can’t run from them or hide from the assignment. We must tend to those in need. Therefore, I encourage you to pray for what you want to see for your loved one. Pray God’s truth over them so that while you wait on the Lord to change them internally, you can already begin to see what God saw all along.

Let’s Pray: Father God, I thank You for the call. Although challenging, I thank You for equipping me for the task. Thank You for showing me the heart of your people so that I can better serve them and tend to their spiritual needs. Thank You for showing me how to be as compassionate as your Son Jesus Christ. Continue to guide me and teach me to walk in Your ways. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “A Heart Like Yours” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Monique M. Anderson is a writer, creator, wife, and bonus mom. She was born and raised in Mount Vernon, NY, where she still resides. She released her always present yet hidden talent of writing to the masses in June 2019.  

Monique always felt like God was chasing after her but was never ready to surrender. Finally, she reached a point in her life when things started going left, and she no longer felt in control. At this point, she was ready to hand over the reins to God. After forming her relationship with God, she always felt compelled to share the revelation’s that His Word gave her. She felt The Holy Spirit prompting her to write but was afraid of what people might think. So, her writing started in her journal. The journal turned into a book and the book into a blog.

Her obedience provided more opportunities. In late 2021, Monique became a partner with the notable YouVersion Bible App as a Content Creator. With her first Bible plan debuting in December of 2021, she will continue to provide content for the app as long as God allows her to.

In 2021, God revealed her prophetic gift and how He wants her to use it. Monique always felt compelled to pray for others but had no idea God would use her in this way. Through this gift as a prophetic intercessor, she’s not just writing about what God can do but showing what God can do.

Since God has shown her who He created her to be, she now feels it is her life’s work to help those taking their first steps in their walk with Jesus Christ. She is doing so through her blog, prayer, and soon-to-be-published works. She is excited to extend her reach to YouTube, podcasts, and speaking engagements soon.

Her blog is the stepping stone to fulfilling the vision God gave to her: “Sharing God’s revelations so we can all better reflect his image and fulfill His purpose.”

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Connect with Monique:
Website: www.yourstrulymoe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourstruly__moe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yours-Truly-Moe-140255684101423