Hebrews 4:12
Amplified Bible (AMP)
12For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
New Living Translation (NLT)
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Hebrews 4:12
English Standard Version (ESV)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The last few months my personal prayer has included David's prayer found in Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. And asking God to expose my heart to me. I began praying this after hearing it in a sermon and the pastor challenging us to pray it. So I did. The pastor told us it was a dangerous prayer to pray and we better be ready if we were courageous enough to pray it with sincerity. I was. I wasn't scared. I was aware it would be painful at times. I was right.
The past few days have been a little rough emotionally, I was internalizing some stuff and just wasn't sure if my perspective was on target or way off. I just want to say I LOVE GOD! He always meets me where I am and even catches me off guard. His answers are always timely and He never ceases to amaze me. Case in point. This morning I was praying on the way to church. Truth: it was kind of a mundane prayer. Thank you for this day, thank you for my health yadda yadda yadda. Then I began to pray for all the leaders in the service I was about to attend and for all the people in attendance. For their hearts, eyes and ears to be open. Then, the scripture you see above came into my mouth and I wasn't really sure where it was found so I looked it up. Go and read it again.
This is a really powerful scripture. I mean really powerful. But here's the part that was for me. Just 30 minutes later as I was singing in church God brought the scripture back to me specifically the part about discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. God's truth does this. God's truth pierces and divides me and exposes the good, bad and ugly of my heart. But, and here's the best part, the nugget of gold. He doesn't do it to condemn me, or make me feel guilty, He does it to set me free!!!! He does it to bring life to the dead parts in me. Do you understand that? He exposes me, He takes His light and shines it in those dark places in my heart, the things in me that slow me down and make me ineffective for Him so that I can make the necessary changes and go shine the light of Jesus!
Want truth? Pray David's prayer and just watch God's truth be spread abroad in your heart!
The last few months my personal prayer has included David's prayer found in Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. And asking God to expose my heart to me. I began praying this after hearing it in a sermon and the pastor challenging us to pray it. So I did. The pastor told us it was a dangerous prayer to pray and we better be ready if we were courageous enough to pray it with sincerity. I was. I wasn't scared. I was aware it would be painful at times. I was right.
The past few days have been a little rough emotionally, I was internalizing some stuff and just wasn't sure if my perspective was on target or way off. I just want to say I LOVE GOD! He always meets me where I am and even catches me off guard. His answers are always timely and He never ceases to amaze me. Case in point. This morning I was praying on the way to church. Truth: it was kind of a mundane prayer. Thank you for this day, thank you for my health yadda yadda yadda. Then I began to pray for all the leaders in the service I was about to attend and for all the people in attendance. For their hearts, eyes and ears to be open. Then, the scripture you see above came into my mouth and I wasn't really sure where it was found so I looked it up. Go and read it again.
This is a really powerful scripture. I mean really powerful. But here's the part that was for me. Just 30 minutes later as I was singing in church God brought the scripture back to me specifically the part about discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. God's truth does this. God's truth pierces and divides me and exposes the good, bad and ugly of my heart. But, and here's the best part, the nugget of gold. He doesn't do it to condemn me, or make me feel guilty, He does it to set me free!!!! He does it to bring life to the dead parts in me. Do you understand that? He exposes me, He takes His light and shines it in those dark places in my heart, the things in me that slow me down and make me ineffective for Him so that I can make the necessary changes and go shine the light of Jesus!
Want truth? Pray David's prayer and just watch God's truth be spread abroad in your heart!
