Clean and New

God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. – (Psalm 51:10, HCSB)

God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. – (Psalm 51:10, ERV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. – (Psalm 51:10, VOICE)

As I gaze upon the freshly fallen snow, and the world looks clean and new, I am reminded that God does this for us each time we ask. He wipes away all of our guilt and shame, and provides a new start as we seek Him. Each time I fall short and am given a fresh start, I am compelled to do and be better. God is faithful to meet us each time we seek Him, and His heart is to ever give us a fresh start. May we ever seek the Lord to cleanse us and strengthen us so that we may clearly reflect His goodness and His love.

O God, cleanse my heart,

May it be made pure;

Strengthen my spirit,

As You remain near. 

Lead me in Your love,

May Your heart move mine;

To love others well,

And always be kind.

With each brand new day,

May I rest assured;

That You are with me,

In You I’m secure.

Ever Your faithful,

So we should be too;

Deepen my love, Lord,

So I love like You.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You cleanse us and make us new, and You strengthen us for all that we are called to do. Forgive us for our fears and doubts, for You are faithful forever. Teach us how to trust You more, so that from the moment we rise to the close of our day, we operate in the lavish goodness of Your unending love. Show us how to love those around us well, and to forgive as we have been forgiven by You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, as they come to know who You are and how You love. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to cleanse us and strengthen us by Your love so that we may love likewise. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. – 1 Chronicles 16:11

Not Finished Yet

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – (Philippians 1:6, HCSB)

I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until He completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again. – (Philippians 1:6, ERV)

I am confident that the Creator, who has begun such a great work among you, will not stop in mid-design but will keep perfecting you until the day Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, returns to redeem the world. – (Philippians 1:6, VOICE)

We are all a work in progress. Not one of us “arrives” at some point in our lives, but rather as we seek the Lord, He continues to transform our hearts to more clearly reflect His own. The great work He does in us is an ongoing process that we must be willing to pursue, for it is by His grace that we can live and love through a life that extends His heart to others. In our broken humanity, we all fall short, yet it is Christ who picks us up, dusts us off, and encourages and strengthens us to press on. May we ever seek the Lord to lead and guide us in His love, so that He may continue the good work that He has begun in each of us. 

Lord, please continue,

What’s begun in us;

Love’s transformation,

Power of Jesus.

For as we seek Him,

He shows us the way;

To love as He loves,

A bit more each day.

Such love’s a process,

That grows and refines;

Power of Jesus,

To change hearts and minds.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that the work You began in us will continue until the day that we see You face-to-face. Thank You that You are not finished with us yet. Forgive us for failing to press in when You are calling us to so much more. Teach us to trust and continually pursue You and all that You have for us. Show us how to love You and love people in the way that You intended. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as they witness the depth, power and goodness of Your unending love. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us and transform us to love as You do. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10

Create In Me

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. – (Psalm 51:10, NIV) 

God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. – (Psalm 51:10, ERV) 

Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please You. – (Psalm 51:10, TPT) 

A pure heart is fairly clear, yet a steadfast spirit seems to be much more than strong. Under further investigation, steadfast is defined as: fixed in direction, firm in purpose, unwavering faith, and firmly established. These descriptors are far more helpful in expressing the prayer of my heart, as my desire is to have a pure heart and a spirit within me that is fixed in direction, firm in purpose, unwavering in faith, and firmly established in Christ. My desire is for my heart, mind and spirit to fix on the things of God, so that I am able to love as I am called to love. Thor, our puppy, is a tangible illustration for me, as though he can be mischievous and a little crazy, his love and trust in us is unwavering. God desires for us to love and trust Him in the same way, despite our shortcomings. May we all seek the Lord to cleanse our hearts and establish a steadfast spirit within us, so that we may walk out our days in His will. 

O Lord, help my heart, 

To be clean and pure; 

So my words and deeds, 

Show Your love is sure. 

Please renew and grow, 

Steadfastness in me; 

Let all that I do, 

Show Your love clearly. 

Lead me and guide me, 

In all of my ways; 

So I reflect You, 

Throughout all my days. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your willingness to cleanse our hearts and solidify steadfast spirits within us. Forgive us for our sinfulness. Teach us to invest in relationship with You, so that we may be made pure and steadfast before You. Show us how to love purely and with clear direction from You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to make our hearts pure and our spirits steadfast. Amen. 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. – Proverbs 4:26

Heart Change

Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. – (Joel 2:13, NLT)

Tear your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive. – (Joel 2:13, CEB)

Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here’s why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath and puts up with a lot. This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. – (Joel 2:13, MSG)

 

When we stray from the path that God has placed before us, He wants a heart change that leads us back to where we were meant to go. God is patient and kind, merciful and loving; ready to forgive and redirect our steps when we go astray. Our part is to be tender to His leading, so that our hearts may be changed to more clearly reflect His own. This applies in every area of our lives, as God wants our whole heart, not just a portion. May we seek the Lord with tender hearts, ready to give Him room to move so that we more clearly reflect His heart to the world.

 

God of compassion,

We bring hearts to You;

Forgive each trespass,

Cleanse and make us new.

In love and kindness,

Lead us in Your way;

Help us extend grace,

And love much the same.

Grant us a clean heart,

That’s ready to serve;

To love as You love,

Mercy undeserved.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You do not want external displays of remorse, but rather You desire hearts that turn to You, ready to repent and allow You room to cleanse and renew. Forgive us for thinking that we have to do or be enough to earn our way back to grace when we have gone astray. Teach us to come to You with repentant hearts so that we may receive Your forgiveness and experience a true heart change. Show us how to love those around us a way that extends the very same goodness and grace to spaces of need. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You for the forgiveness that You so readily offer when we come to You with a repentant heart. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:7-8

Maintenance in the Midst of Our Messiness

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. – (Psalm 51:10, NLT)

God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. – (Psalm 51:10, ERV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. – (Psalm 51:10, VOICE)

 

My heart feels a bit messy. It is not anything in particular, but rather a collection of things that simply build up and begin to get the best of me. I rarely get sick, and am currently attempting to fend off some sort of sinus infection, and know that my resistance is down. The little things that I typically brush off, are wearing, and I know that much of my present heart state, is the overflow of my physical well-being. This, this is where I must run to Him again, and pray this prayer, as the crud that is building needs to be cleansed as only Christ can do. As He washes away the things that wear me down, a renewed sense of His strength returns and I am better equipped to navigate my days. May we each seek the Lord and His cleansing to wash away that which wears us down, and trust in His strength to renew us once again.

 

Oh Lord, here I stand,

Seeking only You;

For I am in need,

Of what You can do.

I need a clean heart,

A spirit made new;

Your strength breathed in me,

Help me lean on You.

Restore unto me,

Your strength and Your song;

So that I am clean,

Resilient and strong.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that You cleanse us and restore a strong spirit within us when we seek You. Thank You that this is not something that we need to figure out how to do on our own, but rather it is as we come to You, that we find the new. Forgive us for allowing life to wear us down without taking the time to rest in You. Show us how to seek You and trust You for all that we need from moment to moment, rather than just when we begin to reach our breaking point. Help us to love those around us well, so that we can extend the love and grace that gives Your strength to all those in need. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we come to You for cleansing, strength and restoration, often, as You never turn us away. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. – Psalm 145:8