Dear friends and fellow-workers,
Time for a medical! Let’s test your life, actions, words.
Here are the three tests; please administer them to yourself.
- ‘The mouth speaks what the heart is full of’ Matthew 12:34.
- ‘Out of the heart come evil thoughts’ Matthew 15:19.
- ‘The thoughts and attitudes of the heart’ Hebrews 4:12.
How is your ticker? Is your heart in good shape?
Here is a prayer to pray to our good and loving physician. Why not pray it daily slowly each day for a month? There are no bad side-effects!
[These prayers are taken from the Bible. It is a Bible-patchwork prayer].
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
O lord our God,
You know, test, and examine our hearts. Our hearts are open to you. Pierce the thoughts and intentions of my heart by the sharp sword of your word. Please test and probe my heart.
When my heart is unfaithful, give me a trusting and obedient heart.
When my heart is deceptive, cleanse it by your truth.
When my heart has turned away from you, turn it again to yourself.
When my heart is hard and callous, soften and bend it.
When my heart is perverse and proud, break it and mould it.
When my heart is blighted and withered, revive and refresh it.
When my heart is in anguish and dismay, transform it to rejoice in you.
When my heart melts like wax in terror, strengthen it to trust in you.
O Lord our God:
Give me a broken and contrite heart.
Help me to pour out my heart to you.
Encourage my faint and feeble heart.
O Lord our God:
Give me a trusting heart.
Give me a wise heart.
Give me a steadfast heart.
Give me a blameless heart.
Give me an undivided heart.
Give me a pure heart.
Give me a clean heart.
Give me a joyful heart.
Give me a faithful heart.
O Lord our God:
Write your words in my heart.
Turn my heart to your words.
May my heart tremble at your words.
May I keep your words with my whole heart.
May I love you with all my heart.
Help me speak the truth from my heart.
Be the strength of my heart.
May the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. For Christ’s sake, Amen.
Let’s pray it together!
With my love in Christ, and my prayers for God’s blessing on your life and ministry.
Yours,
Peter Adam – March 2022.