Why Cleanse the Thoughts of Our Hearts?

Yesterday, I mentioned a phrase that is prayed every week at my church, "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit...."

There is a second part to that prayer.  It says, "...that we may worthily magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord.  Amen."

There is a reason why God will cleanse the thoughts of our hearts.  It is so we will be qualified to amplify and build up the name of God.  All this can only be done because of Christ's saving work on the cross.

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O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. [Psalm 34:3]

Cleanse the Thoughts of Our Hearts

Found myself awake at 4 a.m., feeling afraid.  No, I'm not afraid of the dark.  These are grown-up fears; fears of what the future may hold for loved ones, fears of growing old, fear of the pain of grief.

I sought the Lord and the following phrase, which is said every week by our priest, came to my mind:  "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit..."

That verb, cleanse, usually makes me think of sins of impurity.  However, I realized that I needed to be cleansed of my fears. 

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Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. [Isaiah 41:10]

Absolute Refusal

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

I happened to read the above scripture this morning, and was struck by the strength of the words, "refused to love the truth."  The word 'refuse' sounds so deliberate and definite.  I often see people who aren't walking in God's way as those who are missing the truth.  But this verse talks about actual refusal....


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Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
 [Galatians 6:7]

The Five-Minute Prayer Method

Take an honest tally of your actual time spent in concentrated prayer each day. Is it fewer than 15 minutes?  Is it fewer than five?

Now,
1. Take a timer or your smart phone.
2. Set the timer for five minutes.
3. Decide four things you are going to pray for.
4. Start the timer.
5. For the first minute, thank God for anything and everything.
6. For the second minute, pray for the first thing on your list.
7. The third minute, pray for the second thing, and so on until the five minutes is up.

Daniel prayed three times per day.  Try this five-minute method three times per day and you will have spent 15 minutes in concentrated prayer!  Try it once a day, and you still can look for God's answers.

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...In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 
[Philippians 4:6]

Praying in the Moment

Last week, I found myself with a rare 90 minutes of free time - no immediate responsibilites required by home or family.  I was not at home and took a moment to ponder the various options regarding how to use this precious time. 

Then, I remembered to pray, asking the Lord  what would be His best use of my time.  Into my mind popped the idea of visiting a woman I know who lives in a nearby nursing home.  She is in her fifties, has multiple sclerosis and has been institutionalized for many, many years.

So, I stopped by and visited Sally.  What if I hadn't prayed and hadn't had the idea to visit Sally?  I would have been able to cross something else off of the endless list, something that had no eternal value.

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Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. [Psalm 86:11]

Dead or Alive?

The book of James tells us, "Faith without works is dead."  When a human body is dead, it is cold, unresponsive, immovable and eventually turns to dust. 

If we say we have faith, but do not practice good deeds, our faith is not a living faith.  It is unresponsive, stiff and in a short time will be virtually invisible.

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Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [Matthew 7:17]

Before Thy Throne, O God, We Kneel

Here are Verses 3, 4 from yesterday's post.  My favorite part is "O God, be with us in the flame."    Those "fierce fires" that we find the most trying are exactly what purify our inmost spirits.

For sins of heedless word and deed,
for pride ambitions to succeed,
for crafty trade and subtle snare
to catch the simple unaware,
for lives bereft of purpose high,
forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry.

Let the fierce fires which burn and try,
our inmost spirits purify:
consume the ill; purge out the shame;
O God, be with us in the flame;
a newborn people may we rise,
more pure, more true, more nobly wise.

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Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
[Isaiah 48:10]