The Clean Little Secret

Encouraging prayer, God offers open imitation for his people to talk with him anytime about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and valve games. There's a saying in the and that's that you've quit preaching in Uganda Midland and it and you tell me that's the way you want to start today. Are you sure you want to start Midland and be helpful if we talked about what Scripture called the meditation of our heart pretty personal.

But it's also extremely necessary. It really is what comes to mind really is. David's words in Psalm 19. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you oh Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. The same Psalm. I was thinking about what what a great reminder that all of our thoughts are completely open to God what the meditation of our hearts is you noticed the secret thoughts that no one else knows anything about but God does and what David does in in Psalm 19 here is he prays about those things. Those those most personal thoughts. It's way, saying, Lord, you know more about what's going on in my head. My heart than I do and I want you to have control over these things to please you know help me to please you. There is so important to me. We can't hide anything from God and so prayer like that only makes sense and mean if we love him want to please and yeah yeah and as I think about that the struggles we often face today. I mean so many of them are matters of the heart. For example, this places you go on, you know on your computer or cell phone when you think no one is looking at as a pastor for over 30 years I've worked with a number of people who have gotten in big trouble on the Internet and I think that these are areas where there's a lot of hopelessness and people feel like they can't change and if the really honestly it's often and often that they they don't want to, even though they might not ever say that it's just kind of the nature of the battle and and so it really helps to be honest here that's that's really true. Our adversary really goes after our hearts and our affections Danny yeah yeah and that's why praying about the meditations of our hearts matters so much during all of us were honest noticed like to embrace is seen in there and and we know what it's like to feel its allure.

But we also know what it's like to feel its weight. I mean the things that seem to promise happiness drag us down inside I'm running to them in place of God in and they make us sad really down in our souls by God is the very opposite right is love in his presence gives light and life and listen some yeah yeah and and that's why I I love that prayer from David about what's going on in his heart because no sin is stronger than God's sin has been dealt with definitively Dick Crossan and Jesus gives us the strength to overcome and praying about the words were mouth and the meditation of our hearts is a way of recognizing that it doesn't matter who we are aware weekly and if we receive Jesus deep inside we are a new creation. That's what God's word is telling. Let let's say a thought comes to mind, and you know it's not right. As soon as you feel your heart going.

The particular direction.

Go there with God cry out to him, given that whatever it is. It's like turning on the light and watching roaches run for cover can only pray it's it's like that I'm insane. God help me to what you that's the clean little secret. Not the dirty little secret that that hell doesn't want you to know about because because God is stronger because we are new creation. We really can change because were his children, and the more we let him in and focus on the things he wants us to. The board will find that the warped stuff. The simple things he does when occupying our hearts give way to his light and his power, and the more distance we put between them in our hearts through him you know and sometimes it might just be moment by moment. I mean, minute by minute but Bettis we fight through in his strength, the more his light shines in we see those things for what they are in an we don't want to go back there at the clean little secret really is good news is that we don't have to stay stuck where we are.

New beginnings are really possible with God. Are they ever are they ever and and that's why I wanted to talk about them today special for that person is feeling defeated.

II want to remind that person that they are more than the choices they've made her more than the stupid simple things that we've all done those things don't define you if you come to Jesus and asked him to forgive you and clean you up.

He does in and when you've messed up again and again and you don't think you can get over whatever it is your restaurant what you really can't not in your own strength with his and so we have to lean into him. You know that's why the kind of praying. David demonstrates her matter so much. It's proactive. It's not just forgive me of messed up again it's it's a new strategies filled with faith because it sees God as a rock and Eva's Redeemer right.

That's the second part of the prayer by the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer. Because he is those things we can run to him a rock. The way David writes about. It is a place of safety a higher place to stand yeah and and calling him Redeemer recognizes that that he can save you out of the mess he really is greater since it seems appropriate today, but we should not take a moment to pray for that person who is struggling since it seems like they can't let go of that the can really know the hope that Jesus gives Jesus, thank you so much that we know that you are greater than sin.

Lord I pray that you would just give hope for this hopelessness right now. Help that person see that you are bigger than that and that they can turn to you in the moment and you do want to rescue them just like you rescued us at the cross for the pray that you would go deep with your Holy Spirit revealing things that we are not even aware of that you would clean in us that we would want what you want. What a beautiful thought and we'd love to grow closer to you and Matt and we ask this in Jesus name Amen amen amen thank you Robbie and how good it is to know that we have a rock and a Redeemer who is completely able to save us and lift us closer to himself and because he knows us and knows what it's like to be completely human.

We can give him even the things we could never share with anyone else and he will help us through them in Overton. Jesus really is a friend of sinners.

Yes, this is an system free S you James and all of our listeners were so thankful for everyone to hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray