January 17, 2023 - Proverbs 17:3

“Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.” Proverbs 17:3 NLT

Lord, we praise you that you see our hearts. As people who are pursuing righteousness and want to grow in that, we are grateful that you see what is happening below the surface. We don’t have to fear you seeing what is on the inside, because we want you to help us change the inside to glorify you. We don’t just want our outward actions to look good if our hearts are not good. We want our heart to reflect you and our outward actions to flow out of our hearts. In Proverbs 4:23, you tell us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Please teach us how to guard our hearts and allow you to work in them to remove the things that are not of you. Open our eyes to any place where we are wearing a “mask” – where we are showing a “perfected” side of us to the world, but our hearts are not there. Help us remove those masks and be honest with who we are and what we believe. We want our hearts to line up with your kingdom ways and beliefs.

We ask that you grow us so that what is on the inside is a polished mirror that reflects an accurate version of you to the world around us. Would you polish us up and remove any imperfections from us? Lord, we know that the first part of this verse is true, but not an easy process to walk through. Even so, we invite you in to take us through this process, even if it means walking through the fire. We want our hearts to be made pure so they can reflect you accurately. Uproot the lies and darkness, even if it is a painful process. We trust you to take us through as a perfect surgeon who knows how to safely remove what should not be there. Help us not to fight you and make the process harder or longer than it needs to be, but surrender to your hand and your ways, trusting that you know what is best for us.

In Jesus name, amen.