Prayer is something that we learn and it is also a gift from God. It is a combination of our own personal effort and the work of God within us. It establish-es a real communion with God that forms into the relationship intended by him for each one of us.
God can change hearts and remove all hardness verse
What causes a heart to become hardened? What causes a heart to grow cold? What causes us to pull our hearts away from the warmth of our Heavenly Father’s love, from the safety of living in His light?
“For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’” (Matthew 13:15 ESV)
Here is the good news: there is hope for a hardened heart. We have a Heavenly Father who longs for His children to turn their hearts back toward Him. His heart is redemption. He is the kind of Father who simply wants to dwell with His beloved children.
“And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Galatians 4:6 NLT)
It is in the place of living in His loving, revealing light, that a heart can begin to come back to life.
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
Do you wonder if a part of your heart may not be working as it should? Perhaps you know someone who has grown cold or turned from God. God’s heart is already on fire for you, His heart is already turned toward you. He is already chasing after you. It is His will for our hearts to be fully alive, refreshed and anew.
- Father, I turn my heart back to You. I invite You to search me and know my heart.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 139:24 NIV)
- Lord, even if I don’t feel thankfulness in my heart right now, I choose to thank You. I choose to praise You, for You are worthy of all praise. I declare that as Your child, I am blessed. I pray that You will give me a heart that is truly able to be thankful.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV)
- Holy Spirit, will you reveal to me, any offensive way in me? I repent of _. Forgive me, Lord. I turn from my sinful ways and I ask for Your help.
“See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24 NIV)
- Father, will You purify my heart and begin to renew my spirit? I want to be able to see You!
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 ESV)
“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NLT)
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Jarren Simmons
Pray for a Tender Heart That Is Unafraid to Love
- Lord, will You make me tenderhearted and unafraid to love? Father, I receive Your love. I ask Father that I can experience Your love in such a way that my heart will be able to fully love the way You have called me to love.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
- God, if there is any area of unforgiveness in my life, will You show me? Help me to forgive as You have forgiven me.
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13 NIV)
- Lord, I pray that You’ll cultivate the ground of my heart, plow up the hard ground and prepare the soil of my heart for Your righteousness. Prepare my heart for what You have for my life.
“I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’” (Hosea 10:12 NLT)
