Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
For the past several weeks, I have been looking at the Psalms to learn about the prayer life of one of the most famous kings of the Bible, King David.
In Psalm 139 I uncovered scripture that I had read many times but had not considered its prayerful tone. Praying for others is something I do on a regular basis, but there are times I need to turn the searchlight on myself.
David’s prayer was, “Search Me, Try Me and Lead Me.” This sounds pretty simple, but I think the most important part of the prayer is his asking the Lord to lead him. It indicates that he was not praying for the sake of knowledge, but for a change to take place in his life.
It is like going to the doctor and being diagnosed with an ailment, then getting something to help you feel better. It is not enough to know what is causing the pain when a prescription can remedy the sickness. Jesus is the Great Physician and rightly knows how to prescribe the path to change.
I need a prescription for life and maybe you do as well. Lead me to good health, Lord. It is only when I take the medicine prescribed by my doctor that I get well. It is the same with the Lord. As you and I make the required changes, we will see a difference in the condition of our hearts.
This is an individualized plan and not a one-size-fits-all. It is personal and tailored to your needs.
Prayer Point: Ask the Great Physician to lead you and guide your life. Prayer is at the top of the list, but there could be other things like obedience, forgiveness, fellowship groups, etc. As you pray, listen for the things that apply specifically to you.
God bless you!
For more on this topic, watch Peola’s video The Best Prescription and listen to her Blog Talk Radio program The Prayer Journey.