Author: Dr Glen

The Heart

Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Life Application study Bible / NLT)

The (Life Application study Bible / NLT) translation instructs us to “guard” our hearts above all else, making sure we are watching and concentrating on those desires that will keep us on the right path.

Therefore we have to put “boundaries” on our wants and desires, and not go after “everything” we see.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (NKJV)

To “keep” something is to make sure it is in a secure place so that it doesn’t get away, and that it is also safe from attack.

The Heart is our inner self that thinks, feels and decides. As we read scriptures in the Bible, the word “heart” has a much broader meaning than that it does to our modern mind. The heart is that which is central and connected to the mind. Many of the references to the human heart in the scriptures refer to some aspect of human personality.

The Bible gives several scriptures about our emotions that are experienced by the Heart:

Love and hate Ps. 105:25 / 1^st Peter 1:22

Joy and sorrow Eccl. 2:10 / John 16:6

Peace and bitterness Ezek. 27:31 / Col. 3:15

Courage and fear Gen. 42:28 / Amos 2:16

Several thinking processes are also said to be carried out by the heart. Thus the heart may:

Think Esth. 6:6

Understand Job 38:36

Imagine Jer 9:14

Remember Deut. 4:9

Be wise Prov. 2:10

Speak to itself Deut. 7:17

Many decisions that are made are carried out by the heart:

Our purpose Acts 11:23

Our intention Heb. 4:12

Our will Eph. 6:6

Finally, the heart will often show a person’s true character or personality:

Purity or evil Jer. 3:17 / Matt. 5:8

Sincerity or hardness Ex. 4:21 / Col. 2:22

Maturity or rebelliousness Ps. 101:2 / Jer. 5:23

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (NKJV)

Lord Jesus, the bible tells us that you do not judge by a person’s outward appearance but You look at the heart. I pray that anything that is seen in our hearts that is displeasing in your eyesight be removed. Lord Jesus create in us a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within us. In Your precious name. Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev

Have you put God in a box?

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” ¹⁰ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” (NKJV)

Many times, when we pray, we put God in a box by what we ask for in prayer. When we take a look at the prayer of Jabez, one of the first things we notice is that Jaybez did not put a limit on what he was asking God for. Jaybez asked God to enlarge his territory, but did not ask for a specific amount. “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory”.  This kind of praying will take the limits off of what God can do for us.

Our thought life can have an effect on our prayer life. If we think small or continue to have small thoughts, then we will continue to pray small prayers.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (NKJV)  

Instead of praying and asking God for a new car, we can pray and ask God for a car dealership. This way when the prayer is answered, we not only receive a blessing for ourselves, but will be in a position to bless others also. We have enlarged our territory and have not put God “in a box”.

This kind of praying will require faith and believing, without having any doubt.

Matthew 21:21-22  “ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (NKJV)

We serve a God that has no limits; He is bigger than big and larger than large. God can do anything but fail. So when we come to him asking, we must believe that He hears and will answer our prayer.

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (NKJV)

Jabez also reached out to God for guidance in receiving the enlarged territory. Receiving “enlarged territory” comes with having “enlarged responsibilities”, and a person has to be very careful with what God has blessed them with. Jabez wanted to be sure that he was being led by God in making the right decisions “that Your hand would be with me”, and also not to become greedy or hurt others with the blessing he received “and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”  God heard the petition from Jabez and granted everything that was asked for “So God granted him what he requested.”

The prayer of Jabez is a powerful example of the kind of prayer that not only will take the limits off of God, but also will not put “God in a box”.

God I thank you for not being a God of limits. From this day forward, let the prayers of the righteous be without limits, and outside of the box. In Jesus name…Amen

Continuing in His service…Rev