Before you ask God for something, pray this…

I was just about to pray and ask God for some important and noble things (things I can do for God), and it occurred to me that my motives might be selfish, that perhaps my heart isn’t quite right. I thought about my locked doors, the little places I’d rather ignore than open.

So I didn’t pray that prayer.

Here’s why:

“When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures.”–James 4:3

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”–Psalm 51:10

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and will purify is from all unrighteousness.”–1 John 1:9

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”–Proverbs 28:13

Here’s what I did pray:

Lord, God,

I can’t ask you for anything right now,
not even direction,
not for your will,
not for your blessing.
I know your will:
it’s to be in relationship with me.
Lord, I want my life to glorify you.
I want you to cleanse me
and root out all the selfishness and self-glorification.
Change me.
(I know that will be uncomfortable,
even painful.)
But change me.
I’m no good like I am.
I’m a mess.
I need you.
And so,
I will wait for you to reveal what needs to change inside me.
I will let you poke me
and pry open those doors that hide the things I’d rather not face.
I will let you dig
and root out the evil I call by other names.
Change me.
Make me more like you today.
In Jesus’ powerful name,
Amen.

Let’s pray this prayer. Let’s let God change us first, before we ask him to change something far less significant. (click here)