A Heart Divided Can Not Stand

⁸ Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
^9 All the nations you have made
    will come and worship before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory to your name.
^10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
    you alone are God.

^11 Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
^12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
^13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.

Psalm 74:8-13

David teaches us so much about our conversations with the Almighty. Though God concerns Himself with the words we say much less than we do, if you’re worried your prayers don’t measure up, the Psalms are a great place to start.

Not to worry. You’re in good company. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them the appropriate way to pray, and the Savior answered with a beautiful prayer that churches still repeat today. Despite the fact the Son of God gave Peter, James, John and their friends a model prayer, I’m still convinced our heavenly Father pays more attention to our heart then our words. That’s why I believe David’s prayers give us good examples of Godly conversations.

Israel’s greatest king poured his heart out to God. He spoke what was on His mind. Whatever bothered him the most, that’s what he talked to God about. Yet, even when his foes were out to get him, David spoke truths about God before he started with his petitions.

I’ve said it before, and you’ll hear it again–praise and recognition of the truth of God’s nature is good for us. Not only does the Sovereign King want to hear it, there is something transformational about exalting Yahweh. Praise reduces my anxiety. I experience less depression on the days I acknowledge the power and might of the Creator.

Still, my favorite phrase in Psalm 74 falls in verse eleven–give me an undivided heart. Have you ever been drawn to something like a magnet? It might be food or electronic devices, video games, housework, overtime, or something much less holy. I feel the tug from time to time. I like to relax with silly solitaire style games on my tablet. Unfortunately, they suck me in. I start playing and can’t stop, and sometimes I feel as though they pull me to them, I feel them divide my heart. One part wants to read God’s word or get the rest I need, while the other side hears the call of the vice like a haunting spell or a response to hypnosis.

Give me an undivided heart becomes my prayer when I hear God’s command to love someone who has hurt me beyond the point of a human’s ability to forgive.

I need an undivided heart when those I love invite me to join them for fun when worship or service for Christ already has a place on my calendar. An undivided heart becomes necessary when our dream toy goes on sale and the only way we can afford it is to borrow from our tithe.

Teach me your way, Lord. Give me an undivided heart. We don’t have to wonder if that’s an appropriate prayer. In fact, when we say those words from deep in our being, they might be the most powerful prayer we pray after accepting Christ’s salvation and righteousness as our own.

David challenges me to examine the depths of my soul. What tugs at my heart? And more important–what wins?

God’s love is great. He has rescued me from the pit of sin and the ugly thoughts the enemy attempts to make me believe. In return I want to give Him what little I have, and the thing He desires most is my loving and faithful, undivided heart.