23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:23-24
As we begin this intentional week of prayer and fasting, we must begin at the heart of it all (pun intended). Our hearts are deceptive and cannot be trusted. There are times sin is hidden in the deep and dark recesses of our hearts and we don’t even realize it’s there. Other times, we have participated willfully in sin and our hearts continue to harden to such a degree that it doesn’t even bother us anymore. Whether we know it’s there or not, the Lord Almighty knows all things; nothing is hidden before Him. He knows our thoughts before we even think them!
If we want to live holy lives that please the Lord our God, if we want to be set free from guilt and shame, if we want to be men and women of God with integrity and Christ-like character, then it’s essential that we know our sins. It’s the revealing of these sins that lead us to repentance. And repentance leads to freedom. And freedom leads to blessings upon blessings.
In Joshua 7:1-26 (we encourage you to pause here to read it), there was sin in the camp that affected everyone. There was hidden sin amongst some of God’s people and so God withheld his blessings from them all. The same thing can happen in the church today. When there is sin harbored in the hearts amongst those who claim to follow Jesus, God can and will withhold the revitalization and revival.
Will you humbly submit to the Light of the World and deal with your sin so that His blessings may flow unhindered on our church and that you can experience the way everlasting?