ESTHER’S WARRIORS MINISTRY
Seek: Stay Equipped, Empowered, Kingdom focused!
While looking through some discounted Valentine’s Day decorations at a local store, I found a beautiful slate heart with a soft pattern of roses and the word love boldly placed in the center.
There were a few flaws on the heart but I was sure it could be restored. I took it to the salesclerk to ask for an additional discount. She spoke into her headpiece to her supervisor, “I have a woman holding a heart of stone that is chipped. She would like a discount.” I smiled and said that I surely hoped I did not have a heart of stone. The decision came back to give me seventy five percent off the already discounted fifty percent. What a deal!
Our little encounter made me think of how debilitating a heart of stone really is. I could not help but think that when the love of Jesus washes over a heart of stone the value of holding onto that stone heart is quickly diminished.
Are You Cementing Your Heart?
What might you be holding tightly? What could be keeping places stony in your heart (and it is always a heart issue)? If you cannot readily forgive, if you are easily offended by the words or actions of others you have set yourself up for hardened places in your heart.
Each ungodly response to a circumstance sets in your heart like cement and your heart becomes more stony and hard as time passes. This may be undetectable to you but not necessarily to those around you. As time goes by your vision becomes clouded by the weight of the hardness in your heart. Hardened and unyielding to the flow of God’s grace in your life you can miss the overwhelming presence of His love for you. Paranoia can set in and all can appear to be a struggle.
A hardened heart will inevitably create a hard life. If you have ever worked with cement you know it is soft and pliable as you mix it with water. However, once it sets it hardens and can only be removed by painstakingly breaking it into small pieces.
Are You Ready for a Heart Restoration?
Meditate on these words of Jesus this week: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22, 37, 39) To fully love God with all your heart you have to let Him take away the stony places. Let Him gently walk you through the release of all that is not from Him. Let Him teach you to love yourself in a Godly way so that you will then be able to love those He brings into your life.
During this Lenten season be aware of your heart reactions to people and circumstances around you. If you notice a tightening within your spirit or offense arising stop it while it is still pliable. Say a prayer for the person and give them to God. Pray that He will keep your heart soft. Release the situation and keep your heart from becoming a stony place far from the heart of Jesus.
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front line on the battlefield, let us be their front line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. God bless all our diplomatic and military personnel and their families. Please pray for all in authority over us, for the full truth to come forth concerning Benghazi, for all affected by recent devastating weather conditions and for safety in Israel. Pray that God will have His hand on all Cabinet appointments. May God richly bless the United States of America and keep her safe. May we may arise united in this auspicious season in our country’s history.
My Prayer for You
Father I lift up my friend reading this today and I pray every good and gracious gift from Your throne room above be imparted to them. Help them search their heart for any hardened place. May Your grace touch the stony places and heal them to be in right standing with You. May they join their heart with the heart of Jesus. May it beat with compassion and love for each one they encounter. Father, I thank You that as You heal their heart of stone to a heart of flesh that healing will break forth like the dawn for them. Just as the light of day shifts us from darkness I pray their life will shift on every level to be more in line with Your best for them. Thank you Father that the love of Jesus will wash over their heart and heal it in every way. I pray this in the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.