| “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” |
| —Psalm 139:23-24 |
I believe that we who follow Jesus should both begin and end each of our days in prayer. I also believe that the first part of these prayers should follow a pattern established by King David when he wrote the following words, as recorded in Psalm 139:23-24:
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
This prayer of King David is clearly a prayer of the penitent. David recognizes that he is a sinner. He recognizes that God is his salvation. He invites God to closely examine the totality of David’s being to bring to light any flaw—any unconfessed sin—so that, in response to such a revelation, David might confess and repent of that sin. And, David invites God to lead him in the pathway that points to everlasting life.
What a better way for us to begin and conclude each day. We should wisely adopt King David’s “Prayer of the Penitent.” We should earnestly desire to pray such a prayer before we start and as we end each day.
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2017
