A Prayer to Be Someone after God’s Own Heart - Your Daily Prayer - February 12

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A Prayer to Be Someone after God’s Own Heart
By Vivian Bricker 

Bible Reading:
“But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Listen or Read Below:

In Bible college, we covered both the New Testament and the Old Testament; however, the latter tended to be given less attention. This is why I’m going through 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel during my own personal Bible study time. I wanted to learn more about the story of a man who was after God’s own heart, yet ended up sinning against Him (2 Samuel 12:1-31).

Before I truly understood the Bible, I thought it was filled with perfect people. Learning about the story of Saul and David changed this. Most of us are aware that Saul didn’t turn out to be the best king of Israel. But David struggled in this role as well. God chose to remove the kingdom from Saul and give it to David because he was faithful to Him (1 Samuel 15:1-35). 

The Bible tells us, “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:14). 

The phrase, “a man after his own heart,” comes from this passage. In context, we understand that the man after God’s own heart is David, the youngest son of Jesse. Someone after God’s own heart is a person who wants holiness, righteousness, kindness, and love to prevail. 

While David made mistakes many times throughout his life, he was still said to be a man after God’s own heart. This helps us understand that even when we make mistakes and fall, we can still be people who faithfully follow God. We never need to believe the lie that our mistakes discount us from truly loving God or knowing that God loves us. 

David did many terrible things, including the arrangement of Uriah’s death in order to obtain his wife, Bathsheba. Over time, he repented and turned back to the Lord (2 Samuel 12:13). David still loved God, but his own sinful nature often hindered his devotion to Him. 

Pray today to the Lord and ask Him to help you be someone after His own heart. God is pleased with these prayers. Praying to follow after God’s own heart and to love Him with wholehearted devotion shows God the true extent of our love and trust in Him. In truth, if you are going to the Lord with a prayer such as this, you probably already have a heart that is seeking after Him. 

A heart after God’s own will reveal itself in its proper time. This is evident in a person who obeys Him (John 14:15). Obedience demonstrates to God that we love Him. We aren’t indifferent to Him; instead, we love Him with our entire heart, mind, body, and soul (Matthew 22:37). Our trust in Him is far reaching as we know He can do all things (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 19:26). Whether we are ruling kingdoms or just our own minds, we can be individuals who are after God’s own heart. 

Let's Pray:

Dear God, I want to be someone who is after Your own heart. I used to think I couldn't achieve this, since I continued to make mistakes and sin. Thank You for showing me that despite my mistakes and shortcomings, I can still be someone after Your own heart. 

Help me to follow after You and to be wholeheartedly dedicated to You. Even when I fall short, help me to remember that I can always return to You with a heart of repentance. My heart might be led astray to other things, but I ask You to bring it back to You. I know You can do this and even more. Model my heart after Your heart, God.

I praise You and thank You, God, Amen.

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Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/fizkes 

Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.

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