Megan Evans, Women’s Ministry, LHBC
Psalm 86:11 (ESV)
Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
Does your heart ever feel out of focus? Do your thoughts and actions ever get taken over by busyness and distraction? If so, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get lost in piles of papers, projects, and to-do lists. Thoughts and concerns find themselves swimming rather than placed in prayer. We can feel tugged in every area, yet lack direction in any of them. Daily life has a way of blurring our vision and taking our focus off of Jesus.
David models a cry for help in Psalm 86:11, but we don’t have to wait until we are in deep trouble to ask the Lord to intervene. God wants to reveal Himself in the everyday stuff of life too. The psalmist cries out for a pure and focused heart so that he can be obedient and walk in the ways of the Lord, and he asks the Lord to teach him how. We can ask for God’s peace and direction every day. Like David, we can pray for our heart to be united with God so that we can carry out tasks (big or small) His way.
Does the little stuff matter? Yes! Much like a camera lens blurs when it is out of focus, our life can feel a little blurry too when our eyes are off of Jesus. As we seek to live a Christ-centered life, we too can ask God to unite our heart with a pure focus that serves Him in every area of our day, including our work, activities, and even our thought life. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” When Jesus is the Lord of our life, ultimately He sits on the thrown in our workplace, our home, and our heart. With His faithful, covenant love He never leaves us nor forsakes us. God cares about everything, and He reminds us not to worry or get upset about the details, but to keep our focus on Jesus (Luke 10:41).
When we ask God to unite our heart with His, we are praying for His will to be done. We essentially are saying to God, “Let me do this your way, Lord.” And when we let Jesus reign over our projects, thoughts, and tasks, we invite God to show us His glory in the daily stuff and reveal to us His way of doing things. Proverbs 3:6 says, “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Maybe you sit in front of a cluttered desk today and you need direction and clarity for the next step, or you face a big task this week and you need help sorting through steps of procedure. Pause in prayer first. Ask the Lord today to unite your heart with His so that you can bring Him glory in all you do.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, teach me how to do daily life stuff with my eyes focused on You. Help me to pause today and pray for direction when the frustrations of daily life take my eyes off of Jesus. You, God are my purpose. Unite my heart with Yours today in the workplace, at home, and in my thoughts so I can bring You glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.