A Clean Heart and a Steadfast Spirit... Every Day (Psalm 51:10)

Today's scripture: Psalm 51:10

As I meditated on today’s scripture, it struck me that I should pray this verse every day.

“Create in me a clean heart.”

This is a confession of sin. It’s a request for the Lord to thoroughly wash away the junk and reveal the righteousness that is ours through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

I need to pray every day for a renewed cleansing because, every day, I mess up. A prideful thought may enter my mind. An angry outburst at another driver may be uttered. A feeling of discontent may rest on my heart.

So every day, I need to ask God to “create in me a clean heart. And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

I looked up “steadfast,” and it’s defined as “firmly fixed in place; not subject to change” and a “firm belief, determination or adherence.” That’s what my faith needs to be: firmly fixed in place. I cannot waver. If I believe what I say I do, I must do so with a strength of conviction that nothing can sway.

This doesn’t mean I don’t question how God works. Or that sometimes I may still doubt. Or that I may not completely understand why things happen the way they do.

But through the questioning, the doubt, the lack of understanding, my faith remains strong. It will not change.

I pray for many things every day. My husband. My family. My friends. God’s will for my life. And now I want to pray for a steadfastness of spirit, for a firmly-fixed faith, and a clean heart ... every day.

These are requests I know God will answer “yes.”