40 Days of Prayer, Day 1
Day 1, Sunday, August 21
“For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17
The Heart
We live in a world of amazing medical advances. More than any generation before us, we understand the essential function of the muscle that resides in the center of our chests. We know with a great degree of detail the intricate operations of the human heart. The heart functions as the primary organ for the support of the rest of the body. When the heart stops, we die. Because of the essential nature of the heart to the health of each one of us, specialists in the medical profession spend their entire careers focused on the health of the heart. In the spiritual realm, the “heart” also functions as the primary support to the rest of our spiritual life. As an example, in this very verse, the psalmist uses “spirit” and “heart” interchangeably, “a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart…” Even in the world of modern science, we still speak of “a broken heart.” We speak of having “our hearts moved” or “our hearts full.” Just as the heart functions as the core of the person’s physical health, we speak of the core of a person’s spiritual health in terms of the “heart.” A heart surgeon understands exactly what his daughter means when she tells him that she has a “broken heart.” However, that surgeon also knows that none of the medical treatment he uses on a daily basis can eliminate that particular heartache. In the physical realm, a person could appear fairly healthy on the outside, but their heart may possess an underlying structural problem. So too, in the spiritual realm, a person may appear fairly healthy on the outside, but at the core of their spiritual being, not visible to those around them, there may be an underlying spiritual problem.
As we take a few days to contemplate the confession of David in Psalm 51, we begin with a heart examination. No EKG needed for this. Instead, we begin these forty days of prayer with some spiritual health questions. Right now, what does your heart love more than anything else in the world? On a daily basis, what cravings in the emotional, relational and spiritual realm mark your thoughts? What bitter thoughts reside deeply in your mind? Is there some hidden aspect of your daily life that you want no one else to know about? Do people around you perceive your spiritual life to be substantially better than it really is? When we discuss the contrite heart, it is best to begin with an honest assessment of our heart’s condition. When we go to a heart specialist, we need an honest evaluation of the physical health of our heart. Though we don’t want any problems with our heart, if there is a problem, we know that to begin the path to heart health we must begin with a legitimate, authentic assessment of our heart’s health. So also with our spiritual health, we begin with an assessment of our heart.
Prayer Focus
O, God, I confess to you that much of my daily struggles I hide from those around me. But Lord, I cannot hide these struggles from you. You know me. I humble myself before You. Reveal to me the true condition of my heart. Amen.
From Bunyan’s The Acceptable Sacrifice
We have two things that present themselves to our consideration. First, that a broken spirit is a sacrifice to God. Second, that a broken spirit is to God, as that which goes beyond, all sacrifices. 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.' The demonstration of this is plain: for that heart God will not despise it.' A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.' Therefore I draw this conclusion: That a spirit rightly broken, a heart truly contrite, is to God an excellent thing. That is, a thing that goes beyond all external duties whatever; for that is intended by this saying, The sacrifices, because it answers to all sacrifices which we can offer to God; yes for it serves in the room of all: all our sacrifices without this are nothing.