{"id":25839,"date":"2020-09-09T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=25839"},"modified":"2025-05-21T09:24:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T13:24:42","slug":"the-need-for-heart-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/the-need-for-heart-preparation.htm","title":{"rendered":"The Need for Heart Preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nIn the Old Testament we read about the prophet Samuel’s quest to anoint a new king for Israel. Samuel leaned toward one of Jesse’s sons who looked the part. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” (1 Sam. 16:7)<\/span><\/p>\n

Because God prioritizes the heart, we should guard our hearts (Prov. 4:23), preparing our hearts<\/a> so we are fit for ministry. Before considering how we do that, we should learn more about our need for heart preparation.<\/p>\n

Lessons from the Bible Showing the Need for Heart Preparation<\/h2>\n

Page through the Old Testament and you’ll clearly see the hazards of not preparing your heart and the value of heart preparation. Here are a few example:<\/p>\n

The Israelites of old provide an example of what happens when people’s hearts are not prepared. Though God made a covenant with them, protected and provided for them in miraculous ways, the people forgot God and persistently failed to follow Him. Then, instead of experiencing God’s blessing, they received His discipline. Psalm 78:8 gives the reason for their unfaithfulness. — “A stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart<\/strong><\/em> …” (NASB)<\/p>\n

God chose David as their king who “shepherded them with integrity of heart” (Ps. 78:70-72) because of his heart, not because of his stature or other outward signs of accomplishment (1 Sam. 16:7). — “God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart<\/strong>; he will do everything I want him to do.'” (Acts 13:22). — David wasn’t perfect but with a heart so bent toward God, it didn’t take long for him to repent of his sin, get right with God, and be back on track.<\/p>\n

Rehoboam gives us an example of an individual leader, a king, who started out well but after just a few years, lost His way (2 Chron. 11:17). 2 Chronicles 12:14 provides the reason. — “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart<\/strong><\/em> to seek the LORD.” (KJV) — Rehoboam did humble himself before the Lord and was spared some of the severity of God’s judgment but still faced negative consequences (2 Chron. 12:5-8).<\/p>\n

In both of the more negative examples, the same Hebrew word, kuwn<\/em>, is used about not preparing their hearts to follow, or seek the Lord. If, in our hearts, we are not firmly established, or set on following after the Lord, we too could find ourselves turning away from God and His ways. We must value heart preparation, not just “going to church” or doing ministry. We must focus on what’s inside, not just learning new skills. If we don’t, we could find ourselves in the same predicament.<\/p>\n

How to Prepare Our Hearts<\/h2>\n

We prepare our hearts is by making regular and consistent interaction with God in His Word a priority. Learn from the above examples:<\/p>\n

The safeguard for the Israelites not becoming “like their ancestors” (Ps. 78:8) would be that they make learning about Him and His ways a priority for both themselves and the generations to come (Ps. 78:1-7).<\/p>\n

What led to Rehoboam’s heart failure was that “After Rehoboam\u2019s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD.” (2 Chron. 12:1).<\/p>\n

If we don’t make God’s Word a priority in our lives, we can’t expect our hearts will be prepared, or set, on following Him. — “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:25)<\/p>\n

We prepare our hearts through regular and consistent interaction with God in prayer.<\/p>\n

Read through the Psalms and you will find King David constantly turning to God in prayer. He would also exhort the people, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Ps. 62:8). He asked God, “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.” (Ps. 139:23-24). He knew that what was on the inside of him mattered. He valued heart preparation.<\/p>\n

Let’s not become so busy “doing” ministry that we lack time and energy to spend with God in His Word and in prayer. We need to make this kind of heart preparation a priority!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Old Testament we read about the prophet Samuel\u2019s quest to anoint a new king for Israel. Samuel leaned toward one of Jesse\u2019s sons who looked the part. \u201cBut the LORD said to Samuel, \u2018Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’\u201d (1 Sam. 16:7)<\/p>\n

Because God prioritizes the heart, we should guard our hearts (Prov. 4:23), preparing our hearts so we are fit for ministry. Before considering how we do that, we should learn more about our need for heart preparation.<\/p>\n

Lessons from the Bible Showing the Need for Heart Preparation . . . Continue reading The Need for Heart Preparation<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-misc-walk-with-god"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t