DIGGING DEEP

When God awakened a love of gardening in my heart a few years ago, a friend gave me the Willow Tree "Angel of the Garden." Nearly a year ago, as a "stone of remembrance," I picked up the little white rock at her feet and wrote upon it, "NO OTHER GODS." In my quiet time this morning the Lord used these two items to speak truth to my heart.

Here's what He showed me: I have once again allowed false gods in my life. Compromise with the "little foxes of sin" is spoiling the "fruit" He wants to bear in and through my life. The Spirit of God wants me to dig deep to uproot my idols. He is asking me to take the axe to the root and smash the idols that compete with His glory in my life.

He has spoken powerfully to me today as I have prayed through a familiar page in my Prayer Portions notebook (by Sylvia Gunter). I list it here (even though it is long), praying that He may use it to speak to you as well. You may want to print the "bulleted" section to use in your quiet time so you can pray through the list item by item. As you read through the list, look up the scripture references as God points them out to you. Pause and ask Him to show you specific situations that apply to your life. I pray that God will use this to reveal Himself to you in a holy sweet spirit of repentance like He did me.

• Father, forgive me for a haughty spirit, pride (Proverbs 16:18) and renew in me a humble and contrite spirit (Psalm 51:17).
• Forgive me for unfaithfulness, inconsistency (Psalm 78:37) and renew in me a steadfast spirit (Psalm 51:10).
• Forgive my stubbornness, rebellion (Deut. 2:30) and renew in me a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12).
• Forgive my self-centeredness, selfishness (Philippians 2:21) and renew in me a servant spirit (Mark 10:44-45).
• Father, forgive me for unforgiveness, bitterness (1 Sam. 30:6, Heb. 12:15) and renew in me a spirit of forgiveness (Eph. 4:32).
• Forgive me for causing strife, division (Gal. 5:15,20) and renew in me a quiet and gentle spirit (1 Peter 3:4).
• Forgive me to tolerating sin (1 John 1:8, Heb. 3:13) and renew in me a spirit of repentance (Acts 26:20b, Romans 6:12).
• Father, forgive me for impurity in thought, word or deed (Eph. 5:8-12) and renew in me a spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4, Heb. 12:29).
• Forgive my murmuring, complaint, ingratitude (1 Cor. 10:10-11) and renew in me a grateful spirit (Eph. 5:20).
• Forgive my turmoil, cross purposes, arguing (Luke 22:24, James 3:16, 1 Cor. 3:3) and renew in me a spirit of unity (Phil. 2:1-8, Rom. 15:5-7).
• Father, forgive my hard heart (Heb. 3:15) and renew in me a spirit of weeping (Psalm 126:5-6).
• Forgive my cold heart (Rev. 2:4) and renew in me a joyful spirit in the Lord (Psalm 33:1).
• Forgive my lukewarmness (Rev. 3:15-17) and renew my first love, spirit of revival (Rev. 3:18-20, 2:4-5).
• Forgive my angry spirit (James 1:19-20) and renew in me a spirit of love (2 Tim. 1:7, 1 Cor. 13:3-8).
• Forgive me for having a love for things of this world (1 Cor. 2:12) and renew in me a spirit of delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4, 40:8; Romans 7:22).
• Forgive my spiritual adultery, friendship with the world (Hosea 4:12, 5:4) and renew in me a longing spirit for You, O God (Isa. 26:9).
• Father, forgive me for asserting my rights, going my own way (Isa 53:6) and renew in me a yielded spirit (Philippians 2:5-8).
• Forgive me for being head-strong, unteachable, argumentative, defensive (Isa. 29:24) and renew in me a teachable spirit - Prov. 9:9, Psalm 25:4-5.
• Father, forgive me for rejection, judging, critical spirit - Luke 9:55-56 and renew in me a spirit of acceptance (Eph. 1:4, 4:32).
• Forgive me for robbing, coveting, stealing (Mal. 3:10, Luke 12:15, Ex. 20:15) and renew in me a giving spirit (Luke 6:38).
• Father, forgive me for lying, deception, exaggeration, falsehood (1 Kings 22:21, Acts 5:3,9) and renew in me a spirit of truth (1 John 4:6).
• Forgive me for laziness, lack of discipline in studying the word of God (Acts 17:11, 2 Tim. 2:15) and renew in me a diligent spirit (2 Tim. 1:7).
• Forgive my harsh words, sharp tongue (James 3:2-8) and renew in me a spirit of edification (Eph. 4:29).
• Father, forgive my burnout, spiritual dryness, emptiness, works of flesh (Psalm 63:1, Jeremiah 2:13) and fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18, John 7:37-38, Isaiah 40:31).
• Forgive my joyless service, duty, drudgery (2 Chron. 25:2) and grant me a whole-hearted spirit (Num. 14:24, Rom. 1:9).
• Forgive my fear of man (Gal. 1:10) and renew in me a spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:2).
• Forgive my fretfulness, anxiety and worry (Matt. 6:25-34) and renew in me a spirit of rest in the Lord (Psalm 37:7).
• Forgive my fear (1 John 3:18) and renew in me a spirit of love (2 Tim. 1:7, 1 John 4:18).
• Father, forgive my divided heart, double-mindedness (2 Kings 17:33, James 1:8, 4:8) and renew in me an undivided heart and new spirit (Ezek. 36:26, Psalm 86:11).
• Forgive my depression, despair, fainting (Psalm 77:3, 142:3) and renew in me a spirit of praise (Isa. 61:3).
• Forgive my immaturity, instability (James 1:3-6, Eph. 4:13-14) and enable me to be strong in spirit (Eph. 3:16).
• Father, forgive me for idolizing the work of man's hands (Isa. 2:8) and renew in me a worshipping spirit toward God (John 4:24).
• Forgive my unbelief, doubt (Psalm 37:7-8, Heb. 3:7-8) and renew in me a spirit of faith, rest in God (Heb. 11:6, 12:2; Psalm 37:7).
• Forgive my error, wrong thinking (1 Tim. 4:1, 1 John 4:6) and renew in me a spirit of wisdom (Deut. 34:9, James 1:5-6).