For Week 1 of the “Pure Heart” follow-up, we are going to focus on 3 elements of Session 1 - Purpose, Purge, and Pursue.
Purpose -
Do you remember the deepest purpose for purity - and for living? To “glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” right? We will never know true fulfillment unless we are fulfilling the purpose for which we were created! Yet, you cannot truly glorify God or enjoy Him unless you know Him!
It is so important that we are sure that we have first come to Christ for salvation and initial cleansing. Then, it is critical that we pursue a true relationship with the Lord - and that He becomes REAL to YOU! The more this happens, the more you will want to have a pure heart so that you can see Him clearly!
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8
When our heart is truly after the Lord and purity, we will desire not to see how close, but how far away, from sin we can get!
Purge -
It is so important you seek the Lord to reveal the sins, hindrances, distractions, and idols that are blocking the way of your relationship with Him - and then accept His grace to deal with them. See the seriousness of them - that they are hindering your relationship with JESUS - and don’t tolerate them!
- Sin (Disobeying God)
- Hindrance (Things that are holding you back from Christ and all that He has for you)
- Distractions (Things that are taking your attention from Christ.)
- Idols (anything that is taking the Lord’s rightful place in your heart)
Like you helped me list, these things can be:
- friends - hobbies - cell phone - internet/Facebook - clothes - money - guys - books - activities - use of time - movies - good things (like ministry) taking priority over the Lord
Receive the Lord’s grace to remove them - and then replace them with pure things that will encourage you in Him!
2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Pursue -
Remember that relationships take investment and pursuing! Every effort that you put into seeking the Lord will be rewarded - and is SO worth it!
Here is a review of some ways to deepen your relationship with the Lord:
- Make Him #1 priority - “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
- Devotions - For a special article on having devotions that change your life, you can visit the LTLM website under the “Encouragement” section.
- Reading His Word - This is where He speaks to you, shows you Who He is, how to live for Him, etc.
- Talking with Him (Prayer) - Remember to treat it like a conversation - 2 way vs. just talking TO God.
- Learning about Him - receiving teaching, reading books, listening to talks, etc.
- Journal - record what the Lord is doing in your heart, write prayers to Him, etc.
Ask yourself - “What are things that help increase love for Jesus?”
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Seeking the Lord and purity through purpose, purging, and pursuit will bring powerful results in your heart, walk with Him, and life!
Remember, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8
Application:
- Purpose - Ask yourself, what is my motivation for purity? Ask the Lord for a deeper desire for a pure heart, so that you can see, know, and walk with Him like you were created to!
- Purge - Go before the Lord and ask Him to reveal the sins, hindrances, distractions, and idols that are blocking the way of your relationship with Him. Pray through them with Him, ask His forgiveness, yield them to Him, and ask for His grace to fill those areas with Himself!
- Pursue - Find one thing that you will focus on each day for the next week to help you grow in your relationship with the Lord. (Devotions, Scripture memory, Bible study, prayer, journal, etc.)
Memory Verse: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8
We would love to have you write and share testimonies of what the Lord is doing in your heart as you seek Him!
May the Lord bless you so richly as you allow your relationship with Him to be your motivation for life - and purity!
