These are a few verses I have been praying over myself in the last month on almost a daily basis.
Well, the Lord is faithful. As I have prayed, He has allowed me to see some of the wicked ways in me. We all have them. The parts we hide so others cannot see it, or even worse are the parts that others can see, but we are blind to them. We don’t even know they exist.
It is good to remember when God shows us the ugly, wicked parts which are inside each one of us that He does it, because He loves us. Proverbs 3:12 (NIV) says, “because the Lord disciplines the son he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
These things are easy to see with my own children. “Hey, Thing #3, you missed this whole corner when you swept.” “Hey, Thing #1, if you would have included a table of contents, it would have probably increased your score you received on your English paper.” “Hey, Thing #2, could you not put the fork tines down in the dishwasher. They don’t get as clean that way.”
I am fallible and correct things in my kids which really are not huge, life, salvation issues like missing a spot sweeping or putting the tines down in the dishwasher. I do it though to teach them to keep their word, to do their best job, to have good character, and to go above and beyond in everything they do. I want the best for them.
It is with this same love and compassion that an infallible God comes and reveals wicked ways in me. It is a process to make me a better Christian, wife, mother, and friend. I don’t like it. It is not easy to see some things He is showing me, but I know two things. He correct those He loves, and He has been faithful to answer my prayer.
So, pray these verses for yourself, but don’t be surprised when God shows you your own wicked ways. There might be some tears, but just know God loves those He corrects. And just think, He might be refining you to be able to serve Him better, and that is a good thing!