“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9
This statement was originally given to King Asa as part of a rebuke for compromising his reliance on God. I am using it out of the context it was given in 2 Chronicles 16. With this disclaimer out of the way, I believe God is speaking to me through this verse.
We often view intercession as warring against evil, working through prayer to change a situation, or pleading with God to bring about justice or mercy to the earth. As I pondered this line from Scripture, I felt drawn to view intercession as the marriage of our hearts to God’s, with our hearts resting in His and our prayers giving expression to the longings of His heart. As with any marriage, the bond of unity can be undermined by infidelity. Wounds and sin can produce shame and tempt us to close part of ourselves to God. The worries of life draw our attention away from prayer. These situations can be distractions from living in Jesus. Or we can use them as reminders that, in our weakest moments, we are fully loved by God, completely accepted in the Beloved, and turn our hearts more fully to the one who saves us.
Paul’s words to the Philippians can provide guidance to us in fixing our eyes on Jesus and growing in our love and fidelity toward Him:
“Not that I have already attained it but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB)
May each of us grow in love and fidelity for our God, and may our petitions be echoes of the desires of His heart.
Joe Halpin