Prayer For Self-Discovery

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Most people who come to me for counseling are attempting to discover what is wrong in their lives and have hopes of resolving the problems. The following is a simple prayer that David recorded for self-discovery.

KJV = "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24).

I. LITERAL TRANSLATION:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my disquieting thoughts: And see if there be any way of pain in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24).

II. EXPLANATION:

A. Many people do a lot of self searching, but often don't discovery the root to their problems.
1. We sometimes deceive ourselves.
2. We sometimes bury the issues.
3. We sometimes allow the enemy to deceive us.
4. We sometimes are not consciously aware of the consequences of our thoughts and actions.
B. Therefore, rather than taking out our pick and shovel and doing a lot of digging or reading every psychology book on the shelf to discovery the root to our problems, we should ASK God to search down deep inside of us.
"I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:10).
C. We should invite God to KNOW what is in our heart. There is no need to be afraid. He sees and knows everything anyway.
"Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart" (Psalms 44:21).
"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever" (I Chronicles 28:9).
D. We should invite God to try (examine) us as a doctor because He is the Great Physician.
"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
E. We should ask Him to KNOW the disquieting thoughts. "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee" (Job 42:2).
1. These are the thoughts that keep us from resting.
2. These are the inner conflicts in our thoughts and conscience.
3. These are the thoughts that keep us awake at night.
4. These are the thoughts of anger, resentment, bitterness, hatred, or just wishing someone was not in or lives.
5. These are the thoughts that cause us to worry, be anxious, feel guilty, or to fear.
6. These are the thoughts where there is unforgiveness which we have toward others or toward our selves.
7. These are the dark blots in our conscience where we have offended God or others and have not sought to make it right.
8. These are the thoughts which conflict with the Word of God. (some examples below).
a. "A Believer is just human and can't keep from sinning."
b. "If you don't live up to God's standards of the Law, God will send you to hell."
c. "God just winks at the sins of the Believer."
d. "The Christian life is hard."
e. "If you would live a more righteous life, God would love you more."

F. We should ask God to show us where the mental and emotional pain is which is often buried deep inside of us.
a. We are not always conscious of these wounds.
b. We may have "forgotten" about some.
c. We may have mentally blocked some out.
G. Then we should ask God to bring us to a place of freedom and healing that is going to last.

III. It is important to record EACH of the issues that God brings to our mind. (Often people would prefer to ignore, forget, or bury them.)

* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Occasion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your thoughts, words, actions,
attitudes, or motives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

IV. After you record your experiences that God brings to your mind, you should pray about what God would have you do to clear your conscience, find freedom and healing.

*** Remember that acknowledgment must come first, then forgiveness. Forgiveness opens the door to freedom, but is not always equal to freedom. Freedom is important, but is not healing.

V. If you find this exercise difficult, it is probably a good indication that you need spiritual counseling.

1. If you are having difficulty discovering the root issues, it is a good indication of a need for intensive counseling.
2. If you have come to discover some unwanted issues but are unable to resolve them, it is probably a good indication that you need some intensive spiritual counseling. For information about getting counseling, see: Appointments or Contacts.