This is a six-day devotional composed of prayers and messages about heart posture. As Christians, we should always be aware of the state of our hearts. I hope this devotion equips you with some tools to recognize and practically take steps to maintain or improve your heart posture. 

Everybody needs a heart check, right? As a Christian, what does that mean? It is the reflection on one's values and life lived and its alignment with the will of God. This reflection is essential for "Heart Maintenance." 

Many of us go through life simply doing just that: going through life. It is impossible to honestly know the state we're currently in when we don't spend time with God daily. The hard truth is that many of us end up just wearing the name of a Christian but fail to bear that image in our heart (James 1:22). The Lord says that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will indeed find him (Jeremiah 29:13). How many of us are instead seeking desires we have for others and our flesh while wondering why we haven't heard from God about our future? We need a heart check. 

When we allow the world to run rampant in our hearts by the things we do (sin) and consume (songs, TV, books, images), the resulting transgressions birth iniquities in our hearts. This is why the Lord asks us to guard our heart above all else because from it everything flows (Proverbs 4:23). 

Pause: Some of us can benefit from asking ourselves hard questions in times of godly reflection. What are some hard questions you need to ask yourself today? How honest can you be with yourself in answering them?

From Day 1, we talked about the importance of the heart check and you were asked to reflect on asking yourself some hard questions. If you were stumped, don’t worry; we have some questions for you here. 

Take some time right now to ask yourself: Why are you always doubting? Why are you always angry? Why haven't you used the gifts or pursued the visions God has placed in your heart? Did you accept an idea of you that was contrary to what God has said about you? Do you even know what God has said about you? Are you still carrying the insecurity that has plagued you since you were 15? 

All of these questions can be traced back to the heart and its condition. If we genuinely want to grow from the place we are and grow into the things that God has for us, let us seek Him earnestly and honestly. How? Through HIS word. We must be willing to give up TIME and PRIDE. Let us enter the Lord's presence. Repent (TURN) from our situations and lifestyles to seek the Lord (1 John 1:19, John 4:24). Worship Him, praise Him, love Him above all things with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Allow Him to confront all the pain, weight, and walls within us. Who is ready for a heart check?

Prayer: Lord! I am ready for a heart check. You said that If we seek you with all our hearts, we will find you. Lord, I make room for you in my life. You have free reign to enter into my heart and sit on the throne of it. Have your way in me and help me to know you better. Be my strength and confidence. Jesus, you are my number one. I know it won't be easy, but I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. I am ready, God, and through it all, I will give you all the glory and adoration. In Jesus Name Amen

Psalms 107:19-21- "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind."

So what do you do after a heart check? You've gone to Christ; you've let Him in. You reaffirmed the position He holds in your life, and you are ready to confront the things you've been keeping in. What's next? You have to allow the Holy Spirit to make a diagnosis (John 16:8). As I sit in a pathology lecture, we are talking about the meaning of pathology. A pathology is a study of course, that a particular disease takes (both physiological effects and location). 

After diagnosis, doctors administer a treatment plan to treat the pathology, but the disease can't be treated appropriately unless they make an accurate diagnosis. Your spiritual life is the same. You must seek the Lord in making a diagnosis, but if you don't maintain your walk with God, you won't be able to identify the pathology ( Proverbs 3:5-6). You will mistake your disease for symptoms and try to treat those symptoms through potentially destructive means. 

When I was in undergraduate school, I engaged in unhealthy relationships. I had been failing my courses and participating in a slew of worldly activities. Now, these were all symptoms. The pathology was my insecurity of acceptance. This pathology was developed from people not acknowledging me as "well-liked" or a "joy to be around." I always felt apart but never a priority. So instead of getting a heart check and a diagnosis, I turned to the very things that initiated my disease to receive comfort. 

See, treating a symptom may bring temporary comfort but not healing. If you want HEALING, you have to treat the condition. Interestingly enough, if you are diseased, it typically makes you more susceptible to other diseases. I was first insecure, which spread into other areas of my life and resulted in me acting and living in ways that contradicted God's will for me.

Pause: What are the symptoms you may be feeling today? How did it start and how has it spread? Have you attempted to treat it or are you allowing it to fester? Finally, do you desire comfort or healing?

Yesterday, we started discussing the pathology of the heart, and the things we battle with. These battles come up when we haven’t been as close with God as we should be in our walk. We often try to resolve symptoms instead of addressing the root cause of the illness when we fall. Similarly, we sometimes do things that relieve issues derived from our problems, but never treat the problem itself. This results in a persistent issue that continues to present itself in various forms. 

People self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, toxic relationships, laziness, excuses, and the tearing down of others. These things aren't just temporary but also destructive (Romans 12:2 & 1 Peter 5:8). When you try to give the job of healing to anything or anybody but the healer it never works out. The problems usually become more deep-rooted, issues become exacerbated, and we often become slaves to our self-medication. The only way to receive proper healing is through Christ Himself (Jeremiah 3:22).

Jesus is here to redeem. He is here to bring healing to the deep-rooted problems, even the ones that have existed since we were young. Don't buy into the lie that there are people or things that can bring you healing. This isn't to say that counseling or Godly friends don’t have their place. They can help facilitate healing and help strengthen your spiritual immune system, but the one true healer is Christ. Christ will place the right people and things in your life and heart that will help bring you healing (John 14:27). You must let him into the areas of your life where you are hurting (1 Peter 5:10 & Matthew 11:28-30). Seek God daily, and in seeking Him your healing will arrive (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer: Lord, I let you into my heart. You are my everything. I love you. May you heal the wounds of my past and my present. Heal me of my sins and iniquities. The Bible says my sins will be as far from me as the east is from the west. Lord, thank you for your faithfulness and mercy. Jesus, thank you for dying for me. From this day, I will make it a point to seek you daily and allow my healing not to be my reason for seeking you but a confirmation of your love. In Jesus' name, I pray amen!

Clothes! Such a popular and necessary commodity in today's society. We all like our own style when it comes to the clothes we wear. Many of us love to look "fresh" or "fire" when we wear certain clothes. We love when someone compliments us, saying, "OUUUUU, that outfit is lit!" Why bring up this imagery? Because many times, we use our Christianity the same way. We wear Christianity. 

As people wear certain clothes as a fashion statement, many of us wear Christianity as a superficial character statement. They like to be glorified and applauded for being a Christian. But remember that glory belongs to God and God alone. 

I, for one, can say without a shadow of a doubt that I would be nowhere had it not been for the grace of God. People sometimes want to portray an image that doesn't reflect their heart. Am I saying you have to be perfect to be a Christian? No! But being genuine in your faith is a requirement. 

To be a believer, it says that you must believe with your heart and profess with your mouth that Christ is your Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9). Everybody wants to be saved, but not everybody wants to be Lorded over. We all want to be healed, but some people aren't willing to consent to medical care. That's what it means to half-step. To accept that Christ saved you, but to reject that He reigns over your life. When Christ becomes Lord of our lives, we give Him control and spiritual surgery takes place. Circumcision of the heart occurs (Roman 2:25-29). We must allow Him in so He can expel all the things that have made us spiritually sick all these years. 

Pause: What does Jesus being Lord of my life look like? How have I been holding back from allowing Jesus to be my personal Lord? Am I trying to take glory that I should be giving to God? As I have professed with my mouth, have I truly believed in my heart that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior?

Yesterday, we started diving into Jesus not only as our Saviour, but also our Lord. In medieval times the Lord was the ruler of the land. He imposed the structure and regulations of that land. When we call Jesus Lord, we are applying that same concept to our life. 

Jesus isn't tyrannical; He lives in those who freely accept Him. He'll never force His way into your life. This is what it means that God looks at the heart. You may be able to fool people, but you can never get one over on God. He knows our hearts, even when we may not truly know it ourselves. If healing is our goal, we must accept all that comes with it. If you have truly accepted Christ, you will walk in His word and accept your position as a child of God, representing Him everywhere you go; whether lonely or disliked.

After receiving healing, maintenance is also vital. Our spiritual immune systems' core is Christ. Without Him, we are susceptible to all the things we were just cured of. We must get healing and KEEP up our immune system. Or is what the world has to offer so attractive that you would forsake your inheritance in Christ (Matthew 16:26)? Our diseases will always try to creep back into our heart. Don't allow them in. 

When you keep Jesus at the forefront, there's nothing that can come against you (Romans 8:31). Our strength shall continually be renewed (Isaiah 40:31). Our joy will overflow (Roman 15:13). We will receive a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We will be a light for the lost (Matthew 5:15-16). The Lord will boast about the goodness of His servants (Job 42:8). We will be able to go through life boldly and confidently knowing who goes before us and who stands behind: THE LORD OF ANGEL ARMIES WHOM IS ALWAYS BY OUR SIDES (Psalm 84:9-12)! 

Prayer: Lord, may You be the Lord of my life. May I submit to Your ways so that I can be a light to others. May accepting You bring an overflow of healing, joy, wisdom, and love. Forgive me for my transgression; I'm ready to live life Your way through Your word. Holy Spirit, guide my mind and convict me so that my ways may change. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen!

Conclusion

Brothers and Sisters in Christ! As we move through this week meditating on what we have learned about the heart, please remember to:

1. Set time aside for a heart check

2. Be intentional with tracing issues to the root so that they can be appropriately dealt with.

3. Allow Christ to sit on the throne of our hearts as our Ruler and not only our Savior. 

I pray that we can reflect and gain something valuable and lasting from this devotion. May we seek God honestly and walk in the path He has set for us. In Jesus' name, Amen! I love you all. Have a blessed week!