How to Know if You Have the Sincere Heart God Wants for You

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Because of Jesus sacrificial love you and I can:

• Boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place. (Hebrews 10:19)
• Go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts. (Hebrews 10:22)

Prior to Jesus’ suffering and death, the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, was kept separate by a heavy curtain. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the space once a year on the Day of Atonement when he offered the sacrifice for the nation’s sins. And the punishment for approaching God incorrectly meant death.

Why?

Because God is Holy and we are sinful.

But Jesus changed forever how people can approach God! Thanks to Him, you and I can now approach God any time we want!

Since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

Hebrews 10:21–23

What is a sincere heart?

A sincere heart is humble, repentant, and grateful. A sincere heart approaches God without secrets or pretense. A sincere heart is honest and full of faith.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I know I fall short having a perfectly sincere heart before God. I don’t deserve to be able to enter His presence at all.

And that’s why I need Jesus!

Paul wrote to Titus:

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 

Titus 3:5–6

Because of God’s love and by His grace alone, we can be forgiven and given the hearts He wants us to have. We can come to Him in prayer through faith with sincere hearts.

A Prayer to Have the Sincere Heart God Wants for Me

Lord God, You are the Creator of all things. You made the universe and all that is a part of it. You made the earth, the sky, the sea, the sun, moon, and stars, and every creature that lives. You made me.

I thank you for giving us freedom. You created people to love and obey You because they want to love and obey You. But we choose poorly. In our human nature, we choose to be selfish and prideful. We are sinful and You are holy. And our sinfulness should have kept us from You.

Yet, You came to us. Because of Your tremendous grace, mercy, and love, Jesus suffered our punishment to make it possible for our failures to be covered with His perfection. He made it possible for us to be washed clean and forgiven. And it is when we are covered in His righteousness that we can approach You.

I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me and give me a sincere heart that is humble and grateful. Please enlarge my faith and fill me with Your truth. I love You and I offer my heart to You. Every moment of my life is a gift from You. Every blessing I enjoy comes from Your loving hand.

I come into Your presence in the name of Jesus, the One who washes me clean so that I might have a sincere heart and approach You in prayer again and again and again. Amen.

I’m challenging myself to take some time today to think about condition of my heart and I invite you to join me.

I’m asking…

Do I feel like I can approach the Father because I’m a “good” church member?
Do I approach Him thinking that although I’m not perfect, I’m not THAT bad and I’m definitely better than __________? Do I approach Him believing that I deserve His attention and answers because I’ve tirelessly done good works?

Or do I approach Him with a humble, repentant, grateful, and faithful heart?
Do I come to Him honestly admitting that I need His grace, mercy, and love?
Do I come to Him in the name of Jesus?

You can probably think of a few more things to ask but those will get us started.

We are so very blessed! God promises to hear His children’s prayers:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6–7

On today’s note write:

With God’s help I will never stop praying with a sincere heart.

May God bless you today as you turn to Him with gratitude in repentance, faith, and humility.

Click here to read the rest of Hebrews 10.

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