WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.100 This is a prayer for examination, exposure, and 00:00:03.100 --> 00:00:06.440 refinement. Search me, O God, and know my heart. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:10.980 Try me and know my thoughts. God, today I am 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:13.619 not asking you first to change what is happening 00:00:13.619 --> 00:00:16.559 around me. I am asking you to search what is 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:20.179 happening within me. Search my heart. Search 00:00:20.179 --> 00:00:24.039 my motives. Search my thoughts. Search my desires. 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:28.480 Search my relationships. Search my habits. Search 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:32.799 my reactions. Search my words search the places 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.159 within me that success may have hidden Comfort 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:39.340 may have covered and position may have protected 00:00:39.340 --> 00:00:45.359 God Show me me Not the person I think I am Not 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:48.719 the person others believe me to be not the person 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:52.359 I present publicly Show me the condition of my 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:55.579 heart when nobody is watching and if the fire 00:00:55.579 --> 00:00:58.780 is revealing something within me Give me the 00:00:58.780 --> 00:01:04.459 humility to see it. God, when pressure brings 00:01:04.459 --> 00:01:07.819 anger out of me, don't let me only blame the 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:11.280 person who provoked me. Show me what needs healing 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:14.840 within me. When correction makes me defensive, 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:19.180 show me what pride may still be protecting. When 00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:22.260 somebody else's success makes me uncomfortable, 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.739 show me whether jealousy has found a place in 00:01:25.739 --> 00:01:29.480 my heart. When waiting produces frustration, 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:32.879 show me where impatience is still governing me. 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:36.939 When rejection makes me question my worth, show 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:40.140 me where I have depended too heavily upon human 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:43.939 approval. When authority exposes something different 00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:47.719 in me, remind me that influence was never given 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:51.079 to feed my ego. And when temptation reveals an 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:53.719 appetite I thought I had conquered, teach me 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:57.859 not to hide it, justify it, or feed it. God, 00:01:58.219 --> 00:02:00.840 expose the seed before it becomes a harvest. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:06.420 God, refine my tongue. Your word teaches me that 00:02:06.420 --> 00:02:09.259 a small rudder can direct a great ship and a 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:12.280 small spark can set an entire forest on fire. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:16.159 So God, refine my tongue. Teach me to govern 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:20.020 my mouth. When I am angry, guard my words. When 00:02:20.020 --> 00:02:24.340 I am offended, guard my words. When I am misunderstood, 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:28.580 guard my words. When I possess information that 00:02:28.580 --> 00:02:31.719 could damage another person, give me wisdom. 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:35.860 When gossip reaches my ears, give me discipline 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:39.400 not to carry it further. When I have the opportunity 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:42.780 to humiliate someone, give me the character to 00:02:42.780 --> 00:02:46.919 refuse. When I am corrected, teach me to listen 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:51.500 before I defend myself. When I disagree, teach 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:54.500 me to disagree without becoming destructive. 00:02:54.909 --> 00:02:58.710 When silence will protect peace, teach me to 00:02:58.710 --> 00:03:02.530 remain silent. When truth must be spoken, give 00:03:02.530 --> 00:03:05.370 me the courage to speak it with wisdom, love 00:03:05.370 --> 00:03:09.969 and self -control. God, do not allow my mouth 00:03:09.969 --> 00:03:12.530 to destroy what my prayers have been asking you 00:03:12.530 --> 00:03:16.409 to build. Do not allow one uncontrolled reaction 00:03:16.409 --> 00:03:20.569 to damage years of obedience. Do not allow temporary 00:03:20.569 --> 00:03:24.460 anger to create permanent consequences. Put a 00:03:24.460 --> 00:03:28.139 guard over my mouth Teach me to govern what you 00:03:28.139 --> 00:03:31.240 have given me before you increase my influence 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:35.319 Don't let me defend what you are trying to remove 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:39.039 God when you reveal something within me Do not 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:42.539 allow pride to make excuses for it Take away 00:03:42.539 --> 00:03:46.719 the words That's just how I am Take away the 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:50.960 excuse Everybody does it Take away the defense 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:55.439 They started it Take away every justification 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:58.819 that protects something you are trying to transform. 00:03:58.979 --> 00:04:02.580 If it does not belong in the person you are preparing 00:04:02.580 --> 00:04:06.819 me to become I surrender it. If pride must leave, 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.300 let it leave. If bitterness must leave, let it 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:13.680 leave. If uncontrolled anger must leave, let 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:17.519 it leave. If jealousy must leave, let it leave. 00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:21.199 If an unhealthy appetite must die, let it die. 00:04:21.769 --> 00:04:24.529 If a dangerous relationship must lose access 00:04:24.529 --> 00:04:27.569 to my life, give me the courage to establish 00:04:27.569 --> 00:04:31.550 the boundary. If compromise has become comfortable, 00:04:32.110 --> 00:04:35.870 awaken my conscience again. If success has made 00:04:35.870 --> 00:04:39.389 me spiritually careless, bring me back to dependence 00:04:39.389 --> 00:04:43.129 upon you. If applause has become too important 00:04:43.129 --> 00:04:46.430 to me, teach me again to live for your approval. 00:04:47.310 --> 00:04:50.209 If authority has changed the way I treat people, 00:04:50.490 --> 00:04:54.399 humble me. If my private character cannot sustain 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:58.519 my public assignment, refine me before you enlarge 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:03.220 me. Holy Spirit, help me, Holy Spirit. I need 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:07.160 your help. I cannot refine myself by human strength 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:11.079 alone. Produce your fruit within me. Give me 00:05:11.079 --> 00:05:14.300 patience when I want to react. Give me gentleness 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:17.399 when I possess the power to be harsh. Give me 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:20.800 humility when pride wants to defend itself. Give 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:24.040 me wisdom when emotion wants to decide. Give 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:27.240 me discernment when compromise presents itself 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:30.500 as something harmless. And give me self -control 00:05:30.500 --> 00:05:33.699 when temporary desire attempts to compete with 00:05:33.699 --> 00:05:37.300 permanent purpose. Teach me to recognize the 00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:41.199 moment before the moment becomes a mistake. Teach 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.480 me to recognize the seed before the seed becomes 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.920 a harvest. Teach me to recognize compromise before 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:52.860 compromise becomes bondage. Teach me to recognize 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:58.199 the spark before the forest begins to burn. I 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:02.620 will not waste the exposure. God, if you reveal 00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:05.600 a crack in my foundation, I will not be angry 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:08.569 because construction has stopped. I will thank 00:06:08.569 --> 00:06:11.350 you for showing me the crack before another floor 00:06:11.350 --> 00:06:15.069 was added. If you expose weakness before expansion 00:06:15.069 --> 00:06:18.649 I will receive the warning. If you expose pride 00:06:18.649 --> 00:06:21.670 before promotion I will receive the correction. 00:06:22.129 --> 00:06:25.829 If you expose an appetite before greater access 00:06:25.829 --> 00:06:29.329 I will receive the protection. If you expose 00:06:29.329 --> 00:06:33.370 my tongue before increasing my voice I will receive 00:06:33.370 --> 00:06:36.769 the discipline. If you expose my character before 00:06:36.769 --> 00:06:40.689 increasing my authority, I will receive the refinement. 00:06:40.790 --> 00:06:44.949 Because I understand now, exposure can be mercy. 00:06:45.149 --> 00:06:48.790 You may be showing me today what you refuse to 00:06:48.790 --> 00:06:52.529 allow to destroy tomorrow. So I will not hide 00:06:52.529 --> 00:06:55.709 from what the fire reveals. I will not defend 00:06:55.709 --> 00:06:59.050 it. I will not normalize it. I will not blame 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:02.170 everybody else for it. I will bring it before 00:07:02.170 --> 00:07:06.959 you, and I will say, God, refine me. Therefore, 00:07:07.339 --> 00:07:11.139 I declare, I declare that the fire will not be 00:07:11.139 --> 00:07:14.399 wasted. I declare that pressure will not merely 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:18.360 hurt me, it will teach me. I declare that what 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:22.120 God reveals, I will have the courage to confront. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.240 I declare that what must be surrendered, I will 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:29.819 surrender. I declare that what must be healed, 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:34.459 God will heal. I declare that what must be disciplined 00:07:34.459 --> 00:07:37.740 I will bring under the authority of the Holy 00:07:37.740 --> 00:07:41.660 Spirit. I declare that my tongue will not destroy 00:07:41.660 --> 00:07:45.519 my testimony. My reactions will not control my 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:49.279 destiny. My appetites will not govern my decisions. 00:07:49.660 --> 00:07:54.199 My pride will not sabotage my purpose. My relationships 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:57.730 will not pull me away from God's direction. My 00:07:57.730 --> 00:08:01.230 private life will not become the enemy of my 00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:04.649 public assignment. I declare that my character 00:08:04.649 --> 00:08:08.149 will grow with my calling. My discipline will 00:08:08.149 --> 00:08:11.750 grow with my opportunity. My humility will grow 00:08:11.750 --> 00:08:15.470 with my influence. My wisdom will grow with my 00:08:15.470 --> 00:08:19.250 authority. And my self -control will grow with 00:08:19.250 --> 00:08:23.310 my access. I will not merely ask God for greater 00:08:23.310 --> 00:08:27.370 things. I will surrender to the preparation required 00:08:27.370 --> 00:08:31.589 to carry greater things. God, search me, know 00:08:31.589 --> 00:08:36.610 my heart, try me, reveal what is within me, and 00:08:36.610 --> 00:08:40.009 when you reveal it, give me the courage to place 00:08:40.009 --> 00:08:43.120 it on the altar. Because I would rather be corrected 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.340 before expansion than destroyed after promotion 00:08:46.340 --> 00:08:49.919 I would rather have the impurity exposed in the 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:53.399 fire then carry it into my purpose I would rather 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:58.100 allow God to refine me today then allow an undisciplined 00:08:58.100 --> 00:09:01.279 weakness to destroy tomorrow what took years 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:05.460 to build. Therefore, I declare, I will not fear 00:09:05.460 --> 00:09:08.720 the refining. I will not waste the exposure. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:12.740 I will not defend what God is trying to remove. 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:16.559 The fire is revealing. The Holy Spirit is correcting. 00:09:16.820 --> 00:09:20.279 My character is developing. My discipline is 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:23.559 strengthening. My heart is being purified. And 00:09:23.559 --> 00:09:26.980 I am becoming capable of carrying what God has 00:09:26.980 --> 00:09:30.759 entrusted to me. I am being refined for a purpose. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.779 In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. You are not 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:35.340 alone.