February 22: Purify My Heart Lord

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by: Hilreth Morgan




Key Text:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

When reflecting on this theme, the song Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord comes to mind. Before God purifies the heart, He must first open it. An opened heart becomes a surrendered heart . A heart that God can cleanse, restore, and fill with His presence.

The real sorrow for sin is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit brings us “in contrition to the foot of the cross” (DA, p. 300). When God opens our eyes, we begin to see not only our sin, but the love of Christ, and that changes us.

God is not seeking outward perfection. He is seeking sincerity. A contrite heart is more than feeling sorry, it is recognizing our need for God and turning fully toward Him. When we see Christ clearly, sin loses its attraction, because we recognize what it cost our Saviour (DA, p. 300).

True purification begins when pride is broken and self is surrendered.
This connects with another powerful truth: we must be emptied of self before Christ can fully live in us. When self is renounced, the Lord can make man a new creature (DA, p. 280). God cannot fill what we refuse to release. But when self is surrendered, His love fills the heart with new life.

God dwells “with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). God chooses to live with the humble. Purity is not something we create; it is something God produces when we allow Him to work within us. Purification is not just removing sin, it is making room for Christ to live fully within us.

Christ dwelling in the soul becomes a wellspring of joy, and that without Him there is spiritual sadness and emptiness (COL, p. 162). The absence of Christ brings gloom, but His presence brings life, peace, and joy.

Isaiah 61:1–3 shows what happens after purification. God binds broken hearts, gives beauty for ashes, and replaces heaviness with praise. When God purifies us, He does not just remove sin He restores joy, purpose, and identity.

Think about precious metals like gold and silver. They look perfect and beautiful when finished. But before they shine, they must be removed from the earth (Unlocked), crushed, heated (Emptied), and refined (Purified). Impurities must be burned away.

In the same way, God sometimes allows experiences to reveal what is hidden in our hearts, not to destroy us, but to refine us.

As we look upon Christ, we begin to mourn the sins that caused His suffering and this mourning leads us to turn away from sin (DA, p. 300). The fire of refinement is not punishment; it is preparation.

When God purifies our hearts, our prayers become sincere. Psalm 145:18 tells us the Lord is near to those who call on Him in truth. If we all call upon God in truth, our lives will reflect the promise of Deuteronomy 4:7 that God is near to His people whenever they call on Him. His nearness will be seen in our character, our peace, and our testimony.

A purified heart becomes evidence that God is real, present, and working. There is joy instead of sadness, life instead of emptiness, and strength instead of weakness (COL, p. 162).

Prayer

Father, 

Open the eyes of my heart so I may see myself truthfully and see Christ more clearly. Break pride within me and give me a contrite, surrendered spirit. Purify my heart, remove what does not reflect You, and fill me with Your presence. Let Your nearness bring joy instead of heaviness, and may my life show that You are real and working in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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