I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees. Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders. Psalm 119:26, 27

When we become a part of God, he begins to show us his principles and we can look back and see how God has always had his hand upon our lives. We can look back at situations and realize what we learned from them and what God showed us in them. I believe we can only truly recount our ways once our heart has been made ready to receive the gift of wisdom from God. Many of us have heard the teachings of the bible and often were guilty of saying 'Yea, yea I hear you' but were unable to truly understand the message until our hearts were ready to be touched. When we finally see where we are compared to where we were the message is no longer simply some wise words, the message of God's power and wisdom comes to life in us and that is when we truly hear.

Our faith is only truly planted when we relinquish our cynical view and open our hearts to truly hear and be answered. I believe as you grow stronger God answers many of the questions we struggled with while trying to find him and it is only when we truly have sought him out do we receive what we've been looking for. You must seek God out with your heart and hunger to truly know him instead of selfishly seeking him out simply for an answer so our brain will accept and understand it. If you continue to look only for an answer to satisfy the brain you will never receive the message that God intends for your heart and you will never be truly satisfied.

In these verses, the psalmist has reached the point I believe that we all do - where we see him teaching us and we see where God has brought us from. When we see where we've come from and appreciate the wisdom God has shown us then our hunger begins and with great hunger comes great fulfillment from our Father.

The second part of the verse is the next step in growing: it's the asking for even more. Ask the Lord to prepare your heart to receive and to quiet your human weakness in order to receive and perceive the wonders of what God has for us. Don't settle for simply understanding your past, seek out guidance and more answers with your heart to be able to meditate on God's wonders and appreciate the love in your life. Pray each time you are about to seek God that he prepare you to understand his precepts.

Precepts as defined by Merriam-Webster is "a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action." We should want to seek out God's precepts because according to its definition, it means the principles of God that will help us to act in accordance with his will, in accordance with what he has INTENDED for us. Ask God to prepare your heart to receive and to truly hear his message for you. Overcome the part of you that says 'Yea, yea' and truly prepare to delight in the wonder God will show you when you earnestly seek him!

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Dear Lord,
    Forgive us for our ignorance of your power before we came to know you. Prepare our hearts to perceive what you have for us. Help us to earnestly seek your wisdom and instill a hunger inside of us for more of you. Plant our faith in you and help us to finally know what it means to be close to you. Touch our lives with your hand and help us to learn from our pasts so that we may delight in the future you have for us. You have saved us from our pasts and have an intended future for us, and we praise you for that. When we didn't deserve a future, you gave us one and it is only by your grace that we should receive and so we pray daily that your grace multiplies in our lives and that we will be able to delight in the wonder of you. Amen.