An Undivided Mind

PSALM 86:11 (HSCB)
Teach me Your way, LORD, and I will live by Your truth.  Give me an undivided mind to fear Your Name.  
 (NIV)  Teach me Your way, LORD, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart; that I may fear Your Name.   
(NKJV)  Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name. 
(NLT) Teach me Your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to Your truth!  Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor You.  
(NIRV)  Lord, teach me how You want me to live.  Then I will follow Your truth.  Give me a heart that doesn't want anything more than to worship You. 
(MSG)  Train me, God, to walk straight; then I'll follow Your true path.  Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear.  

Yes, Lord! May it be so.

I so struggle with a divided mind.  Do you?  I find myself going in 50 million directions -- at least in my mind.  I jump from one thing to the next as if distraction is an art form!!! And because I have allowed myself to become more and more distracted by this life more often than not anyway, I find that I am weary.  You know that weary to the core feeling that never seems to go away?  Yep, that's me.  Grief, disappointment, disillusionment, anger, frustration, fear, anxiety, and on and on.  This is a "gift" of a divided mind.  Not much of a gift, huh?  Exactly!

Thus this reminder from Psalm 86:11!
Please, LORD, teach me Your way and give me Your strength, Jesus, to live by the TRUTH of Your Word!  Remind me of what You have for me and help me to obey. Forgive me for so easily giving in to a divided mind and so quickly forgetting to renew my mind as You command.  Thank You for Your faithfulness!! Give me a heart that is pure and does not want anything more than to worship You.  Give me a fear, a reverence for Your Name that requires me to reign in my mind and surrender it to You when I go off on tangents that are my own.  You want me to have a steadfast mind that is in perfect peace, may I allow You to lead me in such a way that this is more a norm than a rarity.  Forgive me, Lord, that in this season of life where i feel like I should "know better" I seem to be more divided than ever.  Train me to walk straight and give me the strength to do my part and follow Your path, Your will.  Give me one heart and one mind that allows me to worship You.  I do not want to give place to the enemy in my mind by receiving his "gift" of distraction (or my own fleshly desire) rather than Your strength to focus.  You and I both know, Lord, that I cannot do this alone, nor do You expect me to!  Forgive me for so often living the day to day in  my own strength rather than in the power that You have for me as Your child!  Thank You, that You never ever leave me. You never ever give up on me. You never ever stop loving me, Jesus!  May I walk in Your way today, and not fulfill the lust of my flesh.  

Father, give each person who reads this a knowing that IF they are a Christ follower (they have confessed their sin and recognized they are lost and in need of Your salvation and they have gone on to accept You, Jesus, as their own personal Lord and Savior) that they are never alone and that You are at work in them to complete what You have begun. You have good for them and a plan that is just for them.  May they know what it is to have an undivided mind and a desire to worship You moment by moment in this life.  You want them to know how very much You love them - in fact Your love is unfailing, unending! And if someone does not know You as their very own LORD and Savior may they recognize their need of  You this very day.  Thank You, LORD, that You are at work in us and through us moment by moment and that in Your faithfulness, grace, mercy and forgiveness is peace of mind and heart!  May we receive all You have for us.  Thank You, Jesus!

Would you consider praying through the entirety of Psalm 86?