King David prayed a specific prayer several times. He recorded his appeal in the book of Psalms. It was a dangerous prayer. It was a challenging prayer. It was not one to be taken lightly. 

But before we get to that prayer, I want to share another detail with you. Found only in the gospel of Mark chapter 11 is a picture of Christ at the temple. In the days prior He was honored, hailed, and revered with “Hosanna’s” as He rode the donkey into Jerusalem. Come evening, He wandered into the temple without His disciples accompanying Him. Mark records this scene in verse 11. 

“Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”

Did you catch that He went into the temple where preparations were being made for the Sabbath? Mark writes that He looked around and then left to go and be with His disciples. 

He must have seen the money changers preparing for sales. He had to hear, see, and smell the animals that were going to be sold from the temple courts. But all He did was “look around.” Further in chapter 11 Mark records the acts of Jesus on the following day, “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.”

I found myself thinking, “Wow, you had all night to settle your heart. All night to share your burden over the misuse of the temple with your Father.” But the next day He would overturn the tables. 

Back to King David’s recorded prayers. In Psalm 139 David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” In Psalm 26 he wrote, “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” And again, in Psalm 7 we read, “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.”

Those are the most dangerous, most vulnerable, and most revealing prayers. In short, David was requesting God to show him himself, his own heart. Yikes! Have you ever prayed that prayer? It is a good one, but you better be prepared for truth to follow from your Father if you’re serious. 

After reading about Jesus, alone and looking around in the temple, I asked God what I was to gain from those verses. This is exactly what I heard: “Ask Me to look around your temple.” In other words, search me God, look around my heart and reveal to me my true self, my offensive ways, any lack of integrity, and any failure of righteousness. 

Do we stay so busy that we avoid asking God to show us our heart? He wants to. He’ll be gentle; He’ll be loving, but He’ll be truthful.