Preparing your heart for the Holy Spirit
Torah inside of the former Glockengasse Synagogue in Cologne (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." ( Ezra 7:10 ) It does not come naturally into our hearts to seek, obey, and then teach others the words of God as found in the Scriptures. Therefore, like Ezra, we must prepare our hearts. The Hebrew word for "prepare" means to "stand erect," and thus takes special effort. One's natural "heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" ( Jeremiah 17:9 ), not at all inclined to "stand up" for the Word of God. But Ezra did, even in the court of a pagan king and in the midst of the enemies of God's people in a far country, and even among the backslidden people of his own nation. He prepared his heart, fixing it in firm faith on the laws and promises of God. And because he did, he could te