“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. . . . Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.”
Psalm 139:1–2, 23–24 (The Message)
I truly believe this is one of the greatest prayers found in the Word of God and one of the most important prayers we can pray if we desire to be well in our souls. This is King David, asking the Lord to search Him and know Him intimately—voluntarily! I love that he was cognizant of the fact that he was already “an open book” before the Lord, but he took it a step even further and willingly offered himself up to God for further investigation. What wisdom!
David didn’t just give God permission to explore his hidden thought life; David beckoned God to test his reasoning, observe his emotions, and examine his heart matter further. King David was a man who understood what you and I must understand in order to become well and stay well within our souls: while our spirits are “born again,” our souls, however, require constant scrutiny and attention. Our souls are comprised of our minds, our emotions, and our will—or, rather, our thinker, our feeler, and our chooser—and we are in charge of keeping them in check, keeping them aligned with the will and Word of God, and keeping them in a constant state of renewal.
So how do we do that? How do we ensure that we experience true wellness in our souls? Let’s look at four basic steps to daily renewal and wellness for our souls. These steps literally changed my daily walk with God and improved virtually every aspect of my life. And they can do the same for you.
1) Surrender It. First, surrender to the fact that nothing is hidden from God, so we may as well give Him full access—voluntarily. Pray the same prayer that David prayed to the Lord, giving Him permission, asking Him, to examine every facet of your soul.
2) See It. As God reveals these hidden truths, see what He wants you to see—don’t look away! What are those secret agendas and unresolved issues in your life that need to change? How’s your thought life? Are there behaviors that need changing? If so, look deeper than your mere outward behavior—examine your thoughts and belief systems. All behavior is rooted in belief, so discover what faulty belief systems are causing faulty behaviors. How’s your emotional life? Are you an emotional basket case, living your life from feeling to feeling? It’s time to deal with it. Remember, we cannot change what we refuse to confront!
3) Say It. James 5:16 tells us that confession brings healing—so tell Him. God is not mad at you! Repent of your failures, realizing that true repentance means that we not only admit it, but that we choose to change our ways. Ask for God’s forgiveness and then accept it—freely! Choose to forgive yourself . . . and then others. God will help you do this.
4) Own It. Or in other words, take ownership. Stop blaming others, and do your part! Our God-given free will allows us the ability to choose our actions, our thoughts, our belief systems, our imaginations—we choose them all! God left us His Word as a tool for renewing our minds and transforming our lives, but it is again our choice whether we read it, believe it, obey it, and apply it. Get grounded in the Word, choose your friends wisely, become intentional and deliberate about the thoughts you think and the external influences you allow in your life.
By following the example of King David, you can actively maintain the wellness of your soul. Begin or end each day with the prayer of David—“O God, find out everything about me”—and follow through with these four steps. When we create this habit of soul-checking in our lives, I believe we can then truly say, “It is well with my soul!”
