“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
— Psalm 139:23–24

In this psalm David was praying for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That may seem like a strange thing to pray for, but hear me: the conviction of the Holy Spirit is a gift.

David asked God to search his heart and show him if there was any wrong way in him and then cleanse him of anything that wasn’t of God. Conviction is a gift because when we open our hearts to let the Holy Spirit tell us the truth about ourselves and then choose to agree with what He says, He cleanses and transforms us.

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). So when the Holy Spirit shows us something about our heart or our thinking that is wrong, and we say, “Yes, Father God, save me, forgive me, wash me, cleanse me,” that conviction becomes the agent of the Holy Spirit to supernaturally wash us of that thing so we can be free from it.

I love the discipline of the Father. I am so thankful that He corrects us. I want to encourage you not to be afraid of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Be like David, who asked God to show him if there was anything wrong in the way he was thinking or feeling or the motives of his heart. Be an open book to God so He can cleanse you and bring you into deep fellowship with Himself.

Beloved, Jesus loves you. Submit to His process of sanctification.

Thank You, Father God, for the gift of conviction. I pray like David that You will search my heart, O God, “and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” Cleanse me of anything that displeases You.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.