Tending Your Heart

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.” - Proverbs 4:23

As the wonderful book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero points out, our

emotional and spiritual health are intricately linked. We can only go as deep in our spiritual

journey as we are able to go emotionally. The exercise of tending your heart is a wonderful way

of daily tuning into our emotional experience and surrendering it in conversation with the Lord.

Tending Your Heart:

Pause- If you are lacking peace or experiencing a negative emotion, take a moment to pause

and ask God, “What is this really about?”

Recognize- Listen for God to speak about what is going on in your heart. Ask God, “What lie am

I believing about you, myself, others, or my circumstances?

Renounce/Repent- Turn away from any lie, sin, or unforgiveness. Renounce the lie, repent, and

receive forgiveness.

Receive- Ask God what truth He wants to speak and give you to fill your heart.

Rejoice- Thank God for what He has spoken and given to you. Declare the truth. Find a

Scripture you can hold onto highlighting this truth.

Note on Forgiveness- If you realize that you need to forgive someone, take the time to ask who

you need to forgive and what lie this person intentionally or unintentionally caused you to

believe. Then follow the same steps by releasing the lie and forgiving them for causing you to

believe this lie. Verbalize forgiveness to the other person as necessary and when safe.