A New Heart, A New Spirit
Day 3 – A New Heart, A New Spirit
Scripture: Ezekiel 36:26
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
How God Renews the Inner Life
1. Hardened Hearts Are Formed Through Survival
Most spiritual hardness is not rebellion—it is protection learned through pain. Disappointment, betrayal, unanswered prayers, and prolonged suffering teach us to guard ourselves. God does not shame hardened hearts; He heals them.
2. God Replaces What We Cannot Repair
Notice God’s promise: “I will give… I will put… I will remove.” Renewal is God-initiated. He does not ask us to soften ourselves—He performs heart surgery. The transformation is supernatural, not self-generated.
3. A Renewed Heart Restores Sensitivity to God
A new heart feels conviction without condemnation, hears God without fear, and responds without resistance. Spiritual sensitivity returns not as emotional fragility, but as spiritual strength.
4. Vulnerability Is the Gateway to Renewal
A softened heart risks trusting again. God removes defenses that once protected us but now restrict growth. What once helped us survive may now prevent us from thriving.
How We Align With Heart Renewal
Invite God to Examine You
Ask Him to reveal resistance rather than hiding it.
Release Old Defense Mechanisms
Trust God enough to feel again.
Respond Quickly to God’s Prompting
Closing Reflection
God does not restore us to who we were before pain—He renews us into who we were always meant to be.
Devotional Practice
Ask God specifically where your heart needs healing.
Guided Journaling
Where have I become guarded toward God or others?
What tenderness might God be restoring?
Prayer:
God, replace what has hardened in me with what is alive and responsive to You. Amen.
Quote:
”God heals the heart by making it new, not by forcing it open.”
