Since God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Pet. 3:9) and His Spirit works to “(draw) to Himself every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9), everyone has the option to be saved from “everlasting destruction” (2Thes. 1:9). The Lord seeks for every individual to do what He did with Lydia, “whose heart the Lord opened” (Acts 16:14): drawing him or her to a personal decision of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

At its most basic level, prayer is an “inner-man” issue. Long before words are uttered using physical lips, a heart attitude (thoughts) forms those words. Thus, technically speaking, before any audible voice occurs, God reads the human thoughts underlying their prayer. Recall the words that Samuel’s wrote;

“for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1Samuel 16:7).

The condition of one’s heart is just as important in the spiritual realm as it is in the physical realm. It is for this reason the Scriptures say so much about the heart and why Solomon wrote, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). The spiritual condition of one’s heart will determine how one responds to the Lord and, ultimately, it will have a huge impact on each of us for eternity.

Scripture says that God “knows” and “tries” the hearts of men. The idea here is an intimate evaluation, an examination of our hearts. Above all, He is looking for faith, for souls that will trusts in His Words.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

All three Persons of the Triune Godhead play a role in the prayer life of any man. The heart is the issue. Biblically, man’s heart consists of his self-soul (that is: his mind, emotion, and will) … under the light the light of the Holy Spirit. Together, the ‘soul’ of man and the human “spirit of a man” make up “the heart of man.” But, “the heart of man” requires the element of “The Spirit of the Lord” to bring us “the light of the Lord.” Apart from His mercy and grace in bringing us His genuine “light,” we dwell in the darkness of this world.

For the lost seeking person, “the Spirit of the Lord” has first readied their heart by the various difficult circumstances of life. Then “the Spirit of the Lord” monitors, hears, and evaluates their heart, always being available to shine His “light” upon their penitent lost soul… from outside in. This light is to show man the way of salvation by the Cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ…. by which He alone has already “reconciled” all mankind to God… now to be theirs by ‘receiving’ Him as their Savior.

Then, for this new believer, “the Spirit of the Lord” comes to indwell their human “spirit of man.” Jesus said: “… that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6b). Of the believer, Paul wrote; “he that is joined unto the Lord is (then) one spirit. (1 Cor. 6:17). Then every genuine believer has the inner light of the Lord’s Spirit to lead and guide and empower them in their daily living. The light also unveils “the word of God” to the believer that they may grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord unto the full stature of a Genuine God-indwelt believer

Notice below how God scrutinizes the heart of every person; whether it is the heart of a lost souls, an Israelite of old, or the believing Christian during this age of grace.

1 Kings 8:39: “Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)”

1 Chronicles 28:9: “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect (pure) heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.”

2 Chronicles 6:30: “Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)”

Psalm 7:9: “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth (evaluates) the hearts and reins.”

Proverbs 15:11: “Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?”

Proverbs 17:3: “The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.”

Proverbs 21:2: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”

Matthew 9:4: “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?”

Mark 2:6-8: “But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, [7] Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? [8] And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?”

Luke 5:22: “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?”

Luke 16:15: “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

Luke 24:38: “And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?”

Acts 1:24: “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,”

Acts 15:8-9: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; [9] And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

Romans 8:27: “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

1 Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

1 Thessalonians 2:4: “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

Since God is God and omniscient, He knows every intricate detail in His creation. He is aware of every thought, whether good or bad. He created the heaven and the earth, He spoke and brought out of nothing, and the Bible leaves no doubt about it, then nothing about His abilities should surprise us. If He designed and fashioned the first human heart from nothing, “heart” here is the innermost being, not the physical blood-pumping muscle—then He knows precisely how it operates. He knows exactly where those thoughts/ attitudes/ feelings are stored… and how to access them. This is an important concept that millions upon millions of church members need to understand. He knows our hearts!

In prayer, we must not simply repeat words we find on a prayer card or in a prayer book or recite memorized word by wrote. Jesus Himself spoke against this.

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matt. 6:7)

People around us can hear the audible words that we speak, but God can see right into our hearts. He knows whether we are sincerely communicating to Him, having a heart-to-heart conversation, or just guilty of following some religion’s demands.

We may fool anyone and everyone into thinking we have good intentions—however, God is not deceived. He looks beyond audible words, right into our (invisible) thoughts, our innermost being. He knows whether we are praying in accord with His purpose in a matter according to sound Bible doctrine, or mindlessly repeating some pre-written or memorized prayer just so we can gratify our self, or some religious requirement.

There is something else to consider regarding the topic of prayer. Concerning believers in Christ, we have His indwelling “Spirit” that is the “comforter” (Jn. 14:16). Earlier, we looked at Romans 8:27. Now we read it with its preceding verse. The Bible declares in Romans 8:26-27:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷And he that searcheth the hearts (Father God) knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Father God searches or examines our hearts, and “the Spirit of the Lord” intercedes for us when we pray. Rom. 8:34 says Jesus Christ sits at God’s right hand and intercedes for us. First Timothy 2:5 tells Christ Jesus is the one mediator between us and God; He alone made the way for us by His sacrifice of Himself at the Cross of Calvary… for us.

“For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Being justified by faith ae have “access” and can approach God the Father (Rom. 5:1) in prayer (Eph. 2:18) only on the basis of the merits of His Son, Jesus Christ, and His selfless sacrifice on Calvary for our sins. This is the meaning of, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20).

Genuine Prayer is communion and intimacy with the Lord. Prayer involves an intricate collaboration between the three members of the indwelling Triune Godhead and the believer’s inner man, in his “spirit of man.”

• We may by faith freely approach God the Father on the merits of His Son (cf. Rom. 5:2, Eph. 3:12),
• praying to God the Father in His name, (cf. John 14:6)
• being enlightened and led by God the Holy Spirit as to what we should pray. (cf. Phili 2:14)

Thus, the whole Triune Godhead which is of “One Spirit” (cf. Eph. 4:4, Jn. 4:24), lives in the Christian believer’s spirit, being now “one spirit” with the believer (1Cor. 6:17), knowing our prayer before we even speak it.

However, because many resist and refuse this internal wooing of the Lord, they remain as some to whom Paul wrote in the Roman epistle:

“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and… righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5).

Thankfully, many choose to open their hearts to the salvation God offers. Countless numbers of people have “call(ed) on the Lord out of a pure heart” (II Tim. 2:22). Hosts of believers today seek to leave behind the regular practice of sin because they “have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (Rom. 6:17). On a daily basis, most believers pursue a walk that will please the Lord because “in singleness of heart, fearing God… [they choose to] serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:22-24). Many believers are “doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6). Those who choose such a path do so because they are choosing to “keep their heart with all diligence.” They do so by regularly taking in the Word of God and applying proper truth to the way they live each day.

It is, of course, possible for a believer to choose a path of sinful living. Every believer can choose to allow his heart to grow cold to the things of the Lord. For those who do, the Apostle Paul warned that, while still saved, they could reach a spiritual condition of “having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God… because of the blindness of their heart” (Eph. 4:18). Such a condition is the spiritual equivalent of a blockage to the heart. Knowing that as believers “we (the believers) shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ… [and] every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:10, 12), it behooves every believer to maintain a soft, responsive heart toward the Lord.