Day 17 - The Weight of Covetousness
- Updated Oct 22, 2015
It is the tenth commandment given to Moses on Mount Sinai. "Thou shalt not covet …" (Exodus 20:17) Webster's dictionary defines coveting as desiring what belongs to another.
This one is sneaky. Different than the other commandments because it is primarily concerned with motivation. Desires of the heart.
Perhaps all the commandments are matters of the heart. When Jesus talked about them in Matthew 5:21-30, He made it clear that the thoughts preceding the action are just as dark and dangerous as the action itself.
I didn't think I struggled with coveting until a few years ago while going through a particularly hard time. It was a time I felt like I was swimming upstream in every area of my life. And most of my friends' lives looked easy. And better. And prettier. You know?
I developed this longing for something else. It was this thing in the pit of my stomach that ached. I fantasized about the green grass over there. I didn't want the brown patch where I was standing. It made me sour.
God woke me up one day through His word and showed me the cure - new eyes. I began to surrender my desires to Him through prayer and asked Him to show me the grace that He pours out on me everyday. I then thanked Him for all these blessings. Through this process, he gave me a different perspective. His.
Father, I come to You needing a renovation of my heart. You created me.You chose me before the foundation of the world that I should be holy and blameless before You.(Ephesians 1:4) Lord, You know my longings and desires. I place them at Your feet. Set me free from those that are destructive to me. Untie any of them that are contrary to Your will for me.
I ask that the eyes of my heart be enlightened so that I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of Your power toward me. (Ephesians 1:18-19) Father, I know that if I see with spiritual eyes then I won't be bogged down by the physical limitations and problems that surround me. Give me a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear all that You have poured out from Your storehouse of blessings, Lord.
Father, I know that the lamp of the body is the eye and if my eye is clear, my whole body will be clear. (Matthew 6:22) Purify my desires and dreams. Help me to look on and dwell on the things of eternal value. Keep me trained on Your purpose for I am Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which You prepared beforehand, that I should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) Let me run with perseverance this race set before me.
Lord, there is so much I cannot see. This world is too much with me. But by faith, I thank You and praise You for the fulness I have received and grace upon grace. (John 1:16) In the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus, Amen.
This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you struggle to find the words to pray.
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