What do You See, the Speck or the Plank?

Hosea 10:12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

God, all of us naturally notice what’s wrong around us before examining what is happening within us. We easily see the faults of others and know just how they can be fixed, but we seem oblivious to our own flaws. The problem is always the other person in the church, family, neighborhood, or government—and never us. Thus, we never ask ourselves, “Might I be a part of the problem, and where can I grow?” Jesus describes this tendency when He spoke of the person who notices the speck in another person’s eye while overlooking the beam in his own.

Lord, please give us the humility and courage to examine ourselves. Give us wisdom and strength to surrender to Your eye that exposes our sinful motives, attitudes, resentments, pride, disobedience, and inability to forgive. For the sake of Your name, let us turn the light inward before we point it outward.

Lord, we submit to You. Please put Your finger on what is wrong in us, so we can stand on holy ground, receive Your mercy, and seek Your face until You rain down righteousness upon us—until we are changed. Holy God, it’s we who stand in need of prayer. It’s we who need cleansing by the power of Your redeeming love. Here we are, Lord. Reshape our hearts and minds according to Your divine prerogative. We trust You, and we surrender. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.