Psalm 119:10a gives us an amazing window into the heart cry of the Psalmist: “With my whole heart have I sought thee…” This should be the aim of every believer: to seek the Lord whole-heartedly. In June, 22 young men had the opportunity to do just that on a Journey to the Heart in Big Sandy, Texas. These young men gathered in a large house off of scenic Lake Loma to unplug from the busy things of life and pursue the Lord.
At the beginning of the Journey, one of the leaders explained that whatever we hold back from God ends up holding us back in our relationship with Him. He encouraged the guys to say “yes” to God in any areas He touched on during the Journey, and to be quick to let go and surrender to God. As the week went on, the guys began to do just that.
God honored these steps of obedience and surrender and worked in the students’ hearts in a mighty way. One evening, the students heard the importance of walking in forgiveness and releasing bitterness. After the message, the attendees were given the opportunity to pray with the leaders if they had someone they needed to forgive. The response was incredible as one guy after another was ready to share about someone they needed to forgive. Some were forgiving people for little roots of bitterness and others were letting go of bigger hurts that had happened in their lives.
As the guys continued to yield to the Lord, He continued to work in their hearts. Another evening message covered the seriousness of moral failure and the damage secret sin can have in someone’s life. After this message there was a powerful time of confession and prayer that lasted for close to two hours. Tears were shed and God worked powerfully during this time. Other topics covered throughout the week included the seriousness, subtlety, and sinfulness of pride; the importance of not walking in fear; the seriousness of murmuring and complaining and what that yields in their lives as young men.
Thursday, was a special day set aside for delighting in the Lord. Part of the day included spending time reading and meditating on sections of Psalm 119 and spending an hour in prayer. The hour of prayer truly was sweet as the men sought God through praise, thanksgiving, confession, listening, and requests. At the end of the week, the topic of Christ in us was covered. The men saw how the power to live the Christian life is found in a Person and that Person’s name is Jesus!
The Journey finished with the men sharing how God had worked in their lives on the Journey. One young man shared that, although he grew up in a strong Christian family, which included reading and memorizing the Word of God, he did it more because he was required to do so in the family. On the Journey he began to cultivate a personal and stronger relationship with the Lord and heard from God for himself for the first time! Please pray for these young men that they would continue in the Word and seeking God with their whole heart.
Interested in coming on a Journey? We have two more Journeys schedule for this year:
- Young Ladies’ Journey to the Heart – Big Sandy, Texas August 6-14
- Young Men’s Journey to the Heart – Northwoods, Michigan September 17-25
Learn more at lifesrealjourney.com.