The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry 
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD…
Preparation of the heart is an act of love, not obligation. Ezra shows us that seeking God is not something we stumble into — it is something we set ourselves to do. A prepared heart is one that has cleared away the noise, the hurry, the competing affections, and has made room for God’s voice to be heard. It is a heart that says, “Lord, You have my attention.”
When we prepare our hearts, we are not earning God’s presence; we are simply positioning ourselves to receive what He already longs to give.
A prepared heart is also a steady heart. Ezra didn’t seek God only when life was peaceful or convenient. His preparation anchored him through responsibility, leadership, and pressure. Likewise, when we intentionally prepare our hearts — through prayer, Scripture, quietness, and surrender — we become less shaken by circumstances. Our love for God becomes less reactive and more rooted. Preparation turns devotion into endurance, and endurance into joy.
And perhaps most beautifully, a prepared heart becomes a teachable heart. Ezra sought the Lord not to gather information, but to be transformed. When we approach God with humility and readiness, His Word shapes us, corrects us, comforts us, and strengthens us. A prepared heart is fertile ground where love for God grows deep, steady, and sincere.
“LORD- prepare my heart before I take a single step today. Clear the cluttered places, quiet the restless thoughts, and soften every hardened corner within me. Make my heart a place where Your Word can settle deeply, take root, and bear fruit.
Teach me to seek You with intention, not impulse; with devotion, not distraction. Let my love for You be steady, sincere, and growing — shaped by Your truth and strengthened by Your presence. Draw me into a deeper hunger for Your voice, and give me the courage to obey whatever You reveal.
Anchor my heart in You, Lord. Make it ready, willing, humble, and teachable. And let every part of my life reflect a heart prepared to seek You. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Thanks for this heart-warming, well-written reminder and admonition. I needed this.
Much time in our day is being taken,
In ways that grab our inward attention.
Shouting out in our mind as we try to find
Our way to get ahead of the line in record time.
As we start our day in this way,
We get sidetracked that can set us back.
Going in circles trying to make traction
Can be the fashion of our daily actions.
Life has so many bumps in the road,
And if the story is told, it carries a heavy load.
But by His grace He will unfold,
A peace within or soul.
The truths planted by His word
That causes our heart to be stirred.
As we look upward to Christ
Giving Him adoration for His love and sacrifice.
We can be freed from this daily routine
When upon Him we learn to lean
Before the day gets started
May our hearts be guarded.
In His presence we should bow and allow Him first place
And thank Him for His matchless grace.
Knowing He has given us a ‘New’ life,
We’ll be with Him in an eternal paradise.
Not the one He made on earth
But one in His Heaven by way of a ‘New’ birth
Given because He sees us with incredible worth.
So we need to give Him first place
Letting go of this old rat race
Finding His peace; our love to increase.
Give Christ his rightful place
All the rest of our days, and all the more when we see Him face to face.