The Heart We Need - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26

The Heart We Need
The heart is the most frequently mentioned part of the body in Scripture. We often describe the heart as the essence of our being, and that image is even more prominent in the language of the Bible. From our hearts flow the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Our hearts make decisions ("a man's heart plans his way," Prov. 16:9) and reach conclusions about God ("seek Him with all your heart," Dt. 4:29). The heart thinks, meditates, desires, envies, rejoices, fears, and trusts. The natural heart is deceitful above all things; yet the redeemed can praise the Lord with their whole hearts.

In this context, we can appreciate the Lord's promises to give His people a certain kind of heart. The verse above in Ezekiel 36 describes the future renewal of Israel, when He will give them a new heart to walk in His ways. Their stony heart, cold and unfeeling towards God, will be replaced by a heart of flesh that is alive and responsive to His love. They will have one heart to fear the Lord and walk together before Him (Ezek. 11:19; Jer. 32:39). By application, those promises also illustrate God's work within His people today.

Yet we note elsewhere that David asked God to give his son Solomon a perfect heart. Later, Solomon desired an understanding heart. Because the task ahead was great, they prayed for the specific type of heart that would be needed.

God's limitless resources are the same for us. Perhaps the burden of service seems heavy. Perhaps the enemy seems too daunting or the darkening evil too disturbing, and our hearts