Today we are continuing in our teaching series called “The power of prayer” based on Psalm 139.

Prayer like we find here in Psalm 139 is very vulnerable. It’s a complete opening of ourselves to the Lord.

In Psalm 139 David is inviting the Lord behind the curtain, behind what even David himself knows, to search him, to test him, to uncover hidden sin, and to lead him. As David sought the Lord in these areas, we want to do that as well.

Throughout this series we are exploring and praying these four petitions: Search me, test me, uncover my sins, and lead me.

Today we continue with “Test me and know my anxious thoughts”

The word in the original language for “test me” means to examine thoroughly, to scrutinize, to try, or to investigate. It can be used figuratively of proving precious metals such as gold or silver.

David is asking for the Lord to conduct a thorough investigation, to give him an examination, a test run, to arrange his circumstances to reveal his true character and nature.

Having already revealed that God is omniscient, why is David asking for a thorough evaluation from the Lord to know his thoughts again?
The answer is twofold-
Here in this prayer, it’s personal. David is inviting the Lord into his story. It’s no longer a long-distance relationship David wants, but close intimacy.

Second, the testing will reveal to DAVID what is really in his thoughts. While the Lord already knows, David may not.

So, David is signing himself up for an examination to open himself up before the Lord, to allow him behind the curtain- for what? So that his anxious thoughts would be revealed.

“Anxious thoughts” here is a translation of one word in the original language, and it’s a bit difficult to articulate. It’s most literal translation is “disquieting thoughts”

Disquieting is defined by Websters as:
to take away the peace or tranquility. To disturb or alarm
a lack of peace or tranquility- think anxiety.
It suggests a lost sense of security or peace of mind.

So, David is asking the Lord to test him, to arrange his life circumstances, to reveal the things that shake him up, that upset him, that disturb his peace, or make him feel insecure, things that cause him to worry or be anxious.

In this verse David is praying that the Lord would test him, would put something before, him that would reveal the things that throw his mind out of order.
He wants to know those default paths that his mind always takes, those thoughts that have worn and old familiar groove in his mind. Un-productive, disturbing, frustrating, ruminations-He wants them to be cut-off in his mind.

To be made aware of the impact those thoughts are having in his relationship with the Lord. Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

The value in praying along with David in this psalm is that he is asking the Lord to help him get in front of these thoughts- before they get out of control, and before they consume his focus.To help him realize what triggers are there, what’s really happening behind those thoughts, to help him recognize what’s happening in this thinking before it gets to far.


Here’s the thing about the anxious thoughts. When our minds go into this spiral, without even knowing it, we are shifting our focus away from the Lord and onto our circumstances.

We are turning in on ourselves through our own thinking, and that’s a fruitless and hopeless endeavor. When that happens, we cannot hear the Lord’s voice, we don’t consider the truth and promises of his word. We are consumed in our own head- and our thoughts hold us captive.

That may be for a few minutes, or a few hours or days. Perhaps it even lasts for years.

As nervous as it might make us to ask the Lord to test us, it might just be how he frees us from the prison of our thoughts.

We began last week with the simple prayer “Search me, God, and know my heart." We invited the Lord to explore the shadowy depths of our inner heart and life- places that only he can go.

Today, we want to open up our thinking to him- Not just that he would explore our mind- but that he would reveal the real condition and health of our thoughts.

Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Asking the Lord to test you is not to be taken lightly, because he will do it. There will probably be situations this week even that arise and send your mind down an old familiar spiral- Except this time- you might sense the Lord asking you something like:
“What are you thinking?”
“Don’t you want to slow down?”
“What’s really behind your reaction right now?”

If you ask the Lord to test you and know your anxious thoughts- He will answer.

Let's pray together!
Test me and know my anxious thoughts