"A new heart also will I give you" (Ezekiel 36:26). "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart" (Proverbs 3:5). "Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart" (Deuteronomy 6:5). God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
In the Bible the heart is the center of a person: desire, trust, love, and worship. These twelve King James passages focus on a new heart from God, a pure heart that sees Him, and a whole heart turned toward the LORD. This is not the same as guard your heart, which centers on Proverbs 4:23 vigilance; here the accent is transformation, purity, and devotion.
A new heart from God
1. Ezekiel 36:26
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."
God promises a new heart and a new spirit, taking away the stony heart. The deepest heart change is a gift of grace, not a self-help project.
2. Ezekiel 11:19
"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:"
I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. Unity of heart toward God is something He creates in His people.
3. Psalms 51:17
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart. God does not despise the crushed heart that comes honestly.
4. Joel 2:12-13
"Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."
Turn to me with all your heart... and rend your heart, and not your garments. Real repentance is inward, not only outward show.
Pure and wholehearted
5. Matthew 5:8
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Purity of heart is single-minded devotion; the promise is vision of God Himself.
6. Psalms 24:3-4
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."
Who shall ascend? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart. Approaching God involves both conduct and the inner life.
7. Hebrews 10:22
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. The gospel cleanses the heart so we can come near.
8. Matthew 22:37
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
Jesus names the great commandment: love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind. The heart leads a whole-life love.
Trust and love from the heart
9. Proverbs 3:5
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding. Whole-heart trust refuses the backup plan of self-reliance.
10. Deuteronomy 6:5
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart. Covenant love is total, not partial; the heart is where loyalty lives.
11. 1 Samuel 16:7
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
The LORD looketh on the heart. People see appearance; God weighs the inner person. That both comforts and searches us.
12. Proverbs 23:26
"My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways."
My son, give me thine heart. God (and wise parents echoing Him) asks for the heart first; behavior follows allegiance.
A short prayer
Lord, give me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me. Make me pure in heart, that I may see You. Help me trust You with all my heart and love You with all that I am. Search me, cleanse me, and keep my heart toward You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about the heart?
God gives a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and calls us to trust and love Him with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5; Deuteronomy 6:5). The pure in heart shall see God (Matthew 5:8).
What does "pure in heart" mean?
In Matthew 5:8 it means undivided devotion: a heart cleansed and set on God, not split between God and idols. The promise is that such people will see God.
How is this different from the guard-your-heart page?
Guard-your-heart pages focus on Proverbs 4:23: keeping watch over what enters and shapes you. This page focuses on a new heart, purity, and wholehearted love toward God.
Can God change my heart?
Yes. Ezekiel 36:26 is God's promise to replace a heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Ask Him; repentance and faith are how we receive what He gives.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Guard your heart Bible verses · Bible verses about a broken heart · Bible verses about faith · Bible verses about love · Bible verses about prayer
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