Heart Prayer

Genesis 24:45"Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'

This is from that delightful account of Abraham's servant who set out to find a wife for Isaac. First the whole sequence of events happens: the servant heads for the old hometown in the old country, parks the camels by a well, and prays for God to send Isaac's wife along. And she soon appears, beautiful cousin Rebekah. As things fall into place, the servant bows down to worship God, right in the middle of unfolding events. The verse above comes along as he recounts the entire story to Rebekah's brother Laban, including the prayer for God to let him know he had found Isaac's wife. He specifies to Laban that he was praying in his heart, maybe to emphasize that the answer was from God. He hadn't influenced Rebekah with an audible prayer. To her he had merely appeared a traveller with ten thirsty camels, and God moved her to offer water.
An offer of water...very interesting. That happens now and then, too, doesn't it...all the way through the Bible, up to Jesus offering water to a woman. Water, symbol for the Spirit, for salvation, for life. The servant asks God for an offer of water, to take the guesswork out of his quest, and God graciously gives it. God wants us to have direction... and it helps if we're always praying from the heart...

Sacrifice

Genesis 8:21The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

Both situations from chapter 6 are revisited. God confirms that every inclination of the human heart is evil. Evil from childhood. God doesn't think we are basically good. We like to think we are, or maybe some of us are. But not according to God, and he should know.
However, the pain and grief in God's heart were eased when (20) "Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it."
He built an altar for God, specifically, and he picked out the best of each animal--no skimping, he chose from all the approved, the kosher, the edible--and he gave them all to God. He burned them, and the smell of the smoke pleased God.
Last night Pastor Allen mentioned Enoch, from early Genesis, and his inclusion in
Hebrews 11:5: For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
Pleasing God, this was the idea. Noah did it by sacrifice of animals. Jesus was the final, the perfect sacrifice. I can please God if I accept His sacrifice, if I come to Him only in consciousness of that sacrifice.
Hebrews 13:15 mentions the sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name, offered through Jesus.

Heart Defined

Heart: a hollow, muscular organ in the thorax which maintains the circulation of the blood through the blood vessels; this organ considered as the seat of the affections, passions, and emotions, as distinguished from the intellect and will; hence, tenderness, sympathy, affection; also, courage, spirit, energy; sweetheart, beloved, used as a term of endearment; a bold or brave man, used in affectionate commendation; one's secret thoughts, innermost soul, conscience; one's personality as a vital or active force; as to love with one's whole heart; the vital, inner or chief part of anything; the center; core.
From The Winston Simplified Dictionary, copyright 1933

Beginning

“God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” Gen 33:11

This is the beginning. Well, actually I began in a notebook, but I never seem to have time to do that anymore. But I do have time, now, to document my study of the word heart as it appears in the Bible.

Regretably, but not a surprise, the first two mentions of heart are not so happy.

Genesis 6:5The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
Genesis 6:6The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

This is right before the flood. From the lovely beginning of the world and people, things have degenerated badly, including the heart-life. This causes God heart pain. That is a remarkable thought in itself.