In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation garden of your life. James 1:21 (MSG)
Your heart is God’s garden just waiting to flourish, so let’s join Him in cultivating it! Whether you are an experienced gardener or not, you have the opportunity to join Him as He gardens your heart and the hearts of your loved ones.
[Excerpt taken from Mud on My Knees Prayer Guide.]
It’s time to pick up your Garden Tools and the Seed of God’s Word and get your garden growing!
So let’s cultivate the hard ground of our hearts, pull weeds and strongholds, plant the seed of God’s Word and water it with our faith. It’s never too late to get started … harvest is coming!
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…shall not cease. Genesis 8:22 (NKJ)
According to the Vines Expository Dictionary, the “heart” stands for the inner being of man, the man himself. As such, it is the fountain of all he does (Prov. 4:4).
Apostle Paul understood the concept of gardening the hearts of others. He knew how to co-labor with God in the garden of the Heart. This is why he labored through His prayers and preached until Christ was completely formed (molded) in people.
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. Galatians 4:19 NKJV
You can cultivate the heart so that it will be receptive to the seed of God’s word. As you pray the heart scriptures, the Holy Spirit will till the soil of the heart making it easier for them to hear God’s voice and to receive the truth of His word. He will soften areas of hardness, and break down barriers of resistance and unbelief. Over time He may even reveal hidden obstructions such as unforgiveness or painful memories that have been stuffed for years.
When dealing with your own heart, you must be the one to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Journaling will help you keep your heart p;iable in God’s hand.
However, when aiming for someone else’s heart, they must be the one to respond to His hand, but your prayers will open the door for the Holy Spirit to cultivate and soften their heart.
As you continue to pray, the Holy Spirit convicts them of sinful behavior and attitudes, and the weeds of sin and the flesh lose its grip so their heart will be receptive to His voice and to the seed of God’s word.
Once you cultivate the heart you can begin planting scripture seeds of love, peace, healing, provision, or whatever the need may be.
Plant the Seed
Even as the gardener plants his seed in the soil, so you must plant a spiritual seed in the heart by praying a Scripture promise, personalizing it as you speak it out.
For example, for a hard heart you can pray,
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: Ezek 11:19 KJV
Thank You Father for giving __________ a new spirit and for taking away her stony heart and giving her a heart of flesh.
As you continue to proclaim the Word and believe it has already happened, though unseen, the power of God is unleashed to bring forth the results.
Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be {granted} you. (Mark 11:24)
For further study on this subject see Mud On My Knees Prayer Guide and Journal.