Jelly Roll’s song “Heart of Stone” is a raw, honest prayer born from struggle, addiction, and brokenness. It echoes a prayer God has heard and answered before. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises to remove our hearts of stone and replace them with obedient hearts. God is always at work, transforming hardened hearts into tender, responsive hearts fully devoted to Him.

Jesus made it clear that worship matters to God. True worshipers worship in Spirit and truth, and this is the kind of worship God seeks. Worship is not about posture, performance, or songs. It is about the condition of the heart, and even the smallest sincere acts of worship bring joy to the heart of God.

There is a war for your worship. It began long before us when Lucifer decided he would exalt himself above God and be the focus of all worship. His coup got him kicked out of heaven along with one-third of the angels. Ever since, his goal has not necessarily been to get us to worship him, we are too smart for that. But his mission is to get us to place anything above God. When that happens, he has your heart right where he wants it.

We are created to worship, and all of us worship something; whatever holds first place in our lives becomes our god. When good things like family, comfort, success, or entertainment take priority over God, they quietly become idols. Because none of these things are bad, it’s too easy to allow them to creep into our priorities and slowly become #1 in our thoughts, attention, time, and finances.

Worship is bigger than what we do on Sunday. It is how we live, what we value, and who sits on the throne of our hearts. In view of God’s mercy, sacrifice, and forgiveness, we owe him all our worship, heart, soul, mind, body, and spirit. We were created to worship God, and when we do, our hearts are changed. The question is not whether we will worship, but what or who we will worship. God desires to turn hearts of stone into hearts of obedience.

Scriptures – Ezekiel 35:26 (GNT); John 4:23-24 (NIV); Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV); Exodus 20:3-5 (NIV); Luke 19:39-40 (NIV); Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Verse – “I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart.” (Ez 36:26) “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (Jn 4:23-24) “You shall have no other gods before me…for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,…” (Ex 20:3-5)

Discussion – What are some signs that a heart is becoming hardened, and what helps soften it again? What does worshiping the Father in Spirit and in truth look like in everyday life? What are some subtle things that can quietly take first place in our lives and compete with God for our worship? What is one practical change you could make this week to keep God at the center of your worship?

Prayer – Dear God, show me the places where my heart has grown hard, cold, and distracted. Mold my heart into one that is tender, obedient, and fully devoted to You. Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness. Help me to worship you with my life and with all that I do. I will have no other gods before YOU! In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.