Create In Me A Clean Heart

“Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” — Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV)

One of the greatest dangers when rebuilding altars is focusing only on visible things while neglecting hidden foundations.

Because eventually, what is concealed underneath will affect what is built above.

When I was eighteen, I owned a little red motorbike. I would love to tell you it was some roaring machine ridden by a leather-jacketed rebel, but honestly, it was a tiny, wheezing 50cc embarrassment on two wheels. Still, it got me to work, and to my young mind it was glorious.

Its top speed was somewhere around 37 miles per hour, but I had discovered a magical way to make it go faster.

Kingston upon Hull, where I live, is famously flat, but we do have the occasional bridge over rivers and railway lines. And I had found one particular flyover where, if the traffic was light and the conditions were right, gravity itself would help propel my little red death trap into previously unimagined speeds.

One rainy afternoon, with the wind behind me, I decided to break my record.

Over the bridge I went, engine screaming heroically as I accelerated downhill.

35 mph. 39. 42. 45. 47.

The engine sounded like a demonised hairdryer fighting for its life.

Then somehow I hit 52 mph.

I was practically approaching the sound barrier.

Then suddenly:

CRACK!

A horrifying snapping noise exploded beneath me followed by the sound of grinding metal. My motorbike literally broke in half underneath me. Suddenly I was flying down the bridge clinging to little more than handlebars, a front wheel and blind panic.

Miraculously, I stayed upright, skidded down the road like an Olympic bobsledder and somehow came to a controlled stop at the bottom. Shaking violently, I stepped off the mangled remains of the bike, thanked every angel in heaven for not letting me die, leaned the wreckage against a lamppost and walked home.

What I had not noticed when buying the bike was the rust hidden underneath the shiny red paint.

At low speeds, the weakness was hidden. But once pressure increased, the hidden damage became catastrophic.

Hidden Foundations Matter

And honestly, many lives and ministries are built exactly like that bike.

At slow speeds, everything appears fine. The paint looks shiny. The worship sounds good. The ministry grows. The church expands.

But eventually pressure reveals what the altar is truly built upon.

About a year later, one of my early mentors, Colin Urquhart, gave me a prophetic word that deeply marked me.

I was wrestling with preparation, calling and some areas where God was trying to shape my character. If I am honest, I was resisting certain things He wanted to do in me.

Colin said:

“When a car is quietly driving around country lanes at thirty miles per hour, all seems well. But take that same car onto the motorway at high speed and every weakness starts to show. Every bolt rattles. The engine strains. Every hidden flaw gets tested. If what’s underneath has not been dealt with properly, it will eventually damage both you and the call on your life.”

What wise words.

God cares deeply about what is hidden underneath the visible parts of our lives because He wants altars capable of sustaining real fire over the long journey.

David understood this when he prayed:

“Search me and know me…”

That is an altar prayer.

An extract from The ALTAR by Jarrod Cooper. Order your copy below 👇

Believe & Confess Meditation & Declaration

God will search my heart, expose hidden weaknesses and strengthen the foundations of my life (Psalm 139:23–24). I will allow the Holy Spirit to purify, shape and refine my character so I can sustain the fire of God faithfully over time (Malachi 3:3). My private life will be built upon integrity, surrender and truth before the Lord (Psalm 51:10). I will not merely pursue outward success, but inward transformation and holiness of heart (2 Corinthians 3:18). The pressures of life will not destroy me because my foundation is rooted deeply in Christ (Matthew 7:24-25). God will strengthen every weak place within me and establish my life upon His grace and presence (1 Peter 5:10). I will remain tender, teachable and responsive whenever the Lord convicts and corrects me (Hebrews 12:11).

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THE ALTAR

Creating lives & cultures ready to host the glory of God.

Something is stirring.

Across the world, hunger for God’s presence is rising—and many are asking: how do we truly host His glory?

In The Altar, Jarrod Cooper calls us back to the place where heaven meets earth—the altar. A place of encounter, devotion, and transformation.

This book will help you:
• Deepen your personal encounter with God
• Build a lifestyle of worship
• Hear His voice clearly
• Create cultures that carry His presence

This isn’t just a book—it’s a call.
When the altar is restored, the fire falls again.

 Order Your Copy Here