The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 17 February 2026 – A Broken And Contrite Heart
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TOPIC: A Broken And Contrite Heart
READ: Psalm 51:14-19 (NKJV)
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
THE MESSAGE:
The 6th of the Ten Commandments warns against murder. No wonder in today’s text, David prays for deliverance from the guilt of bloodshed so that he could sing of God’s righteousness. He asked God to open his lips, to enable him praise Him. He observed that God does not desire animal sacrifice or burnt offering, but rather the sacrifices of a broken and a contrite heart which He never despises. The Psalmist prays that God would do good to Zion and build the walls of Jerusalem so that the people would offer sacrifices of righteousness which will be pleasant to God.
Today, murder rates are increasing in many countries. Some commit murder to eliminate their enemies, steal money, obtain property or wealth, harvest human organs, or collect blood for occult activities. However, Christians must not engage in sins of blood guiltiness. Some cultures offer animal sacrifices to appease their gods, while some Christians present live animals in Churches to show their love for God. Inasmuch as doing this is not wrong, God is more pleased with Christians who offer sacrifices of a broken and a contrite heart. Do you have a broken and a contrite heart? Ask God to grant you such a heart and you will be blessed.
PRAYER: Father, grant me a broken and contrite heart today in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
