Test Me O God
February 18, 2026
Fr. John Riccardo
“Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.” Psalm 26:2.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.” Psalm 139:23.
And so it begins.
The great season of Lent.
A prolonged time to get serious about our lives. Our hearts. Our minds. Our habits. Our friendship with God. Our prayer. Our relationships with others. Our concern for the poor and those who go without what many of us take for granted.
Personally, I’ve been waiting for this season for a long time. No, not waiting for, eagerly longing for. I don’t know about you, but I need Lent this year.
How might we best enter into this season of grace, especially the first half, which is something like an extended examination of conscience, before we start to focus on preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ triumphal Passion, Death and Resurrection?
I’m beginning today by praying with the two excerpts from the Psalms at the top. I think they can help set the stage for the days and weeks ahead in a profound way. Just as we go to a doctor for a physical and receive all sorts of baseline test results, Ash Wednesday is a chance to sit down with the Divine Physician and have Him oh so gently let us know where we’re doing well and where we can get even better. Not so as to be preoccupied with self, not to navel-gaze; but to grow in conformity to Jesus and be better able to carry out the mission entrusted to us as His disciples.
The psalmist prays that the Lord God will search him. That word could also be translated as explore, do a thorough analysis of. When he asks that God prove him, or try him, those are the words used for testing metals in fire. Uh…are we sure we want the Lord who hears our thoughts to do that? I remember many years ago hearing a goldsmith discuss how he knows it’s time to take the gold out of the fire. He said he knows it’s time when there is no more dross caked around the gold and the only thing he can see is his face reflected back at him. Ouch. There’s a lot of dross in most of us. There certainly is in me.
Like a good physician, though, the Lord Jesus reveals us to ourselves not to berate us, embarrass us, humiliate us, or make us feel bad about ourselves. Many days I do a good enough job of that myself. No, He graciously and gently holds up a mirror to our hearts and minds so that we can see those things that are hurting us, hurting others, and negatively impacting the attractiveness and credibility of our witness as disciples. Whatever He reveals, those are the things we should most concentrate on during these initial weeks in this season of grace.
So, let’s make the most of Lent. Let’s do our best to make more time for silence, to cut out the noise, to not soak in the news or our favorite streaming channel. Let’s be in earnest about making more time for prayer — not just saying prayers but time to pray, to listen to Him and talk with Him from the heart. Let’s humbly ask the Lord to search us, try us, prove us. Let’s pray that we might emerge at Easter with Jesus better able to see His reflection in our thoughts, words and actions. And let’s pray that others might be better able to see and hear Him in us too, so as to be drawn to the only One who can satisfy the restless hunger and thirst every person has for abundant life.
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
February 2026
For the Church:
That in a world longing for healing and hope, she may be a radiant sign of charity, peace, and unity, drawing all people into the love of God.For those participating in our Leadership Immersive:
That all who gather may be reconfigured to Jesus Christ for mission, open to the work of the Holy Spirit, and willing to surrender the initiative to God in their lives and ministries.In thanksgiving for the Mandarin translation of The Rescue Project:
That our Chinese brothers and sisters may encounter a compelling and beautiful proclamation of the gospel, and be awakened and mobilized for mission in the power of the Holy Spirit.For The Jesus Conference:
That the Holy Spirit would lead, inspire, and guide our gathering in October, so that we may clearly hear God’s vision for His family and respond with faith, courage, and obedience.For our Episcopal Advisory Council, Board of Directors, and faithful partners in mission:
That the Lord would bless them with a renewed outpouring of His love, reminding them of their essential role in helping to restore God’s world and reclaim His family.