ODM Daily Inspirational Devotional Messages Bible Verse and Prayers ODM
DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL – 20TH APRIL 2026
A New Heart and Spirit
By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi | Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry
KEY VERSE
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26
TEXT: Ezekiel 36:22-32 (KJV)
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
DAILY MANNA FOR TODAY
The human heart is the core of our being. It is the seat of our emotions, the fountain of our desires, and the control centre of our actions. The Bible describes the natural human heart as “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). It is a stony heart – hard, unresponsive, and resistant to God.
But God, in His mercy, promises a radical transformation. He does not offer to patch up the old heart or to reform it. He promises to give a new heart and a new spirit. This is not reformation; it is regeneration. It is not improvement; it is replacement.
The promise of a new heart is a promise of new affections. Where once we loved sin, we will love righteousness. Where once we were indifferent to God, we will desire Him. Where once we were rebellious, we will be obedient.
The promise of a new spirit is a promise of new inclinations. The Spirit of God will dwell within us, causing us to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments. This is the essence of the New Covenant – God’s law written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
This transformation is not based on our merit. God makes it clear: “I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake.” It is God’s own reputation that drives His redemptive work. He acts to sanctify His name, to demonstrate His holiness, and to reveal His glory.
The result of this transformation is a changed life. Those who receive a new heart and spirit will walk in obedience. They will turn from idols. They will experience God’s blessing – fruitfulness, provision, and protection.
Yet this grace does not lead to arrogance. When we remember our former ways, we will loathe ourselves – not in a destructive sense, but in humble recognition of what we were and what God has done. True repentance leads to humility, not pride.
The promise is clear: God is in the business of heart replacement. He takes stony hearts – cold, hard, unfeeling – and replaces them with hearts of flesh – warm, responsive, and alive to Him.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God does not repair the old nature; He replaces it with a new creation.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 107-109
COMMENTARY
Introduction: The Problem of the Human Heart
The heart is the most critical issue in the human condition. External behaviour is simply the fruit of what is planted in the heart. If the heart is corrupt, the life will be corrupt. If the heart is renewed, the life will be renewed.
The Bible diagnoses the natural heart as “deceitful” and “desperately wicked.” It is stony – hard, unresponsive, unable to feel the things of God. No amount of external reformation can fix this problem. The heart must be replaced.
The Promise of a New Heart
In Ezekiel 36, God promises to do what no human effort could ever accomplish. He will give a new heart and put a new spirit within His people. This is not a metaphor; it is a spiritual reality. The old heart of stone – cold, dead, resistant – is removed. A new heart of flesh – warm, alive, responsive – is given.
This is the language of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. When a person is born again, they become a new creation. Old things pass away; all things become new. This is not just a change of behaviour; it is a change of nature.
The Role of God’s Spirit
The new heart is accompanied by the indwelling of God’s Spirit. The Spirit does not just visit; He resides. He does not just influence; He empowers. He causes us to walk in God’s statutes and keep His judgments. Obedience becomes not a burden but a delight.
The Motivation: God’s Name
God makes it clear that this transformation is not because of human merit. “Not for your sakes do I this.” The motivation is God’s own holy name. He acts to sanctify His reputation, to demonstrate His holiness, and to reveal His glory. This takes the focus off human achievement and places it on divine grace.
The Response: Humility
Those who receive this grace do not become proud. When they remember their former ways, they are humbled. They loathe themselves – not in a way that denies their identity in Christ, but in a way that acknowledges what they were saved from. True grace produces true humility.
DECLARATIONS BASED ON THE DEVOTIONAL
I DECLARE that God has given me a new heart and put a new spirit within me!
I DECLARE that my stony heart has been removed, and I have received a heart of flesh!
I DECLARE that the Spirit of God dwells within me, causing me to walk in His statutes!
I DECLARE that I am a new creation in Christ – old things have passed away!
I DECLARE that my transformation is not based on my merit but on God’s holy name!
I DECLARE that I turn from idols and walk in obedience to God!
I DECLARE that I am cleansed from all my filthiness and uncleanness!
I DECLARE that I am not the same person I used to be – I have been made new!
I DECLARE that I will remember my former ways with humility, not pride!
I DECLARE that God has done this for His name’s sake, and I give Him all the glory!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father, I thank You that You do not simply repair my old nature but replace it with a new creation. I thank You for the promise of a new heart and a new spirit.
Lord, take away my stony heart – the heart that is hard, cold, and resistant to You. Give me a heart of flesh – warm, responsive, and alive to Your Spirit.
Put Your Spirit within me and cause me to walk in Your statutes. Let me keep Your judgments and do them. Let my life be marked by obedience, not because I am trying harder, but because I am made new.
I am not the same person I used to be. I am a new creation in Christ.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
#DailyManna #DCLM #PastorKumuyi #ANewHeartAndSpirit #Ezekiel36 #NewCreation #HeartOfFlesh
