This post is an extension of Pastor John Arnold’s recent sermon, God Cleanses Us, from Zechariah 13:1 and Titus 3:4–7. If you missed the message, you can watch or listen here and then explore five simple ways to make confession and inner renewal a natural rhythm in your daily walk with Christ.
5 Simple Ways to Keep Your Soul Clean Every Day
We all know what it feels like to get physically dirty. Maybe it’s after a long day mowing the yard, hiking a trail, or working in the garden. The dirt clings to your skin, your clothes stick, and you feel heavy and grimy. There’s nothing quite like stepping into a shower afterward and feeling the water wash over you—refreshed, renewed, and clean again.
But have you ever noticed how easily we forget to care for what’s inside?
The soul can get just as dirty as the body. We don’t see the grime, but we can feel it: guilt that lingers, shame that won’t wash away, resentment that clings like dust. Over time, those things begin to weigh us down. They dull our joy and make it harder to hear God’s voice.
Yet God offers us something remarkable. Through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, He has opened up what Scripture calls a fountain for cleansing (Zechariah 13:1). It’s a fountain that never runs dry—always flowing with grace, mercy, and renewal.
Confession is how we step into that fountain. It’s not about beating ourselves up or wallowing in guilt. It’s about letting God wash away what’s blocking our peace and joy. Confession is an act of cleansing—a way of staying spiritually fresh and alive to the Spirit’s work in us.
So how do we do that? How do we make spiritual cleansing a daily rhythm the same way we make showers, brushing our teeth, or washing our hands part of our everyday lives?
Here are five simple ways to keep your soul clean every day.
1. Begin Your Morning with a Heart Check
Before you open your phone, before you check the news, before you jump into your to-do list—pause. Take a single minute to turn your attention toward God and ask a simple question:
“Lord, how’s my heart this morning?”
Sit quietly and listen. You might notice a sense of gratitude, or maybe you’ll feel tension, irritation, or even sadness. Don’t try to fix it—just notice it and name it before God.
That simple pause sets the tone for the entire day. It’s like taking a spiritual temperature check. You’re inviting God to meet you right where you are—no pretending, no masks, just honesty.
Many of us don’t realize how often we carry yesterday’s dirt into today. Something someone said still stings, a worry still nags, or an unkind thought lingers. Bringing it before God at the start of your day is like washing your face before you walk out the door. It helps you begin clean and centered in grace.
2. Use Psalm 139 as Your Daily Prayer
King David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23–24 is a powerful pattern for spiritual reflection:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Those words invite God to do what we often resist—shine light into the hidden corners of our hearts.
When you pray that verse, don’t rush it. Pause after each line and let the Holy Spirit bring things to mind. You may remember something you said that wasn’t kind, or a decision that wasn’t completely honest, or simply a place where you’ve been holding back from God.
This isn’t about condemnation. It’s about clarity and freedom. Confession begins with seeing clearly. You can’t wash what you don’t acknowledge is dirty. When you pray “Search me, O God,” you’re not asking God to accuse you—you’re inviting Him to heal you.
Think of it as holding your heart up to the light of grace. God doesn’t expose what’s wrong to shame you; He exposes it to cleanse you.
3. Keep a Short Confession Journal
Journaling doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need pages of writing or poetic phrasing. Try this simple rhythm:
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Write down one word or phrase that describes something weighing on your heart—impatience, worry, envy, pride, fear.
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Then next to it, write one short phrase of truth from Scripture—“His mercies are new every morning” or “The Lord is gracious and compassionate.”
That little two-column exercise becomes a picture of grace. On one side is the grime; on the other is the cleansing water. Over time, you’ll begin to see patterns—recurring struggles, but also recurring mercies.
A confession journal isn’t about tracking failure; it’s about tracing God’s faithfulness. When you look back, you’ll see how consistently He’s met you with forgiveness and renewal.
This simple practice also slows you down long enough to actually process your prayers. It turns confession from something abstract into something you can see and touch—a record of grace unfolding in your life.
4. Replace Self-Criticism with Agreement
In the sermon, we talked about a subtle but profound shift: confession isn’t about informing God of your sin—He already knows. It’s about agreeing with God that something is wrong.
That change in language makes all the difference.
When we “inform” God, we tend to treat confession like a performance review: “Here’s what I did wrong, here’s why, I’ll try harder next time.” It can leave us feeling guilty and small.
But when we “agree” with God, we step into partnership. We’re saying, “God, I see what You see. I agree with You—this isn’t right. And I’m thankful for Your mercy to make it right.”
It’s not a shameful moment; it’s a unifying one. We’re coming into alignment with the heart of God.
You might even try praying this simple prayer of agreement:
“Lord, I agree with You. This isn’t who I want to be, and it’s not who You made me to be. Thank You for cleansing me, for forgiving me, and for helping me live differently.”
You’ll be surprised how freeing that feels. It moves confession from guilt to grace, from striving to surrender. And that’s exactly where the Holy Spirit loves to meet us.
5. End Each Day with Gratitude
At the end of the day, before your head hits the pillow, take one more moment to check in with God.
You might pray something like this:
“Thank You, Lord, for walking with me today. Thank You for Your patience, Your mercy, and Your cleansing Spirit. If I’ve picked up any dirt along the way, wash it off. Refresh me tonight so I can wake up new again tomorrow.”
Gratitude is the spiritual equivalent of rinsing off before bed. It keeps the residue of the day from building up in your heart.
When gratitude becomes the bookend of your day, even your mistakes become part of the story of grace. You’ll begin to notice that the same God who washed you clean yesterday is already waiting with new mercies tomorrow.
A Closing Thought: The Fountain Is Always Flowing
You wouldn’t go days without showering. Why go days without cleansing your heart?
The good news is that you don’t have to wait for Sunday, or a crisis, or a spiritual retreat to get clean inside. The Holy Spirit’s fountain is always flowing—ready to wash away the grime of guilt, the dust of distraction, and the weariness of a restless heart.
Confession isn’t about shame. It’s about freedom. It’s about stepping under the flow of God’s mercy again and again and letting Him do what He loves to do—restore, renew, and refresh His people.
So today, take a moment. Turn on that spiritual tap. Let the living water of the Spirit flow over you. Agree with God about what needs to change, and then rest in the assurance that through Christ, you are already clean.
The fountain is open. Step in.
Reflection Challenge:
This week, try adding one of these practices to your daily rhythm. Maybe it’s a one-minute morning “heart check,” or maybe you’ll start a short confession journal. Ask God to show you how to keep your soul clean and clear before Him.
As Zechariah reminds us, “On that day a fountain shall be opened… to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” That day is today—and the fountain never runs dry.
The Restoration Journey – The sermon related to this blog post is part of a broader program called The Restoration Journey, which is a six-week faith adventure that includes:
- 6 sermons on biblical truths to help you experience renewal by God’s Spirit
- Weekly Sacred Rest Meditations to accelerate your spiritual restoration
- The Restoration Journey Daily Devotional Guide to help you deepen your connection with God and bring daily renewal into your life.
Get your renewal journey started today by getting access to these invaluable tools at:
http://fpcrogers.com/therestorationjourney