I can remember a time in my life that I would always say these words of David prior to saying any prayers.  Somehow I had it in my mind that I was not clean enough to have my prayers heard if I did not "self-clean" or "wash away" any grime prior to contact with God.  I came to realize that such an attitude was ridiculous.  How could I ever ask God to "renew" a right spirit within me?  Jesus is within, and that is as "right"-eous as I can ever possibly become.  In a very real sense, I was developing a "works" mentality because I was attempting to "maintain" my relationship with God by myself.  ...It was like saying...."Thank you Jesus, but I can handle it from here....".  We do a lot of dumb things in our walk with God.  Fortunately, for us, He is merciful and gracious toward us... and mostly, He is very patient....

 

     Although I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, eventually I came around to the right way of understanding that it's all about Jesus... and there's nothing about me, without Him, that is ever enough to have a "clean heart" before God. 

 

     The example of this is seen in the Old Testament, when the Hebrew's would bring a sacrifice to the alter as an offering to God for their sins.  The High Priest would inspect the lamb prior to slaughter....  They would be  sure that is was without "blemish or spot". (Exodus 12:5)  If it was able to pass the "inspection", then the sacrifice was made.  The High Priest did not inspect the man, only the sacrifice....  It's the same way with God...  If we go before Him, He isn't looking at us, He inspects the Offering, which is His own perfect Son, and by no means will ever refuse Him....  We are only able to come before Almighty God because of the sacrifice that Christ made for us.  God does not examine the sinner, only the sacrifice...  Jesus alone opens the door so we may come before God sinless....

 

     So, ....I came to this understanding.....  Come to Jesus just as you are... God sees us in Christ, without fault, sin, or blemish.  There is nothing we can do to "maintain" that relationship with God.  ....It's all about Jesus.  He does it all.  My heart is as "clean" now as it was on the day that I was born again.  ...So I finally "retired" that persistent prayer of David's... you know, the one that I constantly repeated prior to any conversation with God.  Because Jesus did it all, He is all that I will ever need!