Master My Heart

“Who are you, Master?” — Saul (Acts 9:5 MSG)
“Yes, Master?” — Ananias (Acts 9:10 MSG)

Same word. Same God. Two completely different hearts.

Saul said it out of confusion.
Ananias said it out of clarity.

One was confronted. The other was called.
One was on the run. The other was ready.

Saul's “Master” was a question.
Ananias’ “Master” was a response.

Saul was a feared persecutor of Christians on his way to arrest believers.
Ananias was a faithful disciple already walking closely with God.

It hit me that both of them used the same word, Master, but only one of them truly meant it from the start.

A few years ago, I remember sitting in my car, overwhelmed by the weight of a season I didn’t see coming.
Things I thought I had under control weren’t.
I prayed, but if I’m honest, it was more like a demand. “God, what are You doing?”
I didn’t say Master out of trust. I said it out of desperation.

That was a Saul moment.

But lately, I’ve been praying differently.
Not because life is perfect, but because I’ve learned to recognize His voice.
I don’t say Master to get answers. I say it to give surrender.

That’s an Ananias heart.

So how do we make sure our “Master” is coming from the right place? We take three steps to let God Master our heart:

1. Surrender daily.
Give God access to your thoughts, emotions, and plans. Don’t try to master your life without first laying it at His feet.

2. Stay connected.
Ananias recognized God’s voice because he had a relationship with Him. Spend consistent time in prayer and Scripture to build that same familiarity.

3. Slow down to listen.
God often speaks in quiet moments. Create margin in your day to hear His voice, not just react to noise.

Wherever you are in your walk, whether blinded on the road like Saul or available like Ananias, God is still calling. And He’s still speaking. Here’s a prayer you can make your own:

Jesus, Master my heart.
Shape it, steady it, and teach it to respond to Your voice with trust, not panic.
I don’t want to wait for a crisis to call You Master.
I want to walk with You so closely that obedience is my first instinct.
When You speak, let my answer be yes, not because I understand but because I know You. Amen.

Make it Personal:

• When was the last time I called Jesus Master out of trust, not tension?

• Am I recognizing His voice, or am I too busy to hear it?

• What’s shaping my heart right now, my situation or my surrender?

• What would it look like to live with an Ananias heart today?