Psalm 51:10-13

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Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

We need the Lord to strengthen us into our inner man so that our spirit may be immovable, unshakable, standing constantly as something firm and steady. We even need to repent for having a spirit that is not so firm, not so steady, and that’s the reason we are able to be tempted and fail.
--agodman

"Given a renewed heart, the pathway for expressing thanksgiving to God is made up of two primary lanes that often are intermingled — prayer and praise. We choose to include in private and public times of prayer expressions of grateful dependence on our generous Heavenly Father. We also make sure to give thoughtful attention to expressions of praise to Him, both for who He is and what He does. In doing so, we are obeying the admonition of Psalm 100:4: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.”
--Jerry Batson; Alabama Baptist

These verses express David's plea for God to create a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit. He asks God not to cast him away or remove the Holy Spirit, acknowledging the need for God's presence and guidance. David also prays for the restoration of the joy of salvation and a willing spirit to obey and be sustained by God. Finally, he commits that if God restores him, he will teach others about God's ways so that they too will turn back to God.
The prayer in Psalm 51:10-13 highlights key aspects of repentance, including recognizing deep sinfulness, depending on God for cleansing and renewal, desiring renewed closeness with God, and committing to a transformed life that helps others

Only God can restore the balance of what’s off in our lives. He can perfectly restore us and put things in perspective. -Hebrews12 Endurance

“This may serve for a trial to discern who may lay just claim to Christ’s mercy. Only those that will take his yoke and count it a greater happiness to be under his government than to enjoy any liberty of the flesh; that will take whole Christ, and not single out of him what may stand with their present contentment; that will not divide Lord from Jesus, and so make a Christ of their own, may make this claim. None ever did truly desire mercy for pardon but desired mercy for healing. David prays for a new spirit, as well as for a sense of pardoning mercy (Ps. 51:10).”
- Richard Sibbes (1577–1635), The Bruised Reed, p. 80

Starting over with a clean page in our spiritual life promotes the desire to have a right spirit toward God, others and ourselves. A right spirit creates right relationships.
A ‘right spirit’ is a gift from God Tim McConnell There is something close and personal in the reading of Psalm 51. These are confessional words David wrote after committing the terrible sins of adultery and murder. In verse two David writes, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” David certainly realized the moral and spiritual “dirtiness” that had resulted from his sin as he prayed for forgiveness. Now in verse 10, David continues his prayer with a plea for a deeper cleansing in which he says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a right spirit within me.” It is the “right spirit” part that gets my attention. Starting over with a clean page in our spiritual life promotes the desire to have a right spirit toward God, others and ourselves. A right spirit creates right relationships. Hopefully, we will never commit the crimes that David did, but a right spirit is necessary in our relationship with God and others. Our relationships can begin to turn inward, becoming even selfish, if we are not very careful. As we grow older, gain experience and add knowledge to our resumes, we may find ourselves less than consistent with demonstrating a “right spirit.”
Rev. Tim McConnell, assistant pastor of Long's Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake Junaluska

"In every generation in the Old Testament God chose priests and prophets to represent Him to the nation of Israel. The work of the priest was to represent the people before God. In other words, the priests and Levites were responsible for the appropriation of the worship of the true God and to offer the sacrifices of the people to God. The prophet on the other hand, was God’s spokesman for the nation. Therefore, the prophet represented God to the people. God spoke to the prophet through His Spirit and the prophet in turn communicated God’s word to the nation. So, God provided the knowledge of Himself through His chosen priests and prophets. He also provided the knowledge of Himself through His mighty deeds. Occasionally too, God’s Spirit fell upon kings of his own choice. The Spirit of God manifested Himself in King Saul. The Spirit of God manifested Himself to King David even when he was just a shepherd boy. When David ascended the throne, God gave the nation a prophet by the name Nathan. You all know the story of David’s affair with Bathsheba. When David refused to admit, confess, and repent of his sin he lost his fellowship with the Spirit of God. He could no longer hear the voice of God (Psalm 32). God out of His grace and compassion for David sent the prophet Nathan to him and you all know the dialogue that ensued between Nathan and David. Out of this dialogue came Psalm 51. This Psalm of David is the Psalm of contrition or repentance and forgiveness. In this Psalm David makes some remarkable statements in verses 10-12. But what I would like to draw your attention to is in verse 11. Have you ever thought about why David prayed, “Do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me?” David was keenly aware of what had happened to his predecessor, King Saul. Because of rebellion and disobedience God had withdrawn His Spirit from Saul. Instead, God allowed an evil spirit to torment Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). David was aware of Saul’s plight because he played his harp for Saul whenever the evil spirit tormented Saul. As David played the harp the king felt better. Therefore, David did not want what happened to Saul to come upon him. That is why David prayed, “Do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me.” Do you see the contrast here? Evil spirit versus the Holy Spirit. Where the presence and the power of God rule the Holy Spirit is at work. Where you do not allow the Holy Spirit to rule and work in your life, evil spirit is in charge. "
--Kennedy Adarkwa; Modern Ghana

As we all move from one stage of our lives to another and as the years begin to add up, our daily prayer can be the same as David’s. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and give me a right spirit. Restore me each day to your joy, O Lord.”
This “right spirit” then spills over into the relationships we have with others. Regardless of our ages or our place on the disciple’s path, God wants to give us this “right spirit.”
It is a gift to be exercised daily reflecting the spirit of Jesus as we walk through each day. Possessing and using this “right spirit” makes a huge difference to each of us, to others we meet, and to God. --Rev. Tim McConnell; Long's Chapel United Methodist Church

" The mechanism of the human body is built to regenerate naturally. Every time we take in a breath, then exhale, we get a clean slate in our lungs. Every beat of our heart offers us a clean slate of oxygen-fed blood moving through and cleansing our body. Every moment we are alive, our cells change, regenerate and grow, giving us a cleaner slate of health.
In addition to our human bodies, creation can offer us emotional renewal (if we take a moment to notice its lessons). Every morning when the sun comes up, life starts anew – literally. Babies are born, oxygen is pumped back into the atmosphere by our forests, rain and sunlight bring growth. Creation, by its nature, offers us the daily hope of a clean slate.
Perhaps the most powerful intimation is on a spiritual level. The Bible is full of reminders like the one in Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
--Rev. Susan Sparks; senior pastor; Madison Avenue Baptist Church; New York City

God puts the Holy Spirit inside of you when you believe and put your love and trust in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit prompts you in accordance with the Word of God. This is why David pleaded: “and take not thy holy spirit from me.”
Then, David says “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit”.
You are freed by knowledge of scripture to know the right paths to take. You have liberty in Christ Jesus. You are free to receive His love and purpose and relationship. You are no longer a slave to sin and its’ negative consequences. You are free. -Dr. Roger Holl; Sterling Grace Community Church

Definition of RENEW1: to make like new : restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection<as we renew our strength in sleep>
2: to make new spiritually : regenerate
3a : to restore to existence : revive
b : to make extensive changes in : rebuild
4: to do again : repeat
5: to begin again : resume
6: replace, replenish <renew water in a tank>
7a :
<renew a license>
b : to grant or obtain an extension on the loan of <renew a library book>
Why do we need God to Renew a Right Spirit within us?
There are a lot of opinions on what was meant when these words were written. The Psalmist asked for God to create in him a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within him. This is my prayer as well. We don’t need God to create a new heart from scratch, we already have a heart, but I think what the Psalmist is trying to say here is that we can’t make our heart clean apart from God. Creating is an action that only God can do. He is the only one who can truly make something out of nothing. -God Is

" No man can be renewed without as real and true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as ever they were. Let your personal weakness, O Christian, be an argument to make you pray earnestly to your God for help. Remember, David when he felt himself to be powerless, did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hastened to the mercy-seat with “renew a right spirit within me.”
Let not the doctrine that you, unaided, can do nothing, make you sleep; but let it be a goad in your side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel’s strong Helper. O that you may have grace to plead with God, as though you pleaded for your very life—“Lord, renew a right spirit within me.” He who sincerely prays to God to do this, will prove his honesty by using the means through which God works.
Be much in prayer; live much upon the Word of God; kill the lusts which have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin. The Lord has his own appointed ways; sit by the wayside and you will be ready when he passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances which will foster and nourish your dying graces; and, knowing that all the power must proceed from him, cease not to cry, “Renew a right spirit within me.” --Adapted from Morning and Evening.

David's heart had been full of lust for Bathsheba, murderous plans for Uriah, and rebellion against God. He desired a new heart, one that was full of love for God and abhorrence of evil. Sin in his heart had brought him nothing but guilt, grief, and remorse. He wanted spiritual heart surgery that only God could perform.

Jesus cited the heart as the source of either good or evil. He explained: "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Jesus also said that "everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). David, therefore, had committed adultery with Bathsheba in his heart before the physical act of adultery took place. He needed a new heart. But he also asked the Lord to renew a right spirit within him (Psalm 51:10). He wanted the kind of spirit that would obey the Lord at all times. -Bible Ref

This was David's prayer.
To create means to cause something to exist where there was nothing before.
To renew means to make new.
David understood that only God could create what was not there before.
He recognized the state he was and prayed to have a clean heart.
He asked that his heart be made pure, that his affection and feelings might be made right.
He was asking for what he conscious that he did not possess -a clean and pure heart.
He also knew this kind of heart can only be produced by the power of God.
A right spirit means a spirit that perseveres, a SPIRIT that is upright, right, proper, true and sincere.
A spirit that is firm, constant and fixed. --RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT IN ME.

" Although David sinned against Bathsheba, her husband, and David’s other wives, he realized he ultimately sinned against God. Therefore his heartfelt prayer was “Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). In verses 7-8, he begged God to “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have broken rejoice.” David felt crushed under the conviction of his offenses against God. Then in verses 10-12 he not only asked for a clean heart, but for a renewed spirit, too. He also asked that he not be cast away from God’s presence and that the Holy Spirit not be taken from him.
According to The Ryrie Study Bible, in the Old Testament, the holy spirit was particularly related to service, rather than salvation. Thus, David was asking God not to take away his service as the anointed kind of Israel.
David asked that God restore the joy of his salvation, as he was likely tired of going through the motions and not experiencing the fullness and joy that comes from living uprightly with a clear conscious.
Finally, David asked God to give him a willing spirit to obey. In other words, David was praying “Give me a strong desire to obey so I don’t break Your heart again.” -Cindi McMenamin; Strength For the Soul

" Think for a moment about what does it mean for God to “put a new and right spirit within me.”? In David’s case, the new and right spirit is a humble spirit that seeks not to take advantage of one’s position and power. However, there are many other reasons why a person might benefit from a new and right spirit. Jealousy, envy, resentfulness, and hate are all attitudes that produce a negative spirit. If we are honest with ourselves we will know when it is time for a” new and right spirit.” However, sometimes its not easy to change yourself. That is why David asked God to change his spirit --Nicholas Hood III Ministries

Charles Spurgeon

" A backslider, if there be a spark of life left in him will groan after restoration. In this renewal the same exercise of grace is required as at our conversion. We needed repentance then; we certainly need it now. We wanted faith that we might come to Christ at first; only the like grace can bring us to Jesus now. We wanted a word from the Most High, a word from the lip of the loving One, to end our fears then; we shall soon discover, when under a sense of present sin, that we need it now. No man can be renewed without as real and true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as ever they were. Let thy personal weakness, O Christian, be an argument to make thee pray earnestly to thy God for help. Remember, David when he felt himself to be powerless, did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hastened to the mercy-seat with “renew a right spirit within me.” Let not the doctrine that you, unaided, can do nothing, make you sleep; but let it be a goad in your side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel’s strong Helper. O that you may have grace to plead with God, as though you pleaded for your very life–“Lord, renew a right spirit within me.” He who sincerely prays to God to do this, will prove his honesty by using the means through which God works. Be much in prayer; live much upon the Word of God; kill the lusts which have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin. The Lord has his own appointed ways; sit by the wayside and you will be ready when he passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances which will foster and nourish your dying graces; and, knowing that all the power must proceed from him, cease not to cry, “Renew a right spirit within me.” -CH Spurgeon “Renew a Right Spirit Within Me”

Cindi McMenamin

Israel’s King David—known for his intimacy with God as expressed through many of the Psalms he wrote—experienced a season of sin in which he committed adultery and then murder to cover up his sin. It’s possible it was a full year or more from the time he first lusted after Bathsheba (a woman who was married to one of David’s “Mighty Men” referenced in 2 Samuel 23:8, 2 Samuel 23:39), to the day he was confronted by a prophet of God for taking another man’s wife and killing that man to cover up his sin (2 Samuel 12:1-9).
Upon realizing the extent to which he had betrayed his God, David penned Psalm 51. It’s a heartfelt prayer, begging for God’s mercy, cleansing, and restoration. In Psalm 51:10-12, David prayed: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a wiling spirit. (ESV) According to Bible scholars, when David prayed “Create in me a clean heart” he used the same Hebrew verb that is used in Genesis 1:1 for the creation of the world, emphasizing that the kind of radical cleansing he needed could only come from God. David apparently knew the redirection of his desires and thoughts could only come about through the intervention of God, as well. --Cindi McMenamin; Crosswalk; What Does it Mean to Ask God to ‘Create in Me a Clean Heart?’ 1.7.20