And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God], Ezekiel 11:19 (Amplified Bible Classic Edition, AMPC)

This verse speaks of a soft and tender heart towards God that is given to us by God Himself, making us sensitive and responsive when God touches us.

The more we keep our hearts soft and tender before God, the more we will feel His touch, His hand on us, His presence in our lives, and sense His Spirit working in us and for us. The more we obey God, the more we keep our hearts soft before Him to more easily obey and follow Him. The more we hear God and obey Him, the more we will hear Him speak to us.

As we pray, this trains our spirits to be led by the Holy Spirit. As we soak in His Word, His Word softens our hearts, by watering the ground of our hearts. As we praise God, praise plows our hearts to receive rain from heaven (the outpouring of God’s Spirit) so we produce fruit in our hearts and lives.

If we disobey God, each time we do so, our hearts become harder, like Pharaoh’s did- and it cost him his life!

When God touches us and gently leads us to pray, fast, give, and so on, the more we do so, the more we stay sensitive to Him. And then His love in our hearts will cause us to love others the way God loves them. When we give as God tells us to, we become more like Him, for God is the greatest Giver of all (John 3:16). As we follow God’s instructions without hesitation, we become more aware of God and more sensitive to His heart. We will experience more of God; His touch and presence.