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MEDITATION:

Written by Christine Caine, a contemporary Australian activist, evangelist, author, and speaker.

It is little wonder that Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God first and foremost with all our hearts. He longs for authentic relationship with us, not a mere religious obligation or empty ritual. God is not at all impressed by empty words or heartless platitudes. In fact, it makes him angry when our words and actions are not sincere. We must take care that our Christianity does not become mere lip service or hollow actions. God wants genuine relationships that stems from our hearts. When we embrace God and his purpose wholeheartedly, it is easier to stay passionate about our faith, our spiritual disciplines, and every other aspect of our spiritual walk. All of our actions and activities flow from our love relationship with God rather than from an obligation to fulfill a Christian requirement. We possess a love for others, for church, for reading our Bibles, for praying and for giving and serving. We love what God loves and desire to do what he does; it is the natural outflow of our hearts. Because love is so important, we must ensure that we continually strengthen our hearts, this core spiritual muscle. We can do this by spending quality time with God, staying in close communication with him, and remaining obedient to his Word. It is through an intimate and daily relationship with God that we are able to give him our whole hearts. Does God have your complete devotion? Until he does, you will not be able to love yourself or others fully. You will always feel like a pretender, a phony, and you will never fully know God’s love for you. But when God is first and foremost in your heart, soul, and mind, all your other relationships will fall into place.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Mozarabic Rite, a liturgical rite of the Latin Church once used generally in the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), in what is now Spain and Portugal. Developed during Visigoth (Arian Christian) rule of the Iberian peninsula in the 500s AD.

O Lord, our redemption. Be our protection. Direct our minds by your gracious presence. Watch over our paths and guide us with your love through the hidden snares of life. Fix our hearts on you as we go forward, and following in faith, arrive at your goal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.