Fully Devoted Heart
OPENING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help me to make choices to guard my heart and keep it fully devoted to you. Amen
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
REFLECT:
What is truly in our heart? If our heart is fully devoted to God, our fruit will be good. If our heart is not devoted to him, our fruit will reveal that as well. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:33-34 NKJ. Our heart’s devotion is revealed by our heart desire, the words that we speak, the places we go, and the way we live.
APPLY:
The heart is another word for emotion, and it is impossible to have a fully devoted heart without loving others. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 NIV. In 1 John he spoke a lot about love and actually referenced himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Love motivates mankind and every person longs for it.
God’s true love is the fruit of the spirit and without love we would have no joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. The gifts of the spirit are all love motivated. That’s why we are compelled to be generous, to serve, and to love. Jesus is the perfect example of how much love can give. As we live our life in God’s kingdom, ask the Lord to reflect his love through us so we can have a fully devoted heart that reaches into our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God takes full responsibility of a heart fully devoted to Him.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father; “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10 KJV. Unlock my heart and pour your love in so I can love others as Jesus loves them. Amen
WORSHIP: