Dear Devoted Follower of Jesus,

30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.

Mark 12:30 (AMP)

Devotion- Webster’s defines it this way: 1 a : religious fervor : piety b : an act of prayer or private worship: a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation  2 a : the act of devoting <devotion of time and energy> b : the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal 3 the object of one’s devotion

Being devoted to Him means so much more than a theme or a focus for a period of time. It is an aspect of the heart, mind, and emotions that is seen in our actions.  My prayer is that we will become a people wholly devoted to the one who is wholly devoted to us.

1 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your marvelous works and wonderful deeds!

Psalms 9:1 (AMP)

Each word used in the Amplified Bible and in the Webster’s denotes an aspect that cannot be denied. Devotion is more than a feeling, it is a verb; an action word that compels us to show forth what is within.  It is more than intellectual ascent; it is a love that captures our whole being in its effort to demonstrate. Do you love Him with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind?  If you do others will see by the way you live, the way you act and what your priorities are.

It is amazing to me; only in the Kingdom, can one make a sacrifice and become more blessed because of the giving.  The following scripture says, we are blessed, happy, fortunate and to be envied, when we live a life of devotion to Him.  Do you see a life of devotion as a blessing or a responsibility? Devotion is not a religious act, it is a relational one.

2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.

Psalms 119:2 (AMP)

When we are devoted to one, we cannot fathom our life apart from the one we love, and that thought brings us much pain.  The Psalmist, prayed, do not let me wander aside from your ways.  Oh Lord, help us to be a people who notice when we wander, who desire not to wander and are grieved when we do!!

10 With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; Oh, let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments.

Psalms 119:10 (AMP)

Heavenly Father, as we launch into a new week, help us to live our love for you in a manner that you are touched, blessed and impacted.  Help us to be a faithful Bride as you are a faithful Groom. Help us to be a people who are relationally committed and not religiously indebted.  Help us not wander or stray from our walk with you. Help us to be more aware of the things we do that cause us to stray and wander. Deliver us from our divided hearts so we can be one with you. In Jesus Name Amen.