Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Worship comes from the heart. The Bible says in Matthew 15:18-19,
18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Our biggest issue is that we have a heart problem. When our hearts become hardened by sin, we turn away from what is right. Jesus said that we are to worship in Spirit and truth. But when our hearts are hardened, we cannot do that. When we are saved, God takes care of this issue:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
It is up to us to make sure that we don’t harden our hearts after we have been given this precious gift. But even if we do, God is faithful to forgive us when we come to Him in repentance. When we come in repentance, we can ask that God give us clean hands and a pure heart. When we cry out for a pure heart, we should also ask for a spirit that is wholly dedicated towards God. With clean hands, a pure heart, and a right Spirit, we can confidently approach God in worship.
Worship Him today as you were intended to. Let nothing come between you and God. And God will richly reward you with Himself.
A short prayer of preparation:
Father in Heaven, You are holy, and cannot be in the presence of evil. Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned against You and You alone. Give me clean hands and a pure heart that I may worship You in truth and Spirit. Wash me clean with the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to turn from sin and turn towards You. Prepare my heart as You did when I first came to know You. Soften it from the hardness of sin, and may my entire being rejoice in Your presence. Strengthen me this day, and help me to resist that which so easily ensnares me. Help me to offer up my life as a living sacrifice to You so that it will bless You. May all praise, glory, honor, strength, and dominion be Yours forever and ever. Amen.
Want more? Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?
CHRIST ALLIANCE CHURCH 