Circumcised Hearts to Love God More
📖 “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” — Deuteronomy 30:6
Heavenly Father, circumcise our hearts, that we may love You more deeply and purely, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This is the greatest commandment in the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). Yet, the children of Israel struggled to fulfill this command because their hearts were not yet transformed.
But now, in Christ, we have received a greater circumcision—not of the flesh, but of the heart.
📖 “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.” — Colossians 2:11
It is through the knowledge of Christ and the understanding of His Word that we walk in this truth and love as He loves. The second commandment is like the first: “Love your neighbor as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
Love: The Essence of the Kingdom
Love is the life and language of the Kingdom of God.
Love is our standard of righteousness, our mark of maturity, and our weapon of warfare.
📖 “Let love be your highest goal.” — 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT)
📖 “For the love of Christ compels us…” — 2 Corinthians 5:14
Love demands sacrifice. It requires us to die to self daily (Luke 9:23). True love forgives, heals, and endures.
To walk in love is to walk in authority. Without love, we have no spiritual power. Love is a hurt-proof virtue. When perfected in love, offenses lose their sting, and our hearts become unshakable.
📖 “Perfect love casts out fear.” — 1 John 4:18
Love Your Enemies
The righteous way to respond to your enemies is through love and prayer.
📖 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44
Forgiveness is proven when we can sincerely pray for or bless those who have hurt us. Every time a memory of pain returns, choose to speak a blessing in its place.
Love at Home
📖 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…” — John 15:9–10
📖 “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you… and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:31–32
Love must be practiced daily. It is not always a feeling, but a decision guided by God’s Spirit.
🙏🏽 Lord, make my husband/wife tenderhearted toward me.
🙏🏽 Lord, teach my spouse how to love and understand me according to Your Word.
May God’s love rule in your hearts, your homes, and your relationships. May we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus, loving as He loved us.
Love is not weakness. Love is strength. Love is the way of victory.