Has someone ever gotten you a gift so insignificant or done something so little for you but it moved you to tears that the person thought of you and intentionally did something for you?

You know that saying, “It’s the heart that matters” or “It’s the thought that counts”, could have an even greater meaning for us if we apply it to our lives as believers and that is what we would be learning today.

Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ ‭

New King James Version

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

The most important principle of prayer and our devotion to God as a whole is this one thing; a broken and a contrite heart.

What is a broken and contrite heart?  It is a heart that recognizes God as its master and that is sensitive to the promptings of God. A heart that submitted to the will and instructions of God at every point. A heart that is not swayed in by the deceit of pride and self-sustenance. A heart that is aligned with God and his principles.

Hence, if your devotion, service, and even prayer to God is not one that has your heart aligned, you are doing it wrong: all you are is futile and is not service to God.

Many times we are caught in the trap of desiring validation from men and thereby taint our service to God. But this is not what the Scripture’s view on devotion is.

God is clear in Scripture about how our worship to God should be, what we must do is to learn his way and do it with all our hearts.

John‬ ‭4‬:‭24‬ ‭

New King James Version

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

‭God is spirit. Therefore, the way to worship him is in spirit and truth! This is what the Bible tells us.

For example, in the place of prayer, the best and most important prayer posture is the posture of the heart. So it does not matter how eloquent you are or the presentation of all the good that you did today like that Pharisee in Luke 18 but humble your heart before him.

Unfortunately, sometimes, what we focus on is the duration, the words we say, or how good we are. You want to pray in tongues for 2 hours straight because someone else is doing it and that’s amazing but what is the posture of your heart? What is your heart saying?

Because God is spirit and does not only hear the words from your lips but also hears the words of your heart and it could be that what is being said from your mouth is not what your heart is focused on.

So you end up spending 2 hours rambling in tongues but your mind is not even focused and unbeknownst to you, what makes the prayer powerful is your heart and your mind not your voice or your kneeling posture, but your heart.

Isaiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭‬‬

New King James Version

13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

One can never tell the effectiveness of devotion by natural observation. Because people can draw to God with their mouths and not with their hearts.

It is possible for a person to give all their goods to the poor and have no love and because God is spirit, motives matter.

Men see the outward and judge actions but God sees the heart. Men hear what you say but God hears what you don’t say.

So every aspect of devotion is a matter of the heart. Every action of devotion is as powerful as the extent of the devotee’s heart’s alignment with God.

Today, ask yourself these;

Is my mind focused on God?

Am I listening to God?

Can He instruct me?

Am I truly devoted to him?

Is my heart right or is my service only for the eyes of men?

If your answer to any of those questions was no? It’s time to align your heart now.

Prayer Point:

I now understand that God sees my heart and my motives. So today, I align my heart and mind with his. My service comes from a place of total devotion to him and not for eye service. In all I do, my life gives glory to God.