October, 2003 Prayer Corner

“Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 )

How quickly the summer has slipped by. Already most of us are on full throttle with activities and responsibilities associate with school, work, church, family and friends. Most of us continue in our work serving our clients in need or managing charitable agencies. The Ephesian Christians, according to Revelation 2:1-7, were proudly working and boldly suffering for God. Yet God pinpointed a key problem. While doing their good deeds they had forsaken their first love. They were admonished to remember and to repent.  They were reminded to remember the beginning of their faith journey - how they had lived out of a passionate and spontaneous love relationship with God. They were told to repent, and to spend time doing what couples do when they first fall in love - spending intimate time together, talking about everything, pleasing each other, etc. Most of us have experienced this kind of love. God loves us. Do we actively love Him? He does not want us to substitute an intimate relationship with Him ministry, or our worship with mere church attendance, our fervent prayer with seminars, or our obedience with mere sacrifice. God invites us to return to our first love for Him.

Loving God, forgive us for misplacing our love. Help us to fall in love with You again. Amen.

Steve Chu

Toronto, ON