Help me, Lord, not to trade Your commandment of love for my own comfortable rules and habits today.
It is so easy to focus on appearances—on doing the right things, following my little rules and rituals, and keeping my hands seemingly clean.
I want others to see how well-ordered my life is, but You, Lord, see straight into my heart. You see the mess I try to hide behind a facade of good deeds and habits.
Cleanse my heart, not just my hands
Lay me bare before myself, Lord. Show me where I am only cleaning the outside of the cup, while the inside is full of selfishness, envy, and fear. Do not let me be satisfied with a polished exterior when there is darkness within me.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (Matthew 23:25)
I do not want to honor You only with the words I speak in prayer while my mind wanders and my heart remains cold and distant. I pray that I may not be merely an echo of Your words, but truly Your reflection in the world.
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)
Not Human Traditions, but Your Word
Lord, how skillfully I too can nullify Your command with my own traditions. How often do I say, “This is Corban” (that is, a gift devoted to God), and use it as an excuse to avoid Your true will?
I dedicate my time, my energy, and my resources to “projects for You,” while neglecting the call of my father or mother, ignoring the needs of my neighbor, or overlooking the pain of a friend. My traditions—my comfort, my schedule, my plans—become more important than Your simple commandment of love.
Help me today to understand and live by the truth that sets free.
“Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” (Mark 7:15)
Therefore, today I ask for a clean heart. I ask for a renewed spirit within. Holy Spirit, blow through the hidden corners of my soul and cleanse what truly defiles me. May my heart be close to Yours today.
Amen.
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