Devotion is an action that gets God’s attention. Nothing pleases Christ more than to give God veneration. And the two keys that capture a powerful devotion are prayer and selfless service.
When God embraces us with His grace, then we become united with Christ. As a result, from this connection, the Holy Spirit emerges, and God’s presence enters our souls. It’s in the Trinity our lives shift from darkness into eternal light. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand the need to devote ourselves to God.
Prayer and Devotion
Prayer is the first key to unlocking the power of devotion. Each of us can attest to the undeniable proof of how prayer provides us the strength to move past problems. This resolution is not by accident but comes from God’s faithfulness.
You must wonder how prayer relates to devotion.
The answer lies in Christ. Jesus devoted Himself to God and used prayer as the means to do so. Each of the Gospels gives testimony to Christ’s loyalty through prayer. He spent time away from everyone and humbled Himself before God.
I’m sure you’re with me on this one that abiding in Christ never leads us away from God. And since Jesus is God’s way using prayer will draw us closer to the Lord.
Besides the evidence Christ shows in the power of devoted prayer (John 17: 20-26), our revelation to its effectiveness supports this truth. In fact, God designed prayer to improve our consciousness with His Spirit. And by devoting ourselves through prayer, our connectedness with Him increases.
Given these points, it becomes my responsibility to use prayer in my devotion to God.
Devotion and Selfless Service
One of the most rewarding experiences Christ offers is selfless service. His death on the cross exemplifies unselfishness. It’s in His crucifixion the real meaning of selflessness emerges. Remember, He sacrificed His life so everyone could find salvation.
Before Jesus faced death, He devoted Himself to serving others. On one of those occasions, He washed the Disciples feet (John 13:12-17). This shows Christ’s compassion towards humanity.
Even God shows altruism, first He created life and again in redemption. Now if that’s not enough evidence for me to extend my selfless services to others then I need to examine myself.
Here’s the interesting part of selfless services. The more I’m willing to give without expecting a return the greater my connection with God grows. And in return, my trust in Christ strengthens.
Service is where devotion takes on the form of giving. Here we spread Christ’s message through acts of generosity. It’s easy to help those I love.
But the challenge is showing selflessness to those I dislike. And when I reach out and serve difficult people the Holy Spirit brings an inner-peace so incredible it keeps me motivated to help them.
As shown above, it takes devotion to serve others. With Christ’s examples of giving coupled with our faith, we become eager to better serve those in need.
We have discussed two Christian principles that bring the power of God into our lives. You will discover many throughout the Bible. Here’s something we both can agree on is devotion unveils a strong bond with Christ.
Walter,
Taking time for prayer and devotion seemed like a tall order when I first began. Now I need it, like water or food. My biggest challenge is selfless service. I have to renew my mind constantly.
Hi, Deb. I’m with you on the tall order of prayer and service. Our experiences with those are similar and with the same struggles. The neat thing is with perseverance and God’s patience I’m improving. Blessing to you and your family. Thanks for sharing, I always enjoy your honesty and faith.
I agree. Selfless service can be difficult. I do have to make a conscious effort to look for opportunities to do this. Thank you for your article–always inspiring.
Hi, Han. Yes, it can be a struggle giving and it’s hard to find the right situation because too many people are not honest. Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Always good hearing from you. Love to you and family.
Thank you for writing this and sharing here on your site. It is hard to serve difficult people. How do I begin to love God the way I should? JToday I read this and I love it: “Try to do it as the man in Mark 9:24 asking God to help. So I too can ask God to help me in areas where I can’t love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. I need His power to do the impossible!
Hello Ariella and it’s good to hear from you again. I agree with you that it’s in learning from God we can find love for those people who make it hard to do so. I loved your choice of scripture Mark 9:24 is an excellent reminder that God is all-powerful and will never mislead us. GBY and your family.