Prayer When Your Love For God is Growing Cold
Jeremiah 2:2 Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.” ‘
And Jeremiah 2:5 Thus says the Lord: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, And have become idolaters?
Jeremiah 2:6 Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?’
The relationship that we have with the Lord is like a new romantic relationship. At the beginning, we are excited and we would do anything to know God better and to be in His presence. Serving Him is almost effortless and natural.
But as time goes, we need to be intentional about Him, just like in a relationship. When we are not intentional, we find excuses and we speak to Him only when it is convenient for us. This means that our love for God has grown cold.
When Love Grows Cold
The opening verses show the heart of God when our love grows cold. We can feel the hurt in His voice as He remembers how Jerusalem loved Him and followed Him. But all of a sudden, Jerusalem’s love grew cold and she stopped seeking Him. She followed idols and forgot all the Lord has done for her.
Today, we are not following idols of silver and gold. But we are preoccupied with everything except God. Everything is important and we need to attend to it urgently, except prayer. We have time for WhatsApp and social media but no time to meditate on the word of God.
Children of God, we need to return to our first love. The Lord awaits us as a groom awaits his runaway bride on the day of their wedding. He is longing for our sacrificial love like before.
Let Us Pray
Almighty and most gracious Father, You are an intentional God. You have called me by name, written my name in the palm of your hands, numbered the hair on my head and given me a unique fingerprint.
You created me to worship You, love You and bring You glory. But I see how far away I am drawing from You. I continue going to church and having fellowship with other believers, but my love for You has grown cold. Prayer meetings don’t excite me anymore. The sound of my prayer alarm has become annoying. I do read your word but not like before. My excuses have piled up, my God.
What Has Happened To Me?
Oh Lord, what has happened to me? I have forgotten Your call to love You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my might. Practically, You are not the first in my life.
My God! My Beloved. My Redeemer. My Saviour. Forgive me for being preoccupied with myself. Forgive me for spending most of my time with the created instead of my Creator. Forgive me for not fully surrendering my life to You and not giving my body as a living sacrifice.
My God, You are Jehovah Kanna, the jealous God, and You will not share my heart with anyone or anything. Please save me from myself. I surrender myself to You now. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Set my heart on fire for You again. Renew my zeal for You again. Awaken me from my spiritual slumber again. Refresh me and break every addictions to my phone and social media. Help me to continue watching and praying. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Matthew 24:12-13 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.