A Heart for Christ: August 2025

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Are You Excited About God?

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
—Psalm 37:4 (NLT)

Have you ever thought about how much you enjoy spending time with God? It’s an important question. Do you look forward to reading your Bible or praying? Or does it sometimes feel like just another thing to check off your list?

It’s okay to be honest. We all have days where we don’t feel as close to God, or we just don’t feel like reading His Word or praying. But the Bible tells us to take delight in the Lord. That means we should enjoy being with Him—not just because we have to, but because we want to.

The truth is, spending time with God blesses our lives. We don’t always know how our days will turn out. But if we think about it, the Lord is protecting and providing for us in so many ways we can’t see them all. Sometimes we have to ask Him to help us love Him more. We can pray something like, “Lord, help me want to spend time with You. Help me love Your Word. Give me a heart that really cares about You.” God hears that kind of prayer.

Do You Only Love God for What He Can Give You?

It’s easy to think about God when we want something—when we’re scared, need help, or want something to happen. But God wants us to love Him not just for what He does, but for who He is.

1 Peter 5:2 (NLT) says:
“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.”

That means we shouldn’t follow God just to get blessings. We should love Him even if we don’t get anything in return. Just like you’d want a friend to love you for you, not just for your stuff—God wants the same kind of love from us.

Loving God with Everything You’ve Got

In Luke 10:27 (NLT), Jesus tells us exactly what kind of love God wants from us: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

That’s a big kind of love. It means loving God with your whole heart—not halfway. But the good news is, if we ask Him, He’ll help us love Him like that. He’s not asking us to be perfect. He’s just asking for a heart that wants Him.

Prayer

Dear Father God,
Please help me to enjoy being with You. Give me a heart that wants to read Your Word and talk to You. Teach me how to love You—not just because of what You do for me, but because of who You are. I want to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind. I pray this prayer in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 25, 2025

God Is Loving and Forgiving

When we think about God’s love, we usually picture it as gentle and kind. And that’s true — but God’s love is also so much bigger than we can imagine. When we really understand how much He loves us, it changes the way we see everything.

Take King David for example. Even though he sinned against God, he admitted it and asked for forgiveness. The Bible says in 2 Samuel 12:13 (NLT), “Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.’”God didn’t throw David away. He forgave him.

Or think about Jonah. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah ran in the opposite direction. Jonah 1:3 (NLT) says, “But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.” Because Jonah disobeyed, he ended up in a storm and then swallowed by a giant fish. The Bible says in Jonah 1:17 (NLT), “Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.” But even then, God didn’t give up on Jonah. Later, Jonah 2:10 (NLT) says, “Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.”

Both David and Jonah remind us that even when we mess up, disobey, or try to run away, God still loves us and shows mercy. He forgave them, and He will forgive us too.

Sometimes we think we’ve messed up too badly for God to forgive us. But that’s not true. Psalm 103:12 (NLT) says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”That means when we confess and turn back to Him, our sins are gone — completely forgiven.

God showed His greatest love when He gave His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. John 3:16 (NLT) says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” That’s how much He loves us!

So when life feels hard or we feel guilty for our mistakes, we can still count on God’s love. He never turns His back on us. Instead, He opens His arms wide when we come to Him. That’s why we should always thank Him, praise Him, and never take His love for granted.

Prayer

Dear Father God, thank You for loving me even when I make mistakes. Thank You for always forgiving me when I come to You. Help me to remember that Your love never runs out and that You sent Jesus to save me. Teach me to trust You, obey You, and thank You every day. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, I pray, amen.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Loving How God Made You

Sometimes it’s hard not to compare yourself to other people. You might look around and think, “I wish I looked like them,” or feel insecure about how you look. That can be really tough, especially if someone makes a mean comment. But God wants you to love the way He made you. Thinking you aren’t “pretty enough” or “good enough” can even affect your faith because it’s like saying God made a mistake when He created you—and He never does.

Psalm 139:14 (NLT) says, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”

This verse reminds us that God made each of us special and unique. He doesn’t make mistakes. Everything about you—your smile, your hair, your personality—is part of His amazing plan.

Sometimes, people might judge you by how you look. But God sees things differently. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”

This verse is telling us that what’s on the inside—the heart—is what really matters. It’s more important than how someone looks on the outside.

If you ever feel insecure, pray and ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you. He wants to remind you that you are wonderfully made and help you believe in the special person He created.

So always remember: love yourself, trust God’s plan, and don’t let anyone or anything make you feel “not enough.” God made you exactly the way He wanted—and that is something to celebrate. ■

Monday, August 11, 2025

Staying Focused on God

Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

It’s no secret that staying focused on God can be hard sometimes. There are so many things around us that try to take our attention. The enemy uses distractions to shift our focus off of God and onto stuff that doesn’t matter as much. And we don’t always realize it right away.

Distractions can be anything—like your phone, a crush, laziness, procrastination, or even spending too much time with friends. None of those things are bad on their own, but when they start taking God's place in our hearts, that's when it becomes a problem.

So how can we tell if we’re not putting God first?

Ask yourself things like:

“Have I been spending more time thinking about something else instead of God?”
“Have I stopped reading my Bible or praying like I used to?”

If your answer is yes, but you’re not sure what’s pulling your focus away, ask God to show you. Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart... Point out anything in me that offends you.” Our Heavenly Father will help us see what’s in the way and guide us back to Him, so we can enjoy His peace and blessings.

Talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you stay strong and not let that thing become more important than your time with Him.

You might be wondering, "How do I stay focused when these distractions are everywhere?"

The Bible gives us the answer:

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith...”

James 4:7 (NLT)
“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

These verses remind us to stay alert and strong in our faith. That means spending time with God daily by reading the Bible, praying, and just talking to Him with respect and love. The more we do that, the easier it becomes to notice when something is pulling us away from Him.

Another thing you can do is fast from the thing that’s been taking too much of your time. That could mean putting your phone down for a day or two, or taking a break from social media or video games. Use that time to pray, read your Bible, or even worship. It helps you clear your mind and get closer to God.

The bottom line is that God wants your heart, not just your leftover time. So check in with yourself often, pray for strength, and don’t be afraid to let go of things that are getting in the way. When you keep God first, everything else falls into place.

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Growing Closer to God Through Prayer

Sometimes, when people first become Christians, they feel kind of confused about how to pray. They might be asking things like, What am I supposed to say? Am I doing it wrong? And sometimes that makes them not want to pray much at all. But the thing is, prayer is actually super important. It’s how we talk to God and get closer to Him. It doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect—just real. And the more we do it, the more it starts to feel natural, and the more we grow in our faith.

One verse that really helps with this is Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT). It says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

This verse shows us that we should go to God with all our problems, and He’ll bring healing and give us peace. That’s one of the many awesome reasons why we pray—because God actually listens and helps. But we also should know that when we talk to God, we also need to have faith. He’s not just listening to our words—He’s also looking at our heart too.

And we shouldn’t treat prayer like a wish list. It’s not about asking for stuff like a huge mansion, an expensive car, or a million dollars. Those things are great and there’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, but we also need to check ourselves. Have we been thankful for what we already have? Have we been responsible with the little things God’s given us? When we take care of what we have now, we show God we’re ready for more later. After that, sure—go ahead and dream, and ask God if you're ready for what's next.

We also need to remember that our motivation for being in a relationship with God shouldn’t be based only on getting blessings from Him. We should seek Him because He loves us, He’s our Creator, and He wants to have a close relationship with us.

And don’t forget to thank God for everything He’s already done in your life and all the blessings you’ve received. When God sees that you’re thankful, it shows Him you appreciate what He’s done.

So in conclusion, prayer is how we stay connected to God—it’s how we grow stronger in Him. And when we pray with faith, with honesty, and with gratitude, He responds by covering us with a peace that guards our hearts in ways we can’t even explain.

A Heart for Christ