“Of all the commandments, which is the most important one?” (Mark 12:28)
A Daily Prayer of Dedication
Good morning, God.
Today I will love you with all my heart
and with all my soul
and with all my mind
and with all my strength –
not just because you have commanded me to do so,
but also because that is the desire of my heart.
I will love you with my whole being
because you have first loved me
unconditionally,
everlastingly,
passionately,
uniquely.
I will love you with my whole being
because you have loved me with your whole being,
emptying yourself of the privileges of deity
and becoming a servant
and offering yourself as a sacrifice for my sins.
I will love you with my whole being
because apart from you there is no life –
for you alone are
the way
and the truth
and the life.
And so, good and loving God –
gracious and compassionate,
abounding in steadfast love –
I will love you with my whole being today.
For if I do not love you with all my heart
and with all my soul
and with all my mind
and with all my strength,
then I will not truly live today the abundant life
that you offer to me.
If I do not love you with my whole being,
the flowers will be less brilliant,
the mountains will be less majestic,
the ocean will be less impressive,
the song of the birds will be less melodious,
the sun will shine less brightly.
If I do not love you with my whole being today,
then my life today will be diminished.
If I do not love you with my whole being, O Lord,
my love for my family and
my love for my friends and
my love for my neighbor
will fall short of love’s potential.
Today I will love you with all my heart
and with all my soul
and with all my mind
and with all my strength,
for only then will all other things
find their fulfillment.
And only then can I be truly alive.
Amen.
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