Father God,

Today, I pray that You remove the blindness of Your people. Today, in so many ways the church travels the same paths as the people of Israel who would have claimed that they were following the right worship in the temple. We look down upon those Israelites who were profaning the temple by going through the right motions, yet their hearts were far from God.

Yet, the church today will focus so much on “right worship” while ignoring the heart of worship, loving God and loving one’s neighbor. The church will chastise for deviations from their prescribed patterns, yet have lost sight of loving one another made in the image of God. While it is right for the church to choose wisely what it is singing in the pews, it should also teach the stronger and weaker brothers to love one another.

Teach us once again to love one another according to Your Law, not a permissive love that ignores sin, not a manipulative love that guilts Your children, nor a superficial love that does not lift a finger to show that love. Teach us to love the image of God in other men which works out in word and deed, mutually edifies, and builds bonds of fellowship which can withstand the storms of this fallen world. Then let us come before You and worship rightly.

In Christ’s Name,

Amen.