How Do We Cultivate an Undivided Heart to God?
God created us for an undivided heart to Him.
But our hearts learned to partly put our trust in other things in this life.
Ever since I gave my heart to the Lord at sixteen, I’ve heard God’s people speak about whole-hearted devotion to the Lord. Also, how committed believers protect their heart from becoming divided.
Because the Lord never meant for the human heart to belong completely to anything or anyone other than Him.
In college, I chose 2 Chronicles 16:9a as my life verse:
“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (NASB 1995, emphasis added)
According to Dictionary.com, the phrase to and fro means “a continuous or regular movement backward and forward.”
The Lord is looking for people with this kind of undivided devotion and heart for Him.
So where do we even start and how do we go about it? The Bible is the best place to discover the key to giving our heart completely to God—whole hearted and undivided devotion.
God created us for an undivided heart to Him. But we've learned to have divided hearts from life. Share on XAn Undivided Heart: Love, Serve, Seek
We love, serve, and seek the Lord with all our heart. This is an undivided heart.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV, emphasis added)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12 (NIV, emphasis added)
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV, emphasis added)
The Lord never meant for the human heart to belong completely to anything or anyone other than Him. Share on XUndivded Heart: Thanks, Keep, Return
We give thanks with a whole heart. We keep God’s law with a whole heart. And we return to the Lord after repenance with all our heart.
“I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise.” Psalm 138:1 (ESV, emphasis added)
“Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.” Psalm 119:34 (ESV, emphasis added)
After judgement and the need for repentance: “’Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’” Joel 2:12 (ESV, emphasis added)
An Undivided Heart: Remain, God’s People, Trust
God’s people remain true to the Lord and trust Him with all their heart. This is an undivided heart.
Barnabas visits the church of Antioch: “When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” Acts 11:23 (NIV, emphasis added)
Heart completely to God, not to idols: “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20 (NIV, emphasis added)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV, emphasis added)
Prayer:
Father, you know my heart and when it’s divided by the idols of this world. Help me to give my heart completely to you. I desire to love you with all my heart. I want to repent and return to you when I fail to fully obey your Word. Let me praise you with a thankful heart. And help me remain true to you as my God and trust you above anyone or anything. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Father, you know my heart and when it’s divided by the idols of this world. Help me to give my heart completely to you. I desire to love you with all my heart. Share on X
Featured images from our YouTube channel, Friday’s Forever.
Last week’s post, “Did You Know Hope has a Name? Jesus.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected (Grace & Truth).
© 2023 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Lord, may we all love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart!
What a beautiful reminder and inspiration you’ve given us here today, Karen. Blessings!
“Singleness of heart.” Yes, that’s good, Martha! Lord, please help us! God bless, dear Martha.
I often think of how I am sometimes “divided”, in my mind at least, when I am being pulled in so many different directions. Seeking the next payday, your spouse’s admiration, that elusive publishing contract, as if any of these things can really satisfy the longing in our souls. I think that “division” is the result of the enmity placed between man and God. When we are born again, that separation is removed in the spiritual realm, but it remains entrenched in the physical realm. We still need to earn, we still need to be appreciated and admired. Yet, and I have to remind myself of this truth often. We are “overcomers in Christ”, we are enough, He will always provide, and we must strive to live above this world. Such an encouraging post Ms. Karen. Thank you for speaking truth sweet friend. God’s blessings.
All good thoughts, J.D. You describe the true struggle we all face in this life attempting to live the undivided life to our Lord and Savior. We love, serve, and seek the Lord with all our heart. God bless.
Dera karen
Thank you for today’s article that gave me extra energy.
God, I trust you. I am tired, but I still trust you. Lord, I am waiting for your promises and I ask you to do what you can for me.
God, you can do anything. I believe that you are capable.
And I know that you must want to fulfill my prayer .
So I ask you to answer my prayer. Amen
Beautiful prayer, Ahmad. Thanks for your comment and adding your insight to the conversation here.
So true! It’s like being married… I can’t be “partway” married or straddle the fence about my commitment to my marriage. When it comes to God, I need to be ALL IN.
All in–that is a true undivided and fully devoted heart for the Lord above all else. God bless.
I always notice that on the days I only half do my faith then my struggles are much harder. My best days are the days I’m all in, without a divided heart. Thanks for the encouragement Karen.
It is so easy to become distracted from our ultimate devotion to the Lord. Because the enemy and the pull of the world’s shiny things and people lie to us on what brings long-lasting satisfaction and fulfillment. But our heart will never find true rest and fulfillment anywhere but with the Almighty.
My heart didn’t find peace or purpose until I found Jesus. So, yea, our hearts need God – like you said, we were created for this very reason.
Hey Lisa, it really takes finding Jesus to find that purpose and peace in life. And then to live with a whole-hearted devotion to God, even better. God bless.
Karen, what an insightful post. I love how you defined what an undivided heart lives like. And I appreciated your prayer. I found myself asking God to show me if there is anything dividing my heart from Him.
Thank you, Jeanne. I hope to authentically pray that prayer to keep my heart close and undivided to the Lord above all else. Blessings!
A powerful post, sister! “The Lord never meant for the human heart to belong completely to anything or anyone other than Him.” This is a strong statement, one upon which we can stake our lives!
Melinda, I pray to have this kind of heart daily for the Lord. To keep my heart devoted to God more than anyone or anything this world has to offer. God bless.
I so appreciate the watch words you included–guideposts for navigating life in a whole-hearted way. Thank you.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts, Natalie. I pray we trust the Lord with all our heart and seek Him more than anyone or anything.
[…] week we discussed how an undivided heart for God is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and might. (Deuteronomy […]
Such a good post, Karen! It is so easy for our minds and hearts to become divided as we focus on so many things. “The Lord never meant for the human heart to belong completely to anything or anyone other than Him.” When our hearts belong fully to Him then all we do will be completely fulfilling, Thank you for this reminder to keep myself from being divided.
Appreciate that, Joanne. We would never put up with our spouse having a divided heart–us and others he pledged his love too. Likewise, the Lord wants our completed devotion to Him.