Monday's reading is Isaiah 1
Our religious practices and behaviour should be an outpouring of the love for God that is going on in our hearts, both as individuals and collectively. God doesn't mind if we try out a new prayer activity in church and it falls completely flat. He loves the fact that we tried, that we were looking for new ways to be close to him. How we spend our time and money should reflect the love we have for God, not just the love we have for ourselves (Because I'm worth it!).
What breaks God's heart is when people skillfully execute a church service, be it one with a written liturgy, or one where the liturgy is built on decades of people's expectations, but the worship and the prayers fail come close to touching our hearts.
God wants to set the agenda, and he wants to rule our lives 24x7, he's not looking for a time-share agreement. Verse 15 - 17 read:
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
We can't turn up to church on a Sunday, nominally engage with what is going on, and go home feeling a little more holy, only to forget all about it for the rest of the week. Neither can we spend £5 a week on Fairtrade tea and coffee and feel that we can tick the 'Seek Justice' box.
Worshiping God and advancing His kingdom on earth needs to be the primary focus of our lives. Lighting that spark for Jesus in the hearts of our children should be a primary focus on our activities. And when we decide how we spend our time and money, seeking God's will should be automatic. "Not just my tea and coffee Lord, but my whole bank account should glorify you!"
