HEARTS FOR GOD
A 5-Day Devotional
Key Thought: God isn't simply looking for people who believe in Him. He desires hearts that are completely surrendered, obedient, and connected to Him.
DAY 1 — WHERE IS YOUR HEART?
Scripture
Psalm 119:33–40
“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” — Psalm 119:36
The Psalms give us an incredible window into the heart of David. We see his victories, his failures, his fears, his struggles, his repentance, and his worship.
David wasn't perfect, but his heart continually turned back toward God.
In Psalm 119, David repeatedly asks God to teach him, give him understanding, direct him, turn his heart, and turn his eyes. David understood something important: our hearts have a direction.
The question isn't whether your heart is devoted to something. Your heart is always being directed somewhere.
The question is: Where is your heart pointing?
Jesus said that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Our priorities, our time, our money, our relationships, and our choices often reveal what our hearts truly value.
It is possible to say, “I love God,” while our daily lives communicate something very different.
God doesn't want our leftovers.
He doesn't want the few minutes we can spare, the resources we don't need, or the attention we have left after everything else has been taken care of.
He wants our hearts.
David said:
“My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.” — Psalm 119:112
Today, take an honest look at your heart.
Is it set on God?
Reflection
Lord Jesus, search my heart. Show me anything that has taken Your rightful place in my life. Turn my heart toward You and away from selfish desires. Help me love what You love and desire what You desire. I don't want to give You my leftovers. I want to give You my whole heart. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Before you begin your day, spend a few quiet moments asking:
“Jesus, what has my heart today?”
Then surrender whatever He reveals.
DAY 2 — BELIEVE IN JESUS WITH YOUR HEART
Scripture
Romans 10:9–10
“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Having a heart for God begins with Jesus.
Christianity isn't simply about knowing facts about Jesus. It's about surrendering your heart to Jesus.
We can know about Jesus without truly knowing Him.
We can attend church, sing worship songs, read Scripture, and even talk about God while never fully surrendering our lives to Him.
Romans tells us that we believe with our heart.
The heart represents the center of who we are—our desires, our will, our affections, and our devotion.
That's why following Jesus isn't supposed to be something we do only on Sundays.
It is a daily surrender.
Every morning we can say:
Jesus, I belong to You.
I give You my heart.
I set my mind on You.
I fix my eyes on You.
I offer my body as a living sacrifice to You.
Ephesians 5:14 says:
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
What a powerful picture.
Wake up.
Rise.
Let Christ shine.
Paul goes on to tell believers to be careful how they live and to make the most of every opportunity.
A heart surrendered to Jesus eventually becomes a life that reflects Jesus.
Reflection
Jesus, I believe in You with my whole heart. You are my Savior and my Lord. Wake me up spiritually. Help me live as a child of light. I surrender my thoughts, desires, plans, body, time, and future to You. Shine through my life so others can see You. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Start your morning by physically opening your hands and praying:
“Jesus, I belong to You. Everything I have belongs to You.”
Then live your day with that truth in mind.
DAY 3 — A HEART THAT OBEYS
Scripture
John 14:15
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Love and obedience are inseparable in the life of a disciple.
Jesus didn't say, “If you love me, think nice thoughts about me.”
He said:
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Obedience isn't how we earn God's love.
We obey because we have received His love and because we love Him in return.
Jesus summarized God's commands in two great commandments:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
And:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22
Notice where Jesus begins:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart."
God doesn't want a divided heart.
He doesn't want to be one priority among many.
He wants our whole heart.
This is why God's commands matter. They teach us how to love God and how to love others.
The commands of God aren't designed to make our lives miserable. They are designed for our good and our growth.
When we refuse to obey God, we aren't demonstrating freedom.
We are demonstrating that something else has captured our heart.
The real question isn't simply:
"Do I know God's commands?"
The question is:
"Do I love God enough to obey them?"
Reflection
Father, give me a heart that desires to obey You. Forgive me for the times I've known Your will and chosen my own way. Help me understand that obedience is an expression of love. Teach me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Identify one command of Jesus that you need to take more seriously this week—and put it into practice today.
DAY 4 — ABIDE AND BEAR FRUIT
Scripture
John 15:4–5
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Jesus gives us one of the clearest pictures of what it means to live with a heart for God.
He describes Himself as the vine and us as the branches.
A branch doesn't struggle to produce fruit by itself. It doesn't try harder to become connected to the vine. Its life comes from the vine.
The branch simply remains connected.
Jesus said:
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
Then He gives us this important reminder:
“Apart from me you can do nothing.”
Those words challenge our tendency toward self-reliance.
We can become busy doing things for Jesus while failing to spend time with Jesus.
We can serve in ministry without abiding.
We can know Scripture without allowing Scripture to transform us.
We can attend church without developing a daily relationship with Christ.
We can try to produce the fruit of a Christian life through our own strength.
But Jesus says the answer is simple:
Remain in Me.
When we abide in Christ, fruit begins to grow.
Galatians 5:22–23 describes that fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Fruit is evidence of a healthy connection.
If we want to become people who have hearts for God, we must remain connected to God.
That means spending time in His Word.
It means praying.
It means listening.
It means obeying.
It means worshiping.
It means allowing God to prune away attitudes, habits, desires, and relationships that keep us from becoming more like Jesus.
Sometimes pruning hurts.
But the Father's purpose isn't to harm the branch.
It is to make it more fruitful.
Jesus tells us that remaining in Him and allowing His words to remain in us changes everything.
A fruitful Christian life doesn't begin with trying harder.
It begins with staying connected to Jesus.
Reflection
Jesus, You are the Vine, and I am a branch. I cannot produce lasting fruit apart from You. Help me remain in You every day. Teach me to love Your Word, spend time in Your presence, listen to Your voice, and obey Your commands. Prune away anything that doesn't belong in my life. Produce Your fruit in me so that my life brings glory to the Father. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Set aside 15 uninterrupted minutes today to simply be with Jesus.
Put away your phone and distractions.
Read John 15:1–10 slowly.
Then ask:
“Jesus, what are You saying to me?”
Don't rush to fill the silence. Abide.
DAY 5 — GIVE GOD YOUR WHOLE HEART
Scripture
James 4:7–10
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
We've spent the past four days asking what it means to have a heart for God.
We've discovered that a heart for God:
Surrender.
James tells us to submit ourselves to God.
Then he says:
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
What an invitation.
God isn't standing at a distance waiting for us to somehow become good enough to approach Him.
He invites us to come near.
But coming near requires us to lay down our double-mindedness.
James says:
“Purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
A double-minded heart wants God and the things of the world.
It wants the blessings of God without the sacrifice of following Him.
It wants Jesus as Savior without Jesus as Lord.
It wants God's direction while still insisting on having our own way.
But God is calling us to something deeper.
A whole heart.
Psalm 119:112 says:
“My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.”
David's heart wasn't perfect.
But it was pointed toward God.
That's the goal.
Not perfection.
Devotion.
Not earning God's love.
Responding to God's love.
Not giving God whatever is left over.
Giving Him our first and our best.
So today, ask yourself some honest questions.
Do I know Jesus?
Have I truly accepted Him as Savior?
Is He Lord over my life?
Am I obeying His commands?
Am I making prayer a priority?
Am I spending time in God's Word?
Am I faithfully giving back to God?
Am I making disciples?
Am I abiding in Jesus?
These aren't questions intended to shame us.
They're invitations to examine our hearts.
God's commands aren't meant to steal our joy. They lead us into the life God created us to live.
Jesus said:
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Our obedience becomes an expression of our love.
Our prayer becomes an expression of our dependence.
Our generosity becomes an expression of our trust.
Our discipleship becomes an expression of our participation in God's mission.
Our abiding becomes an expression of our desire for Jesus Himself.
This is what a heart for God looks like.
So today, don't simply ask:
“What am I doing for God?”
Ask:
“Where is my heart?”
Then give God everything.
Reflection
Take some time to prayerfully consider each question:
Father, I give You my whole heart. Search me and know me. Reveal anything in me that has taken Your place. Forgive me for the times I have given You my leftovers instead of my first and my best. I submit myself to You. Turn my heart toward You. Help me resist the things that pull me away from You. Teach me to come near to You every day. Make me a faithful disciple who makes disciples. Let my life bear fruit that brings glory to Your name. Jesus, You are my Savior, my Lord, and my everything. I belong to You. Amen.
Today's Challenge — A Year of a Heart for God
Don't let these five days simply become something you read and then forget.
Choose to live differently.
For the next year, intentionally pursue these four practices:
1. PRAY
Give God more than a few rushed moments.
Create regular, uninterrupted time to talk with your Father and listen to Him.
2. GIVE
Honor God with your resources.
Give faithfully and generously as an expression of your trust and worship.
3. MAKE DISCIPLES
Take Jesus' Great Commission seriously.
Invest in someone.
Help someone grow.
Share your faith.
Make disciples who can make disciples.
4. ABIDE
Remain connected to Jesus every day.
Stay in His Word.
Pray.
Obey.
Worship.
Listen.
Follow.
Remember:
“Apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5
Final Thought
A heart for God isn't demonstrated by what we say on Sunday.
It is demonstrated by how we live Monday through Saturday.
It is revealed by what we treasure.
It is revealed by what we pursue.
It is revealed by how we spend our time.
It is revealed by how we use our resources.
It is revealed by how we treat people.
It is revealed by whether we obey Jesus.
And it is revealed by whether we remain connected to Him.
So as you finish this five-day devotional, pause and ask:
Where is my heart?
Then hear the invitation of James:
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Come near.
Surrender.
Abide.
Obey.
Bear fruit.
And give God your whole heart.
Jesus, I belong to You.
A 5-Day Devotional
Key Thought: God isn't simply looking for people who believe in Him. He desires hearts that are completely surrendered, obedient, and connected to Him.
DAY 1 — WHERE IS YOUR HEART?
Scripture
Psalm 119:33–40
“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” — Psalm 119:36
The Psalms give us an incredible window into the heart of David. We see his victories, his failures, his fears, his struggles, his repentance, and his worship.
David wasn't perfect, but his heart continually turned back toward God.
In Psalm 119, David repeatedly asks God to teach him, give him understanding, direct him, turn his heart, and turn his eyes. David understood something important: our hearts have a direction.
The question isn't whether your heart is devoted to something. Your heart is always being directed somewhere.
The question is: Where is your heart pointing?
Jesus said that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Our priorities, our time, our money, our relationships, and our choices often reveal what our hearts truly value.
It is possible to say, “I love God,” while our daily lives communicate something very different.
God doesn't want our leftovers.
He doesn't want the few minutes we can spare, the resources we don't need, or the attention we have left after everything else has been taken care of.
He wants our hearts.
David said:
“My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.” — Psalm 119:112
Today, take an honest look at your heart.
Is it set on God?
Reflection
- What currently receives most of your time and attention?
- What do your choices reveal about what you value?
- Is there anything competing with God for first place in your heart?
- What would it look like to give God your whole heart today?
Lord Jesus, search my heart. Show me anything that has taken Your rightful place in my life. Turn my heart toward You and away from selfish desires. Help me love what You love and desire what You desire. I don't want to give You my leftovers. I want to give You my whole heart. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Before you begin your day, spend a few quiet moments asking:
“Jesus, what has my heart today?”
Then surrender whatever He reveals.
DAY 2 — BELIEVE IN JESUS WITH YOUR HEART
Scripture
Romans 10:9–10
“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Having a heart for God begins with Jesus.
Christianity isn't simply about knowing facts about Jesus. It's about surrendering your heart to Jesus.
We can know about Jesus without truly knowing Him.
We can attend church, sing worship songs, read Scripture, and even talk about God while never fully surrendering our lives to Him.
Romans tells us that we believe with our heart.
The heart represents the center of who we are—our desires, our will, our affections, and our devotion.
That's why following Jesus isn't supposed to be something we do only on Sundays.
It is a daily surrender.
Every morning we can say:
Jesus, I belong to You.
I give You my heart.
I set my mind on You.
I fix my eyes on You.
I offer my body as a living sacrifice to You.
Ephesians 5:14 says:
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
What a powerful picture.
Wake up.
Rise.
Let Christ shine.
Paul goes on to tell believers to be careful how they live and to make the most of every opportunity.
A heart surrendered to Jesus eventually becomes a life that reflects Jesus.
Reflection
- Have you personally surrendered your heart and life to Jesus?
- Is Jesus merely your Savior, or is He also the Lord of your life?
- What area of your life needs to be surrendered to Him today?
- Are your daily choices reflecting that you belong to Jesus?
Jesus, I believe in You with my whole heart. You are my Savior and my Lord. Wake me up spiritually. Help me live as a child of light. I surrender my thoughts, desires, plans, body, time, and future to You. Shine through my life so others can see You. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Start your morning by physically opening your hands and praying:
“Jesus, I belong to You. Everything I have belongs to You.”
Then live your day with that truth in mind.
DAY 3 — A HEART THAT OBEYS
Scripture
John 14:15
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Love and obedience are inseparable in the life of a disciple.
Jesus didn't say, “If you love me, think nice thoughts about me.”
He said:
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Obedience isn't how we earn God's love.
We obey because we have received His love and because we love Him in return.
Jesus summarized God's commands in two great commandments:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
And:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22
Notice where Jesus begins:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart."
God doesn't want a divided heart.
He doesn't want to be one priority among many.
He wants our whole heart.
This is why God's commands matter. They teach us how to love God and how to love others.
The commands of God aren't designed to make our lives miserable. They are designed for our good and our growth.
When we refuse to obey God, we aren't demonstrating freedom.
We are demonstrating that something else has captured our heart.
The real question isn't simply:
"Do I know God's commands?"
The question is:
"Do I love God enough to obey them?"
Reflection
- Is there an area where I know what God wants but am choosing not to obey?
- What competes with God for my heart?
- Do my actions demonstrate that I love Jesus?
- Am I loving God with my whole heart or giving Him only part of it?
Father, give me a heart that desires to obey You. Forgive me for the times I've known Your will and chosen my own way. Help me understand that obedience is an expression of love. Teach me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Identify one command of Jesus that you need to take more seriously this week—and put it into practice today.
DAY 4 — ABIDE AND BEAR FRUIT
Scripture
John 15:4–5
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Jesus gives us one of the clearest pictures of what it means to live with a heart for God.
He describes Himself as the vine and us as the branches.
A branch doesn't struggle to produce fruit by itself. It doesn't try harder to become connected to the vine. Its life comes from the vine.
The branch simply remains connected.
Jesus said:
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
Then He gives us this important reminder:
“Apart from me you can do nothing.”
Those words challenge our tendency toward self-reliance.
We can become busy doing things for Jesus while failing to spend time with Jesus.
We can serve in ministry without abiding.
We can know Scripture without allowing Scripture to transform us.
We can attend church without developing a daily relationship with Christ.
We can try to produce the fruit of a Christian life through our own strength.
But Jesus says the answer is simple:
Remain in Me.
When we abide in Christ, fruit begins to grow.
Galatians 5:22–23 describes that fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Fruit is evidence of a healthy connection.
If we want to become people who have hearts for God, we must remain connected to God.
That means spending time in His Word.
It means praying.
It means listening.
It means obeying.
It means worshiping.
It means allowing God to prune away attitudes, habits, desires, and relationships that keep us from becoming more like Jesus.
Sometimes pruning hurts.
But the Father's purpose isn't to harm the branch.
It is to make it more fruitful.
Jesus tells us that remaining in Him and allowing His words to remain in us changes everything.
A fruitful Christian life doesn't begin with trying harder.
It begins with staying connected to Jesus.
Reflection
- Am I genuinely abiding in Jesus, or am I simply staying busy doing things for Him?
- How much uninterrupted time do I spend with God each day?
- What fruit is currently evident in my life?
- Is there something God may be asking me to allow Him to prune?
- What could I change in my daily routine to remain more closely connected to Jesus?
Jesus, You are the Vine, and I am a branch. I cannot produce lasting fruit apart from You. Help me remain in You every day. Teach me to love Your Word, spend time in Your presence, listen to Your voice, and obey Your commands. Prune away anything that doesn't belong in my life. Produce Your fruit in me so that my life brings glory to the Father. Amen.
Today's Challenge
Set aside 15 uninterrupted minutes today to simply be with Jesus.
Put away your phone and distractions.
Read John 15:1–10 slowly.
Then ask:
“Jesus, what are You saying to me?”
Don't rush to fill the silence. Abide.
DAY 5 — GIVE GOD YOUR WHOLE HEART
Scripture
James 4:7–10
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
We've spent the past four days asking what it means to have a heart for God.
We've discovered that a heart for God:
- Is turned toward Him.
- Believes in Jesus.
- Obeys His commands.
- Abides in Christ.
- Produces fruit.
Surrender.
James tells us to submit ourselves to God.
Then he says:
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
What an invitation.
God isn't standing at a distance waiting for us to somehow become good enough to approach Him.
He invites us to come near.
But coming near requires us to lay down our double-mindedness.
James says:
“Purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
A double-minded heart wants God and the things of the world.
It wants the blessings of God without the sacrifice of following Him.
It wants Jesus as Savior without Jesus as Lord.
It wants God's direction while still insisting on having our own way.
But God is calling us to something deeper.
A whole heart.
Psalm 119:112 says:
“My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.”
David's heart wasn't perfect.
But it was pointed toward God.
That's the goal.
Not perfection.
Devotion.
Not earning God's love.
Responding to God's love.
Not giving God whatever is left over.
Giving Him our first and our best.
So today, ask yourself some honest questions.
Do I know Jesus?
Have I truly accepted Him as Savior?
Is He Lord over my life?
Am I obeying His commands?
Am I making prayer a priority?
Am I spending time in God's Word?
Am I faithfully giving back to God?
Am I making disciples?
Am I abiding in Jesus?
These aren't questions intended to shame us.
They're invitations to examine our hearts.
God's commands aren't meant to steal our joy. They lead us into the life God created us to live.
Jesus said:
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Our obedience becomes an expression of our love.
Our prayer becomes an expression of our dependence.
Our generosity becomes an expression of our trust.
Our discipleship becomes an expression of our participation in God's mission.
Our abiding becomes an expression of our desire for Jesus Himself.
This is what a heart for God looks like.
So today, don't simply ask:
“What am I doing for God?”
Ask:
“Where is my heart?”
Then give God everything.
Reflection
Take some time to prayerfully consider each question:
- Is Jesus truly the Lord of my life?
- What has my heart been pursuing lately?
- What needs to be surrendered to God?
- Is prayer a priority in my life?
- Am I intentionally growing through God's Word?
- Am I obeying Jesus even when obedience is difficult?
- Am I actively making disciples?
- What is one area where God is asking me to trust Him more?
Father, I give You my whole heart. Search me and know me. Reveal anything in me that has taken Your place. Forgive me for the times I have given You my leftovers instead of my first and my best. I submit myself to You. Turn my heart toward You. Help me resist the things that pull me away from You. Teach me to come near to You every day. Make me a faithful disciple who makes disciples. Let my life bear fruit that brings glory to Your name. Jesus, You are my Savior, my Lord, and my everything. I belong to You. Amen.
Today's Challenge — A Year of a Heart for God
Don't let these five days simply become something you read and then forget.
Choose to live differently.
For the next year, intentionally pursue these four practices:
1. PRAY
Give God more than a few rushed moments.
Create regular, uninterrupted time to talk with your Father and listen to Him.
2. GIVE
Honor God with your resources.
Give faithfully and generously as an expression of your trust and worship.
3. MAKE DISCIPLES
Take Jesus' Great Commission seriously.
Invest in someone.
Help someone grow.
Share your faith.
Make disciples who can make disciples.
4. ABIDE
Remain connected to Jesus every day.
Stay in His Word.
Pray.
Obey.
Worship.
Listen.
Follow.
Remember:
“Apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5
Final Thought
A heart for God isn't demonstrated by what we say on Sunday.
It is demonstrated by how we live Monday through Saturday.
It is revealed by what we treasure.
It is revealed by what we pursue.
It is revealed by how we spend our time.
It is revealed by how we use our resources.
It is revealed by how we treat people.
It is revealed by whether we obey Jesus.
And it is revealed by whether we remain connected to Him.
So as you finish this five-day devotional, pause and ask:
Where is my heart?
Then hear the invitation of James:
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Come near.
Surrender.
Abide.
Obey.
Bear fruit.
And give God your whole heart.
Jesus, I belong to You.
