Represent Retreat Book

Day 18

Take a moment and pray before reading the following passage. Pray that God will open your heart and mind to the truth of his Word. If you have time, read the passage more than once—underlining things that stand out to you. “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22.37-39 Dear Father, all the commandments are fulfilled in one word and that is, love. O Lord, your love has filled the seas, land, air, and all creatures large and small. By the treacherous deception of our enemy Satan, and our hearts, we have been separated from your love, yet Christ Jesus has destroyed the barrier of lies and made a straight way for us to see clearly. We now love you with all our hearts: the heart that is broken, the heart that is full of life, the heart that beats the first time, and the heart that finishes the race here on earth. We now love you with all of our soul, the soul who now mingles intimately with your Holy Spirit, being carried through life’s storms and sunny days. We now love you with all of our minds, the mind exploring your Word and your ways from sunrise to sunset. Amen.

30