To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he answered, Say it, Teacher. 41 A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more? 43 Simon answered, The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt. And he said to him, You have judged rightly. 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. 48 And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this, who even forgives sins? 50 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

O Lord God,

We are to love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind.

Are breaking our alabaster flasks for You, or are we protecting them for our own use?

Are we pouring out the precious ointment for You, or are we keeping it for our own use?

Are we worshiping You unreservedly, or do we hold back?

Do we truly understand how You offered Your body to broken? You did not protect Yourself.

Do we truly understand how You poured out Your precious blood? You did not keep it for Yourself.

Do we truly understand how You worshiped unreservedly? You held nothing back.

You loved us with all Your heart, all Your soul, all Your strength and all Your mind.

We confess we often become consumed with working for you and we forget the first thing: To love You. You are looking for us to love You with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind.

We confess we do not love You as we ought. We protect ourselves. We guard ourselves. We hold back. But You deserve all our love. You showed us Your love for us by offering Yourself a living sacrifice. You humbled Yourself and came to be a servant. You came not to do Your will but Your Father's will. You poured Yourself unto death. You willingly offered Yourself up as a burnt offering to take the place we deserved. You bore our sin and shame and guilt. You become obedient unto death, even death on the cross. You took the punishment we deserved. You loved us while we were yet sinners. You died for the ungodly. You gave us all Your love. Help us to love You as You loved us. Help us to know Your love for us so we might love You as we ought.

...according to the riches of Your glory, may You grant us to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in our inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith—that each one of us, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know Your love that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19, adapted.

Amen.

Reread and reflect on the story of the sinful woman's love for the Lord Jesus. Ask Him to show you have you have left your first Love, and then confess that to Him and ask Him to help you repent and return to Him, your first Love.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Which commandment is the most important of all? 29 Jesus answered, The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Father, Son and Spirit,

Search our hearts. You are to be our first Love. What keeps from You? What keeps us from our first Love? What keeps us from walking with You? What keeps us from being united to You? How can we walk with You unless we are agreed with you? How can we walk with You if we continue to worship idols and entertain sin?

Show us, O God, where we have abandoned You. Show us where we have left our first Love. Be gracious to us and lead us into Your light. We are children of light, yet we confess that when we worship idols and when we entertain sin, we are no longer walking in the light and our fellowship with You is broken. It is then we most need Your light, but yet we shrink back from Your light. Yet unless we come into Your light, we cannot see our idols and our sins. Unless we are in Your light, we cannot confess our idols and our sins and receive Your forgiveness and cleansing. Unless we are in Your light we cannot purify ourselves as Your are pure. Unless we are in Your light we cannot walk in the light. Unless we are in Your light we cannot love You as we ought and walk with You. Unless we are in Your light we will continue to love other things besides You.

We can only see ourselves clearly as we come into Your light. We confess we hide our idols and our sins in the deepest and darkest recesses of our hearts and minds, so deep that sometimes we can neither see them nor acknowledge them. We need You to bring us into Your holy light. Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked.

Be gracious to us and lead us into Your light. Search us O God with Your light. Yes, it will be bright and blinding but we must come. Your mercy, grace and kindness will meet us there are show us our idols and our sins for Jesus' sake. It is Your desire to sanctify us. Bring us into Your light.

We can only put off our idols as we see them.
Show Your mercy to us,
Bring us into Your light.

We can only put off our sin as we see it.
Show Your mercy to us,
Bring us into Your light.

Show us what keeps us from walking with You, our first Love.
Show Your mercy to us,
Bring us into Your light.

Show us what keeps us from loving You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength.
Show Your mercy to us,
Bring us into Your light.

Search us, O God.
Shine Your light in those deep, dark places of our souls.
Show us the idols we bow down to, the idols that keep us from loving You as we ought.
Show us the idols that keep us from loving You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength.
Show us how we have left You, our first love.
Show us the idols which have become our first love.
Show us the idols which keep us from walking with You, our first Love.
Restore us to You, our first Love.

Search us, O God.
Shine Your light in those deep, dark places of our souls.
Show us the sin that so easily entangles us, the sin that keeps us from loving You as we ought.
Show us the sin that keeps us from loving You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength.
Show us how we have left You, our first Love.
Show us how our sin has become our first love.
Show us how our sin keeps us from walking with You, our first Love.
Restore us to You, our first Love.

Give us a holy hatred for the idols that keep us from bowing down to You.
Give us a holy hatred for the idols that keep us from loving You as we ought.
May we no longer love our idols.
May we have no other gods but You alone.
Strengthen us to us forsake our idols and to tear down all our idols
You alone are worthy of all our love.
Give us a heart of love for You alone.
Restore us to You, our first Love.

Give us a holy hatred for the sins that keep us from being holy as You are holy.
Give us a holy hatred for the sins that keep us from loving You as we ought.
May we no longer love our sin.
May we have no other gods but You alone.
Strengthen us to forsake our sin and repent of all our sin.
You alone are worthy of all our love.
Give us a heart of love for You alone.
Restore us to You, our first Love.

By Your mercy and grace, O God, May we have a closer walk with You once more, so You might be truly be our first Love, so we might love You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength. Strengthen us to put off our idols and forsake our sin. Restore us to You, our first Love. Amen.

Spend some time in reading the Scripture and prayer and quiet reflection. Do not rush. Ask the Lord to shine His light into your heart and search you and show you your idols and your sins, to show you where you are not walking with your first Love. As His Spirit leads you, please add your prayers here of confession and repentance as well as your prayers for strength to love Him with all Your heart, soul, mind and strength. (Please keep in mind this is a public forum, so please use discretion.)