Have you ever brushed your teeth while thinking about something else and then couldn’t remember if you actually brushed them? Or have you ever prayed a prayer you’ve said a million times and realized halfway through that you weren’t even paying attention to the words?

That’s called “going through the motions”—doing something without really thinking about it or meaning it. And here’s something kind of sad: Sometimes we can do that with God!

God’s people in the Old Testament had this problem. They would go to the temple, bring their sacrifices, and say their prayers—but their hearts weren’t really in it. They were just doing it because they were supposed to. And God said, “What’s the point of all these sacrifices if your hearts aren’t really in it?”

The same thing can happen to us! We can:

• Pray before meals without really thanking God
• Sing worship songs without thinking about the words
• Bring our Bibles to church but not really listen
• Say “I’m a Christian” but not really live like one

God doesn’t want us to just go through the motions. He wants our hearts! He wants us to really mean it when we pray, really worship Him when we sing, and really pay attention when we read His Word!

Think About It: Are you going through the motions with anything in your spiritual life? Maybe you say a prayer before bed every night but don’t really mean it? Or you go to church but just think about other things the whole time? This week, try to REALLY pay attention when you’re doing something for God. When you pray, think about what you’re saying. When you sing, mean the words. When you read your Bible, ask God to help you understand it. God loves you and wants a real relationship with you—not just you going through the motions!