Today I offer an advent prayer celebrating the love of Jesus and His love within us.
Father God, our Glorious Lord and Everlasting King, You are truly Love. All that You do and all that You say is an expression of Your love for us. You love us so much that You sent Your only Son Jesus to this world to be our Guide and Savior. May we embrace Your love, and the self-sacrificing love of Jesus, for through His sacrifice we have been granted mercy, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. Jesus, thank you for modeling how to abide in love – for if we abide in love, we abide in You, and You dwell within us. Because of this love, and the indwelling Spirit, we are recognized as children of God, those who are made in God’s image and saved according to His promises. Faith, hope and love are critical to living in a Christlike way, and we are only able to love our neighbors because You first loved us, so may we love them as You do. May we live self-sacrificially as You did, giving of ourselves out of love, laying down our pride and possibly even our physical lives in the service of our Lord and neighbors. In this way Your love within us encourages forgiveness, grace, and mercy, covering a multitude of sins against us, just as You forgive our multitude of sins against You. Please help us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as You love us, forever and ever, amen.
[Inspired by: Jn 3:16, Rm 5:8, 1 Jn 4:16, 1 Jn 3:1, 1 Cor 13:13, 1 Jn 4:19, Jn 13:34, Jn 15:13, 1 Pt 4:8, Mt 22:37-38]
~ Conqueror in Training