Today I offer a prayer for loving one another. There has been more senseless violence in the world this week, which is unfortunately a daily occurrence now. People are not loving each other the way God intended, and Jesus modeled. I pray that people would experience the love of Christ through His church, and learn to exercise that in their daily lives.
Father God, our Magnificent Lord, You are the definition and source of love. Jesus, You are the embodiment and physical outpouring of love. Holy Spirit, You are the fulfillment and teacher of love. Just as You have loved us O God, may we love everyone we see, as an extension of how we love You, the one we have not seen. May we love everyone with earnest, familial affection, and compete in showing honor, for love covers a multitude of sins and rebuilds broken relationship. In this way may others take notice and know we are Your children / disciples. May we fulfill Your commandments by loving others, just as You have loved us. May love be an action, lived out not only in our words, but in our actions and integrity. May our free will be used in Your service, and the service of Your children, not the service of the sinful flesh. If we are truly born again through Christ Jesus then we should know and follow Your heart’s desires, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and forgiving any sins against us. May we do these things with all humility, gentleness, kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness, and patience, bearing with one another through the easy times, and the difficult ones. May we even do good and lend to our enemies, showing kindness to those who are ungrateful and evil, expecting nothing in return, just as Jesus loved those who persecuted Him. May our souls be purified through our obedience to the truth of Your love by earnestly serving others. Let’s therefore, with Your guidance and wisdom, continue to encourage others and build them up. May we have unity of mind, sympathy, familial love, a tender heart, and a humble mind, in the service of You and Your people, from this day forward, amen.
[Inspired by: Jn 13:34, 1 Jn 4:20, 1 Pt 4:8, Rm 12:10, Jn 13:35, Rm 13:8, 1 Jn 4:11, 1 Jn 3:18, Gal 5:13, 1 Jn 4:7, Lev 19:18, Eph 4:2, Eph 4:32, Lk 6:35, 1 Ths 5:11, 1 Pt 3:8]
~ Conqueror in Training