Women’s Prayer Team - Week 39
Have you ever completed your devotions or listened to a message and that topic gets reiterated to you again in a different way? This happened to me last week. My husband, Casey, and I were doing our devotions together one morning, and I decided to read the book of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John after he had taught on John in our Life University class. After I had read these books in my devotions, my small group lesson this past Sunday happened to be on 1 John 4 – “God is love.”
1 John 4 discusses abiding in God and His love, and it instructs us to love one another because love is of God. We get a clearer picture of what love is in this passage. I have a better understanding of love and often need to be reminded of love like I was this past week.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
1 John 4:11-12
We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
PRAYER TIP #39 – Pray to Love God and Love Others
We are commanded to love one another because love is of God. Everyone who loves knows God because He is love. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. This comes out of 1 John 4:7-8 which I have listed above. These verses really stood out to me and convicted me in a new way because I sometimes react out of my feelings rather than reacting in love. Loving God with all of your heart, your mind, your soul, and your strength is the first and greatest commandment (Mark 12:30). The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). It is a COMMANDMENT from the Lord - to love Him with everything we have and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The beauty of it and the importance of it is this:
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35
The apostle John spent a lot of time with Jesus, and was known as “the apostle Jesus loved.” This was an encouragement to me when I heard this. I want to encourage you to be known for how you love God and for how you love others. People will know that we are disciples of Him if we have love for one another. May this be an encouragement and a reminder for you to love today and everyday.
Prayer Points:
Lord, help me to love You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Lord, help me to love my neighbor as myself.
Jesus, I pray that people will know that I am Your disciple by the way I love others.
I pray that I will be reminded of this today and everyday, to love You with everything inside of me, and to love my neighbor as myself.
Suggested Prayer - Pray these words in your heart or out loud:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Who You are and I thank You for sending Your Son to come and die on the cross for our sins. Thank You for showing Your love to us by sending Your Son. Lord, I ask that You help me to love You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. May I have a love for You and Your Word daily. Lord, I ask that You help me to love my neighbor as myself. May I not act or react out of selfish emotions or desires, but may I be filled with the love that You show us. Help this to be a daily reminder for me. In my weakness, help me to show love. When I am frustrated at someone or something, help me to show love. I need You, Lord, every step of the way. I can't and I don't want to do this life without You. I love You so much!
In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.
Love,
Brooke Hartley
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