Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”—Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)
Dear LORD God,
Oh, that I could more perfectly reflect back to You the same love with which You first loved me—and then actively love others, just like I love myself!
Help me not to get so
distracted by my own thoughts and plans that I fail to be focused on loving You
as I am commanded to do—and miss the opportunity to participate with You, in
loving others all around me.
Help me to avoid the trap
of believing that there could be anything more important than these
all-inclusive commands—commands that are not restricted by time or place,
commands I should follow no matter where I find myself.
Help me to make room
within my heart, so that You can fill it completely with Your love—a love that
overwhelms me, consuming my soul—and then let my every thought, and the
motivation behind everything I say and do, spring forth out of my love for You.
And as You have loved me,
help me to love others—with that same compassion, patience, kindness, mercy,
forgiveness, and grace that You have shown me—by willingly and obediently
allowing You to use me, to demonstrate Your love for them.
Oh, that I could more perfectly reflect back to You the same love with which You first loved me—and then actively love others, just like I love myself!
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
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