Demonstrating Love's Attributes

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

—1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to love beyond my mind, will and emotions—understanding that I only truly love when I am presently, actively engaged in demonstrating love’s attributes to others.

Work in me that my love might endure long, so that I might be patient and kind at all times, in all situations, and with everyone I encounter—never allowing any hurt, offense, or injustice to cause me to become bitter, resentful, or vengeful.

Keep me from giving into the temptation to become envious of others or to boil over with jealousy. Instead, help me to celebrate the evidence of Your blessing upon their lives—always remaining content and thankful for the blessings You have poured out on my own life.

Keep me from acting prideful, boastful, arrogant, or rude—and may I never think more highly of myself than I ought, but with humility acknowledge that anything good in me is only because of You.

Keep me from selfishly demanding my own way.  Instead, help me to highly esteem the thoughts and opinions of others, always seeking to understand, that I might grow in knowledge and wisdom.

Keep me from being irritable—by helping me to guard the peace You have placed in my heart, that comes from knowing You and knowing who I am in Christ.

Help me to freely forgive and release others from any wrongs that they have done to me—so that I have no need to keep a record of those wrongs, making me free to live at peace and in joy in the here and now, rather than to be trapped in the past.

Help me to rejoice in truth and justice—as You enable me to discern what is true and just in every situation—and give me the courage and resolve to pursue it.

Show me how to love—so that the love that I offer others will be a love that never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Help me to love beyond my mind, will and emotions—understanding that I only truly love when I am presently, actively engaged in demonstrating love’s attributes to others.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Abounding In Love

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

—Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Let this be my prayer, not only for my brothers and sisters in Christ, but also for myself—that our love might overflow more and more from us, in fullness of knowledge and with depth of insight into all that is right and true.

May we be known for the abundance of our love—our love for You, LORD, our love for one another, and our love for others—and always be growing together in our knowledge and understanding of the power of Your love at work in us, through us, and all around us.

Grant us the discernment to understand what really matters—to put our energies and attention on things that are truly excellent and have the highest moral value—so that our lives might be continually moving deeper and higher in You, as by Your Spirit You continue to do the work of sanctification in our lives, in order that we might live pure and blameless lives and not stumble, or cause others to stumble, along our journey home.

May our lives be marked by the fruit of our right standing with You and our right doing out of the overflow of the love of Christ in us—all for Your glory and praise alone—so that we might truly please You in all that we do.

Let this be my prayer, not only for my brothers and sisters in Christ, but also for myself—that our love might overflow more and more from us, in fullness of knowledge and with depth of insight into all that is right and true.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Hidden Treasure

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

—Matthew 13:44 (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

You have put before me the open field of Your Word.  Help me to diligently search it for the treasure that You have hidden there for me and willingly sacrifice my all in order to make that treasure my own.

Help me not to be satisfied to admire this field from a distance.  Rather, help me to walk through this field, searching its every corner, digging deep below the surface to find that which I might not readily see—that I might find all of the treasure it holds for me. 

Help me to see that the treasure is Christ, Himself—as revealed through Your Word—and that in Him I will find the rich, full, abundance of life that You have reserved for those who love You.

Help me to more fully experience all of the joy, knowledge, wisdom, mercy, grace, forgiveness, righteousness, peace, provision, power, and love that is mine in Christ—as I carefully examine Your Word that I might know Him more.

Help me to be careful to listen for the voice of Your Holy Spirit—as You speak to me and instruct me through the words of Your love story to me—and help me to then be faithful to do all that You show me to do, so that I might walk in all the blessings that You have waiting for those who are obedient to Your Word.

You have put before me the open field of Your Word.  Help me to diligently search it for the treasure that You have hidden there for me and willingly sacrifice my all in order to make that treasure my own.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.