I believe so much of the key to developing in the Lord is growing in our capacity to love and receive love from God. If we don't receive love then we don't give love and if we don't have love from the Lord how can we love ourselves much less others? Therefore our priority is growing in our relationship with the Lord in all aspects of the trinity and that growth comes from love.
So how do we grow in love? We first realize that we are loved beyond all understanding. We are always being loved and the Lord is always mindful of us, what we need to do is develop our spiritual senses and receptivity so as to receive the love that is already and constantly being given. It's like a plant that doesn't grow because for some reason it doesn't realize it's in the sun. It sounds like an impossible and silly thing and yet I feel it's applicable to us, we already have infinite love available to us if we just open the doors to allow ourselves to receive it. My first prayer therefore is the prayer of receptivity to the love of God.
Prayer to Receive the Love of God
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the perfect incarnation of God and you are God, who contains all love and who is love, please open the doors of my heart with the key of David that I may receive the love that you are already showering me with, for the doors you open cannot be closed. May the understanding of my spirit, soul, heart and mind be so expanded as to fully comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of your love. May I grow in your love like a young plant in the dry ground that is this world, being nourished from the bread of love that belongs to no man but is a heavenly bread which leads to eternal life. Love is first and so Lord I pray that I receive your love in its fullness, that my heart, mind and soul be purified to so receive your love in its fullness, and that my spiritual faculties be enlarged in your love. I thank you Lord and I praise you Lord for showering me with your love and may I use this nourishment that you have provided to me to nourish others. I thank you Lord and I praise you Lord for your love!
Once we are beginning to receive love then our responsibility and desire is to return it to God and to our neighbors. And in this way we are bearing good fruit for the Lord and are blessed in our doing.
Prayer to Love the Lord and Others
Lord the sum of the commandments is to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. May all of my will be guided to this purpose and may this calling demonstrate itself in all of my works in Christ. I pray that all that I am is consecrated for and dedicated to this purpose. Lord I know that love is more than a feeling, it is a choice. To love the Lord I must obey his commandments and so I pray for the desire, faith, strength and courage to obey your commandments and not to let one word of yours fall to the ground, that I may show my love by my obeisance. I also pray that I have a love which endures all things, bears all things, that is filled with hope and faith. May I be unselfish, not insisting on my own way, bearing the burdens of my brothers, abhorring evil, loving truth and justice and being prepared to lay down my life for my brothers if needed. I pray for the love of sacrifice, for you died for me in the midst of my sins, may I lose my life for you that I may take it up again in you. Thank you Lord!
So how do we grow in love? We first realize that we are loved beyond all understanding. We are always being loved and the Lord is always mindful of us, what we need to do is develop our spiritual senses and receptivity so as to receive the love that is already and constantly being given. It's like a plant that doesn't grow because for some reason it doesn't realize it's in the sun. It sounds like an impossible and silly thing and yet I feel it's applicable to us, we already have infinite love available to us if we just open the doors to allow ourselves to receive it. My first prayer therefore is the prayer of receptivity to the love of God.
Prayer to Receive the Love of God
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the perfect incarnation of God and you are God, who contains all love and who is love, please open the doors of my heart with the key of David that I may receive the love that you are already showering me with, for the doors you open cannot be closed. May the understanding of my spirit, soul, heart and mind be so expanded as to fully comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of your love. May I grow in your love like a young plant in the dry ground that is this world, being nourished from the bread of love that belongs to no man but is a heavenly bread which leads to eternal life. Love is first and so Lord I pray that I receive your love in its fullness, that my heart, mind and soul be purified to so receive your love in its fullness, and that my spiritual faculties be enlarged in your love. I thank you Lord and I praise you Lord for showering me with your love and may I use this nourishment that you have provided to me to nourish others. I thank you Lord and I praise you Lord for your love!
Once we are beginning to receive love then our responsibility and desire is to return it to God and to our neighbors. And in this way we are bearing good fruit for the Lord and are blessed in our doing.
Prayer to Love the Lord and Others
Lord the sum of the commandments is to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. May all of my will be guided to this purpose and may this calling demonstrate itself in all of my works in Christ. I pray that all that I am is consecrated for and dedicated to this purpose. Lord I know that love is more than a feeling, it is a choice. To love the Lord I must obey his commandments and so I pray for the desire, faith, strength and courage to obey your commandments and not to let one word of yours fall to the ground, that I may show my love by my obeisance. I also pray that I have a love which endures all things, bears all things, that is filled with hope and faith. May I be unselfish, not insisting on my own way, bearing the burdens of my brothers, abhorring evil, loving truth and justice and being prepared to lay down my life for my brothers if needed. I pray for the love of sacrifice, for you died for me in the midst of my sins, may I lose my life for you that I may take it up again in you. Thank you Lord!
