Teach me Your ways, O Lord, and show me how real love works. You have shown me that great faith, acts of sacrifice and supernatural miracles produce little if not undergirded with love. It is love in my actions that makes them able to produce anything of real meaning. Love is a gift You’ve given to everyone … so how do I put it to work in my life? This much I know … Your kind of love is directed outward toward others. If I am going to be successful in using it, I must be willing to die to myself so that I can live for You in the lives of others. As I focus on the needs of others, I am assured that You will meet mine. Your kind of love goes against my natural urge of self-preservation but, if I choose to emulate Your life, You will see that I’m taken better care of than if I did it myself. I believe that as I grow closer to You, more of Your love will flow through me to others.
In the world today, love has developed a lot of mixed meanings and much of what is called love is counterfeit. This causes people to be confused about what real, unselfish love is. For love is the greatest of all human qualities and is the part of You that lives in us. True love involves unselfish service to others … which is a sign of genuine care and concern. As my faith in You and hope of Your faithfulness align with one another, I am freed to love completely because they become my enablers. It is Your love that motivated You to share Your goodness with me … and, it is Your love in me that motivates me to get outside of myself and share what You’ve given to me with others. To become loving like You, both my mind and spirit must also become aligned. When they are in agreement, all things are made possible through my love for You.
Show me the ways of love. Teach me to be patient and tolerant of others’ flaws and shortcomings … knowing that I am not perfect myself. Show me how to be kind and compassionate toward the circumstances of others. Help me resist becoming puffed up understanding that my achievements are “rubbish” compared to what you can do through me. Remove from me all selfish and self-centered desires and teach me to see others as You see them. Quench my anger so I can become a peacemaker. Help me not hold grudges or wish harm to others. I want my words to be truthful and honest. In Your love, show me how to be protective of those needing protection … be trusting of those who need to be trusted … pray for those who need prayers … and, persevere in doing good works. Since Your love never fails, help me put it to work in helping others. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Ephesians 3:17-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and deep and long and high is the love of God and to know this love that surpasses all understanding …