Nov 20 – The focus of the following is on the Power of God’s love working through our lives based on 1 Corinthians 13: ‘Love never gives up,’ verse 7.

Father, we give You thanks and praise for the revelation of love through our Lord Jesus Christ. The nature of love He revealed to us is completely pure, powerfully effective, and heavenly in origin.

It is a love that refused to give up on His Messianic mission in spite of the opposition of Satan, His religious and political opponents, and many sceptics in the wider population.

His love was most clearly revealed in the events surrounding His death on the cross.

Love often grows purer as it is refined through the fire and the flame – forged by the fire of difficulties and pain, and by the heavenly holy flame from the fullness of the Spirit.

As we prayerfully focus on Christian love this week, may we grow in our understanding of it, but also in our experience of its powerful impact in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen 

Nov 21 – Lord Jesus, 1 Corinthians 13:7, NLT, says, ‘love…never loses faith.’

You spoke about the last days in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24-25. In 24:9-11, You prophesied that many will turn from the faith, and that the love of most will grow cold.

The hatred of, and persecution by, the world against Bible believing Christians is a serious threat to our faith. You predicted that many will turn away from the faith as a result. You also said that because of the increase and pull of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

These are terrible and sad predictions about the true nature of the faith and love of many professing Christians in the Last Days. We believe that we are living in unprecedented times.

The development of our modern, post-Christian Western societies makes holding true to biblical Christianity difficult. However, ‘love never loses faith.’ This love and faith can only come from a true, open and intimate relationship with Yourself.

If there are parts of my relationship with You which weaken my faith and love – forgive me, cleanse and restore me. Amen

Nov 22 – Lord Jesus, ‘love…is always hopeful’ (1 Corinthians 13:7, NLT).

We pray for anybody in our church who is living with hope deferred. Proverbs 13:12 says, ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick;’ or as The Message puts it, ‘living with unrelenting disappointment leaves you heart sick.’

If that unrelenting disappointment comes because of a previous experience when there was the hope for a great thing which never materialised – or because of a false expectation based upon faulty or immature understanding – or because of personal failure which meant that the conditional promise could no longer be enacted – we lay these issues before You.

We ask for a redemptive pathway to lead us away, by the way of the Cross, into a new experience of hope based in Your love. May Your Spirit guide us as we step from a mindset of ‘hope deferred’ to one where ‘love is always hopeful.’ Amen

Nov 23 – Lord Jesus, ‘love…endures through every circumstance’ (1 Corinthians 13:7, NLT).

There are times when we are confronted by a situation, relationship or problem which seems to suck the love right out of us. Instead of operating in love, we begin to operate in our own understanding in the midst of the situation, seek to vindicate self or protect self as the relationship goes toxic, or use worldly wisdom to overcome the problem.

Paul stated that ‘love endures through every circumstance’ – this means that there is the potential for agape love to endure and be the bedrock for our reactions, engagement with and ongoing attitude towards the people in our lives, the situations we find ourselves in, and the things or issues we face.

If Your love is the bedrock, then how much better would our lives be?

Instead of having to apologise for our reactions when destructive heat entered relationships, how we handled ourselves in the situation, or the obtuse and insensitive or abrupt manner we dealt with the problem – we would have made room for the power of Your love to guide our steps, govern our reactions, and shape our manner and disposition.

Fill us with Your love. Amen

Nov 24 – Father, ‘perfect love drives out fear’ (1 John 4:18).

There is such power in Your love developed and matured within us by Your Spirit.

It not only has the power to change our attitude to life, transform our use of our talents, time and treasure, and live as You intended – but it has the power to drive out all unsanctified fear out of our lives.

This doesn’t remove the experience of fear in dangerous or difficult moments, but it allows faith and courage the room to operate and overcome the fear replacing it with peace of mind, calmness of heart, and rest of soul.

We pray that in our church, in person and online, our brothers and sisters in Christ may come into this mature experience and understanding of Your love. If any are controlled or motivated by unsanctified fears – lead them deeper into the power of Your love until victory happens, and the fear expelled. In Jesus’ name. Amen  

Nov 25 – Father, ‘love…is not irritable’ (1 Corinthians 13:5, NLT).

Forgive us for allowing things to un-righteously irritate us leading to carnal and ungodly attitudes and responses.

Being righteously irritated often leads to positive change as we seek to address the irritant by the grace and power of Your word and Spirit at work within.

Instead of being known as irritable, prickly or downright moody or ill-tempered, a person others avoid – we would to be known as a Christian in church who is kind, patient and grace-filled.

In addition, ‘love…keeps no record of being wronged.’

Thank You for the power of these two phrases: ‘love…is not irritable,’ and ‘Love keeps no record of being wronged.’

May Your Spirit use them as instruments in the development of a godly, love-filled character in each of us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Nov 26 – Father, ‘love is patient and kind’ (1 Corinthians 13:4, NLT).

Thank You for how Your love comes to maturity in us. It then motivates us to be loving in nature, filled with righteous acts, and putting to death our carnal nature.

We ask for Your Spirit’s infusion of His love will bring alive our spiritual life to a new depth and degree – we would to be more like Christ.

In fact, Your Spirit applying Your love within us matures us as Christians, and is key in allowing Christ to form in us so that we have the mind of Christ, are filled by the Spirit to overflowing, and reveal Christ’s character and nature.

Fill our church, in person and online, with a great sensitivity to and experience of Your love in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen