January 28th, 2025
Prayer has been on my heart the past few weeks, partly because it was a time of fasting for my church and much of the body of Christ. This week, I have been thinking about the truth that prayer must be birthed in love, or it’s just a religious activity.
See, love comes only from God. The Bible teaches that we love only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). All love is because of His love. Every good thing comes only from Him (James 1:17). It was for love that Jesus came to the earth. John 3:16 says,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The love of God is not just the doorway to salvation, or an elementary teaching that believers outgrow the longer they walk with God. The love of God is the highest revelation.
Jesus lived in intimacy with His Father, by prayer and fellowship. He lived in His Father’s love. When Jesus went to Jerusalem at twelve years of age, He was separated from His earthy parents and was found teaching in the synagogue. When they questioned Him, He said,
‘“Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”’
I had never thought about it before, but how do you think that sense of authority, boldness, and identity was established in Him at such a young age? Even at twelve years old, Jesus must have known who He was. He knew where He belonged and who He belonged to.
How many of us live with such a sense of identity? How many of us could say, as Jesus did, “I must be in my Father’s house.”
Do we go to church to meet expectations? Do we serve out of duty? Do we pray out of obligation? Or do we have a passion birthed in love that says, “I must be with Him.”
Before Jesus began His ministry and again before He went to the cross, the Father verbally affirmed His love for the Son saying,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5)
Jesus lived in revelation of His identity as the beloved Son of God. Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus was the lamb “slain before the foundation of the world.” The sacrifice of Jesus was already in God’s heart before the creation of the world. The depths and wisdom of God are unfathomable. However, I saw a verse this week that captured me differently than it ever has. Jesus prayed in John 17:24,
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that You have given me because You loved me before the foundation of the world.”
Jesus knew that He would go to the cross. He told His disciples many times, even though they didn’t understand. He is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but I believe He was more aware of the fact that He was loved before the foundation of the world. He was with the Father from the beginning. John 1:1 says,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 says,
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus, the Word of God, was known and loved by the Father before time began but He still had to choose to abide in that love, every single day. He was the Son of God and He did not outgrow the revelation of the love of God. In fact, His purpose on earth was to reveal the name of the Father – His goodness and character – so we too could know the Father’s love. In John 17:26, He prayed,
“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
This is a picture of abiding in God’s love. When God’s love is in us and Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith, we can abide constantly in the love and presence of God. In John 15:7-9 Jesus actually commanded us to live in that love. He said,
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
We are all called to abide in His love. It’s the love of the Father dwelling in our hearts through Jesus Christ!
Everything we do, from our personal prayer life to ministry, must flow from a place of love. John 14:15 says,
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Obedience must be out of love, not fear. The Bible says that fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:18-20). If we try to keep God’s word out of fear or obligation, it will result in religious confusion. You can’t abide and not obey, but you can obey and not abide. There is no greater misery.
After Jesus taught in John 15 about keeping His commandments, abiding, and asking, He said in John 15:11,
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
It all starts with love, which allows us to obey and abide, and the fruit of obedience and abiding is joy. If you lack joy, it’s time to sit and abide in the love of God. It’s from His love that all else flows.
God has loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) and it’s not elementary Christianity to rest in His love. Jesus came to reveal the love of the Father, that we might abide in Him and have joy. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church to be strengthened with power by His Spirit; to be rooted and grounded in God’s love; that they would have strength to comprehend His love; and that they would know the love of God that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:16-19). There is no greater revelation or deeper truth than God’s love. It’s as real as your next breath and He waits to pour His love into our hearts by His Spirit. He is with you, and He is for you. Receive His love today and experience the freedom, peace, and joy that can only be found in abiding in Him!
See, love comes only from God. The Bible teaches that we love only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). All love is because of His love. Every good thing comes only from Him (James 1:17). It was for love that Jesus came to the earth. John 3:16 says,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The love of God is not just the doorway to salvation, or an elementary teaching that believers outgrow the longer they walk with God. The love of God is the highest revelation.
Jesus lived in intimacy with His Father, by prayer and fellowship. He lived in His Father’s love. When Jesus went to Jerusalem at twelve years of age, He was separated from His earthy parents and was found teaching in the synagogue. When they questioned Him, He said,
‘“Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”’
I had never thought about it before, but how do you think that sense of authority, boldness, and identity was established in Him at such a young age? Even at twelve years old, Jesus must have known who He was. He knew where He belonged and who He belonged to.
How many of us live with such a sense of identity? How many of us could say, as Jesus did, “I must be in my Father’s house.”
Do we go to church to meet expectations? Do we serve out of duty? Do we pray out of obligation? Or do we have a passion birthed in love that says, “I must be with Him.”
Before Jesus began His ministry and again before He went to the cross, the Father verbally affirmed His love for the Son saying,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5)
Jesus lived in revelation of His identity as the beloved Son of God. Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus was the lamb “slain before the foundation of the world.” The sacrifice of Jesus was already in God’s heart before the creation of the world. The depths and wisdom of God are unfathomable. However, I saw a verse this week that captured me differently than it ever has. Jesus prayed in John 17:24,
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that You have given me because You loved me before the foundation of the world.”
Jesus knew that He would go to the cross. He told His disciples many times, even though they didn’t understand. He is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but I believe He was more aware of the fact that He was loved before the foundation of the world. He was with the Father from the beginning. John 1:1 says,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 says,
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus, the Word of God, was known and loved by the Father before time began but He still had to choose to abide in that love, every single day. He was the Son of God and He did not outgrow the revelation of the love of God. In fact, His purpose on earth was to reveal the name of the Father – His goodness and character – so we too could know the Father’s love. In John 17:26, He prayed,
“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
This is a picture of abiding in God’s love. When God’s love is in us and Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith, we can abide constantly in the love and presence of God. In John 15:7-9 Jesus actually commanded us to live in that love. He said,
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
We are all called to abide in His love. It’s the love of the Father dwelling in our hearts through Jesus Christ!
Everything we do, from our personal prayer life to ministry, must flow from a place of love. John 14:15 says,
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Obedience must be out of love, not fear. The Bible says that fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:18-20). If we try to keep God’s word out of fear or obligation, it will result in religious confusion. You can’t abide and not obey, but you can obey and not abide. There is no greater misery.
After Jesus taught in John 15 about keeping His commandments, abiding, and asking, He said in John 15:11,
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
It all starts with love, which allows us to obey and abide, and the fruit of obedience and abiding is joy. If you lack joy, it’s time to sit and abide in the love of God. It’s from His love that all else flows.
God has loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) and it’s not elementary Christianity to rest in His love. Jesus came to reveal the love of the Father, that we might abide in Him and have joy. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church to be strengthened with power by His Spirit; to be rooted and grounded in God’s love; that they would have strength to comprehend His love; and that they would know the love of God that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:16-19). There is no greater revelation or deeper truth than God’s love. It’s as real as your next breath and He waits to pour His love into our hearts by His Spirit. He is with you, and He is for you. Receive His love today and experience the freedom, peace, and joy that can only be found in abiding in Him!
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