Love

I promised myself I would write today but as I start I have no real idea what I am going to write about.

A good topic is love

Love to me is the surrender of self to a person, place, concept, or God himself. By surrender of self I mean that through love we give ourselves to something, delving into a project with enthusiasm is a way of expressed love as are doing something nice for a friend for no reason, thinking of a friend, going to a favorite coffee shop, etc.

How do I show love for God?

If love is surrender of self then loving God is done through obedience to his word. It may not be evident what that means being how complex the Bible is and you may feel resistant to trying to understand what it dictates you do. A great way to simplify it is found in Matthew 22:36-40

Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version)

³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" ³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

There you have it! According to Jesus, the best way to follow him is to love him and other people! So through love we surrender ourselves to God and those around us thus we are loving people through God! I love how easy he makes it!

My prayer:

Father God,

help me to surrender myself to you and those around me. Help me to be truly loving no matter how hard it gets. Please stand with me and hold my hand, remove the sin from my heart and help me to be truly loving as you were loving to send your Son to die for our sins. Thank you my Father.

Amen

In your comments please share your thoughts on the best ways to express love and creative ways to express love to people, places, and experiences.

Pray without ceasing

I just finished reading my daily devotion and said the prayer listed at the bottom -

Dear Savior, because of Your sacrifice I am saved. Now may I, no matter what the world throws at me, be able to rejoice evermore. In Your Name, I ask it. Amen.

Sometimes when I read these prayers the Spirit leads me to continue in my own words:

Dear Lord,
I am sinful and faulted and do not always praise you, I do not always pray, give thanks in all circumstances, I more often then not, act in a way that is not pleasing to you. I praise you Lord and thank you for my life, I thank you for humbling yourself and dying on the cross so that I may be free from sin and live with you forever. I thank you for my time in this world and thank you for the gifts you have given me and the gifts you will give me.
Dear Lord, I pray to you to help me, help me follow your will not mine, help me to live in prayer because I know I cannot do it without you Lord. I love you Lord and thank you once again for what I have and what I will have.

In Jesus's holy name I pray.

Amen.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18