Hello friends and welcome to Day 3 of this year’s prayer challenge.
In the past two days we were introduced to who the Holy Spirit is and having established that, you may want to ask; do I have the Holy Spirit? If you are genuinely saved and have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I say Yes you do. And you may ask again, how do I know? There is evidence and this evidence is known as the “Fruit of the Spirit.” You cannot fake it. It will manifest in your life.
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is LOVE [UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Well you may say, what’s there in Love? “I love everyone. It is natural for me. Love flows through my blood veins.” Oh how easy to say these things till when we are truly faced with a situation where by natural order of things, Love shouldn’t even be in the room. That’s when we would know why it is one and not just one but the FIRST that make up the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Love is the foundation on which everything is built.
No wonder Apostle Paul had to write about it in a chapter of it’s own (1 Corinthians 13). It was Love for us by God that gave us Jesus, who gave us His Holy Spirit. It is Love for God and for man that makes us want to tell others about Jesus. You see how much Love means? Apostle Paul even said, it’s possible that you speak both tongues of men and angels, prophesy, have faith, have wisdom and knowledge, feed the poor, give up yourself to be sacrificed for being a believer but if you don’t have LOVE – Unselfish concern for Others, (i’ll add) and God, just give it all up. It is nothing. I particularly like how the message version puts it:
So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Prayers
Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. – 1 Corinthians 13:4
Oh Lord, I know I can be more patient. I know I can be more gentle. I know I can be more kind. Today I rely completely on your help through your Holy Spirit to be more patient with [List them], more kind to [List them]. And Lord when you bless those around me, help me to be genuinely happy for them and celebrate them. I refuse to be jealous. This I pray in Jesus Name.
Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love is not rude and disrespectful, nor selfishly seeking its own honor. – 1 Corinthians 13:4,5
Lord, I know how easily I can cross the line from giving glory to you for what you do in my life or through me to feeling like I did it all by my own power, so I ask you to help me to always remember that all that I have achieved and attained, I did bceause you helped me stay focused and you helped me take up the right opportunities.
Oh how easily one can become rude and disrespectful when we think we’ve made it or arrived. You’ll want to talk to God about this one and address it.
Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. – 1 Corinthians 13:5
Lord, help me to be more tolerating of others.
Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. – 1 Corinthians 13:6
Lord, I know that anything that makes me excited when bad things happen to others is not of you so I pray you give me a heart that pursues the truth.
Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. – 1 Corinthians 13:7
Lord you created everyone in your image and you alone have the power to change any heart. Help me not to always look at people from the lens of who they were/are but help me to see them through the eyes of Jesus in Jesus Name.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. – 1 Corinthians 13:7
Dear Lord, when it gets tougher and I fail or when it looks like you are not working, help me to trust that you are working and to never give up in Jesus Name.
Love never stops loving. It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent. Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten. Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run. – 1 Corinthians 13:8,13
Lord, may I never grow out or fall out of love for you and others. When it’s all being said and done, help me to love like Jesus loves even when love seems so hard to do.
Reflection
Is this one area you really need God to work on in your life? Did you go through this post today saying, I need a manifestation of this Love in my life? Again, it’s okay to tell the Lord about it everyday even after this challenge.
Thank you for joining in today. I am sure it has been a worthy 15minutes. See you on day four.
Beautiful Blessings.
Beautiful Life Corner 