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A Prayer About Loving as the Dearly Loved

A Prayer About Loving as the Dearly Loved
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:30-5:2
Merciful Father, mighty Holy Spirit, most compassionate Lord Jesus… I praise you today for the love with which you love me, in which you have rooted me, and by which you intend to reveal yourself in my relationships. It took the whole Trinity to redeem me, and it takes the whole Trinity for me to live this life of love to which you have called me. There’s no other way I will even begin to be an “imitator of God.” So, hear my cry.
Dear Father, I don’t want to live today just with a theoretical or theological awareness of being your dearly loved child. Let it be deeply experiential and existential-very real, very encouraging, and very humbling. Your great love for me is the greatest convicting power this side of the new heaven and new earth. All day long, let me hear you serenading me in the gospel, that I might grieve the ways I grieve the Holy Spirit-with my thoughts, with my words, and with my actions. Otherwise, I might try to justify the ways I love so poorly.
Lord Jesus, you are so kind, compassionate and forgiving of me. I want the fragrant aroma of the sacrifice you made for me on the cross to permeate all my relationships. You’re not calling me to change anybody. You’re calling me to live as a broken perfume bottle through which the aroma of grace will bring your disruptive and gentling presence. Let me live more out of my brokenness, than my wounded-ness and self-righteousness.
God the Holy Spirit, you who raised Jesus from the dead, give me the power I will need today to rid myself-not to nurse, tolerate, or justify-my bitterness, anger, range, brawling, slander and malice, and all the other ways I love poorly. Indeed, Triune God, the life of love you live for me, please live through me. So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ name.

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