Monday, February 13, 2012

Love Week (Part 6): Love Connection

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8)

Did you know that when I'm loved the very best of me comes out!? I smile more, laugh more, I'm more affectionate. I share more. I think of others more, and actually look forward to seeing them. It's a funny thing how the opposite occurs to me when I don't feel loved. I'm glad that everyday I feel loved, and know that I am loved. This world would not be a pleasant place with me in it if I wasn't loved. I'm glad that God is love. He loves us. He's always thinking good thoughts towards us. He sent His Son Jesus to die for us for love's sake. What an amazing gift God's love is to us every moment of everyday. No one wants to be around a grouch. I know I certainly don't. Thank God! for prayer. Prayer for yourself, for those in your life and others who yours and their paths will meet. To that, I can honestly say God is good. 
I wanted to share with you God's love and how if we follow three EASY steps in prayer we can all share in the Love Connection that Jesus and His Father shared.

Jesus Prays for Himself
   Jesus spoke these words. Lifted up His eyes towards heaven, and said:
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

In the above words from Jesus; the Son of God, we see a very easy and detailed outline for prayer. We pray for ourselves that God will always work mightily through us then others may know of Him. We see that prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ is not to be removed from this world as hardships will come as we know, but that God the Father will protect them from the evil one; being the devil. Also we see that we ourselves the ones who pray, are to remain to God, not being of this world, then others will see our lives and imitate us. And last but certainly not least, we are to pray for those who will come to Christ. Being a continuous example to them letting them know of God's love, that we are all to remain to God; in Christ through His love that is binding in perfect unity. Amen.

I do hope and remain praying that these pages of God's heart into my heart will find there way no matter what! into all of your precious hearts. That the Love Connection God models for us will be the Love Connection we will all model for others. Amen. 
As always...YOU ARE LOVED.

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