22 August, 2023
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
— 1 John 4:11
Lord God, the Creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father, you have such tremendous love for us, your created ones. Although you know our sinfulness, and the extent of our weaknesses, you were willing to become incarnate through your Word and pay a most terrible price to redeem us. Lord, you are Faithful, Righteous and Gracious and your only commandment to us is to love you and to love each other, with a love as great, as unconditional, as yours for us.
You have empowered us to love people who have been difficult to love, through a spiritual grace and awakening that prompts us to make allowances for others. As we abide in you and you in us, we become more Christlike and compassionate towards our fellow Christians. We learn to love without criticism and encourage without complaint. Help us Lord, to be benevolent even in the face of hate and persecution.
Thank you, Abba Father, for allowing us to call you Abba and for guiding us the way a father guides his ignorant, yet innocent child. Please continue to instill in our hearts purity, charity and love, through the Power and Counsel of your Holy Spirit. Help us to grow towards perfection in building up our character, eliminating everything undesirable and making us kind, forgiving and patient, selfless in nature, and dealing with all our brothers in a spirit of gentle forbearance, in Jesus’ Name. Amen