“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever… Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
- John 14:15-16; 4:21
There is a choice we make each day, whether or not we will choose God. I pray that you would make that choice to choose God today.
I asked last week what constitutes a successful semester as leaders. I remind you now that there is only one thing. If you fall more in love with God.
This is because when we fall more in love with God, we will keep His commands and His will is fulfilled in us.
How will we keep His commands? He will give us the Holy Spirit.
And if we keep His commandments, we are the ones who love Him and those who love Christ will be loved by the Father.
How will we keep loving Him? He will manifest Himself to us.
Basically, Christ will reveal His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us.
Let’s take this time then to commit to the Lord, make a covenant with Him and our hearts that we desire to love Him and keep His commandments. And what was His commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said the Law and the Prophets (EVERYTHING in the Old Testament) hangs on these two commandments.
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
- 1 Peter 4:7-11
If you are led to prayer, here are some topics of suggestion that I am praying over:
1. As each of you has received a gift, lets pray for a heart for one another and to use our talents and our gifts to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s grace.
2. Let’s commit to God to be accountable for one another as we are called to love. We are our brother’s keeper. There is no greater love than for someone to lay down their life for a friend.
3. Let’s pray that all our planning and strategies would be firmly rooted upon our heart for the Lord. That with everything that we do and say, it would rest upon the solid promises of our loving Father. HE is going to do it. We only need to follow.
4. Let’s pray that through this semester, God would do whatever is necessary for us to be drawn closer to Him and live a life that more fully glorifies Him.
5. Let’s pray that we would be filled and overflowing in abundance with the Holy Spirit who guides us in all truth.
6. Let’s pray that we would take the calling to be God’s Holy generation and devote our lives to His Kingdom and His righteousness.
7. Let’s consecrate ourselves and pray for our hearts and our brothers and sisters around us.
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