January 28, 2022
Repent of Your Lack of Love
Lord’s Prayer Focus: The Father’s Forgiveness
After Jesus addresses requests in prayer, he moves on to repentance. He continues the Lord’s Prayer saying: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.…” (Matthew 6:12). As we focus on witnessing and evangelism, we are boldly calling others to repentance. If we are going to prophetically call for repentance, we must be sure that we also are repenting of our own sins. We must also repent of the sins that keep us from effectively witnessing to those in our circle of influence. Each topic in this section will call for repentance for a common sin. The questions and prayer points in the coming weeks aren’t meant as condemnations or accusations. Rather, they present an opportunity for self-reflection and humility as the Spirit reveals our sins.
Revelation 2:4-5 (ESV) “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (ESV) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
In the letter to Ephesus, God warns that though they did many good things, they had lost the most essential thing. While they were busy denying false teaching and busy doing good work, they had lost their love for God. Similarly, Paul famously wrote that if we have every gift imaginable, but do not love, our actions are not just limited or neutral, but bad and hurtful. There is no gain from striving without love.
It can be easy to get so busy doing things that we neglect to love others. We involve ourselves with jobs and ministries and many other good things but we don’t always take the time to involve ourselves in others’ lives. Taking the time to care for others is an excellent way to open doors for the Gospel. We ought to be known by our love to our neighbors, coworkers, family, and friends. Loving others, particularly those who are difficult to love, is a clear sign of our faith and is demanded by God. Sharing the truth of the Gospel is an act of love. If we love our neighbors, family, and coworkers, it means that we must share the gift of Jesus with them. Refusing to witness is a refusal to love.
Consider:
Who do you struggle to love?
Do you know your neighbors in a real way? Do you go out of your way to show them love?
Do your actions show that you love your community?
Prayer Points
Repent of your lack of love for God and the people that he created.
Pray that he would give you His heart of love for those around you.
Lord’s Prayer Focus: The Father’s Forgiveness
After Jesus addresses requests in prayer, he moves on to repentance. He continues the Lord’s Prayer saying: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.…” (Matthew 6:12). As we focus on witnessing and evangelism, we are boldly calling others to repentance. If we are going to prophetically call for repentance, we must be sure that we also are repenting of our own sins. We must also repent of the sins that keep us from effectively witnessing to those in our circle of influence. Each topic in this section will call for repentance for a common sin. The questions and prayer points in the coming weeks aren’t meant as condemnations or accusations. Rather, they present an opportunity for self-reflection and humility as the Spirit reveals our sins.
Revelation 2:4-5 (ESV) “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (ESV) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
In the letter to Ephesus, God warns that though they did many good things, they had lost the most essential thing. While they were busy denying false teaching and busy doing good work, they had lost their love for God. Similarly, Paul famously wrote that if we have every gift imaginable, but do not love, our actions are not just limited or neutral, but bad and hurtful. There is no gain from striving without love.
It can be easy to get so busy doing things that we neglect to love others. We involve ourselves with jobs and ministries and many other good things but we don’t always take the time to involve ourselves in others’ lives. Taking the time to care for others is an excellent way to open doors for the Gospel. We ought to be known by our love to our neighbors, coworkers, family, and friends. Loving others, particularly those who are difficult to love, is a clear sign of our faith and is demanded by God. Sharing the truth of the Gospel is an act of love. If we love our neighbors, family, and coworkers, it means that we must share the gift of Jesus with them. Refusing to witness is a refusal to love.
Consider:
Who do you struggle to love?
Do you know your neighbors in a real way? Do you go out of your way to show them love?
Do your actions show that you love your community?
Prayer Points
Repent of your lack of love for God and the people that he created.
Pray that he would give you His heart of love for those around you.
Posted in 2022 Prayer and Fasting