Joyful Moments in Christ

The Christian life is often a journey of learning that we are not the source of our own goodness. We frequently find ourselves frustrated, trying to muster up enough patience or kindness for the people around us, only to realize our own hearts are dry. This prayer is based on the truth in 1 John 4:19, which reminds us that our ability to love is actually a response to the way God loved us first. By acknowledging that we are fully known and fully loved by our Creator, we can find a deeper sense of contentment and joy. When we stop trying to perform and instead start receiving his grace, we are much better equipped to follow Jesus in our daily lives.

A Prayer

Dear Father,

You are the all-knowing God, the one who knows every hair on my head, every thought that passes my brain. I adore you for your perfect knowledge and your unwavering care. You see every part of me, and yet you choose to love me with a depth I cannot fully grasp. You know my strengths and my weaknesses better than I do. I praise you for your patience and for the fact that you have loved me my whole life, even when I rebel against you. Your love is the foundation of my life, and I am grateful that you are a God who draws near to us.

I confess that my rebellion is too frequent. I know your commands, and yet I fight against them. I hold my pride close, I seek my own comfort, and I whine and complain that you are not doing enough to satisfy my selfish desires. I am sorry for the times I have been cold toward others, forgetting the immense warmth you have shown me. I often try to be the source of my own goodness, only to find that my heart is hard and my patience is thin. Please forgive me for my arrogance and for the way I prioritize my ease over your glory.

Thank you for not holding my sins against me. You have loved me since the moment of conception, and your mercy has followed me every day of my life. You sent your son for me to bridge the gap that I created. Jesus is my salvation, and I thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for the simple and profound truth found in 1 John 4:19 (ESV): “We love because he first loved us.” I am so grateful that the pressure to be the initiator is gone; I am simply a responder to your overwhelming kindness.

Please help me to do better. Help me to love you back with all that I am. Help me to love your other children the way you love me, with a grace that is sacrificial and a mercy that is wide. Grant me a spirit of joy as I experience the freedom of being loved by you. I ask for a deep contentment that is not shaken by how others treat me, because my worth is settled in your affection. Change my heart so that I can follow Jesus more closely, reflecting your image to a world that needs to see your kindness.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Reflect

Consider the following reflection questions:

1. How does it change your day to know that God loved you before you ever took a step toward him?
2. Is there someone in your life right now who is hard to love? How can you look to God’s love for you as a source of strength to be kind to them?
3. When you feel unloved by others, where do you usually go to find comfort?
4. What is one way your pride or desire for comfort has gotten in the way of loving someone else this week?
5. How can you remind yourself today that you don’t have to earn the love that God has already given you?

Respond

Please pray a prayer about loving because he first loved us.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, you can use the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, and Supplication:

• Adoration: Praise God. Does this topic bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
• Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Does this topic bring any specific sins to mind?
• Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from this topic inspire gratitude?
• Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from this topic inspire a prayer?

If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.

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Related Resources

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.