Part II: The Words & The Prayers
The Life of The Cross, 2008, Cathy Scott
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:10-12)
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)
34A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35)
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)
11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11)
22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:8-9)
13As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; (Psalm 103:13)
6And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 1:6)
19We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. (1 John 4:19-20)
10Whoever loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. (1 John 2:10-11)
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)
1Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:1-3)
1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1)
22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22-23)
16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. (1 John 4:16-17)
24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God –5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(Ephesians 5:1-2)
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Romans 8:35)
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people– 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)
13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)
14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
22May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)
5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
5Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. (Psalm 36:5)
1I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. (Psalm 89:1-2)
1Praise the LORD all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 117:1-2)
29Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:29)
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
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PRAYER OF LOVE
in Your love, Father, I live. Your love never fails. It is perfect as You are perfect. From Your love has come all of Creation. Though I am a small part of Your Creation, Your love for me is great. You planned my existence, and You formed me in the womb. You called me so that I might find You in the midst of Your Creation and share in the splendor of Your love. Your gifts of love are lavished on me, and I am surrounded by undeserved blessings, solely because You are love. In Your completeness, You make me whole. Without You, I am just a whisper of who You made me to be. The knowledge of Your ever-present love sustains me and gives me great joy and peace. By Your grace, I am filled with Your love, enabling me to love others for Your sake alone. Everything in Creation is a reflection of Your love. In Your Son alone is the reflection made complete. May my life honor You with love, as You have loved me.