Day Five: Love Found Us to Pray

Psalm 36:9-10 NLT For you are the fountain of life, …
Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts.

There is nothing like the unfailing love of Jesus!
David responds to this fountain of life, and prays, “Pour out your unfailing love…”

“Whatever the shape of our prayer, wherever or whatever we are or have been, we are never without the grace and goodness of God…the psalmist describes our own experience of what has been and what will be:

…Blessed are those whose strength you are,
In whose hearts are the roads to Zion.
As they go through the bitter valley,
they make it a place of springs…

For those who long for God, who seek a life of prayer and love, every bitter valley at last will become a place of springs. Human beings cannot make springs. All prayer, all life, all love finally are the gifts of God’s generous grace that waters the world like the rivers of Paradise.” [Roberta C. Bondi, To Pray & To Love, p.138]

Our continuing response to God’s indescribable love is to “water the world” with ongoing urgent prayers for those who need to be found by the love of Jesus.

Let’s sing, “Fullness” by Elevation Worship (Click here).

As we do, pray: Lord, pour out your unfailing love on our college/graduate campuses, on the singles and families in our cities/communities, on the youth of this generation! May “love found me” be their heart cry! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

– CH

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Day Four: Love Found Me to Love

Psalm 36:8-9 NLTYou feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.

Galatians 5:6b NIVThe only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Excerpts from Roma Black Testimony:
“When I said that sinner’s prayer, I literally felt my sins being lifted from me…I said, ‘I feel so light!’ The pastor said, ‘Son, that’s your sins. God has took ’em and threw them in the sea of forgetfulness.’…My brothers, after that, for the last 27 years I’ve been serving the Lord and it’s been a blessing.”
“Love truly, truly found me!”

Every moment and experience that God orchestrated to bring Roma into the forgiveness and freedom of his love are included in Spirit’s cry from his heart when he proclaims, “Love truly, truly found me!” This joy-filled cry is about the miraculous work of salvation but also testifies to the life of love that Jesus has won for us! As the Spirit transforms us, the faithfulness of Christ expresses itself through love in us and through us. We now live to serve the Lord with a pure heart and love others that they may come and see the true light and fountain of life who is Jesus.

Let’s sing, “Come and See” by Matt Redman (Click here).

As we do, pray: Lord, give us a pure heart to serve you. Fill us with your Spirit to love others with your “love found me” love.

– CH

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Day Three: God’s Love Unravels Us

Excerpt from Roma Black Testimony:
“…the preacher is preaching my life…he makes an altar call…there is no one beside me…a voice says into my ear, ‘Go.’ …the pastor says, ‘For some reason I can’t go on. There is someone here God sent today…I can’t continue my message until you come. It’s your last chance.’ When he said it’s your last chance, an invisible hand – I felt the hand. It touched my shoulder. And when that hand touched my shoulder, I felt the love that I can’t describe.”

Psalm 36:6-7 NLTYour righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths…
How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

Through a dream, God gave Roma supernatural desire to be with church. This was just one part of the unraveling process that God orchestrated in his life. God’s love needs to unravel us so that what God is doing in us can take over and produce its full effect. In God’s empowering presence, Jesus touched Roma with his irresistible love. It was as tangible as feeling a hand on his shoulder. Who can fathom the power of God’s love and yet we can know his love like that! Let’s say “Yes” again to what God must do in us that he may love through us.

Let’s pray: Lord, have your way in my life. I surrender my all to your irresistible love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s sing, “Touch of Heaven” by Hillsong (Click here).

– CH

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Day Two: God’s Love Pursues Us

Excerpt from Roma Black Testimony:
“This little girl, a Christian girl walks into my store all the way past all of that garbage and she comes to me and gives me a track. And she says to me, ‘the Lord loves you.’ And you know what I did? I took the track. I balled it up and I threw it in her face and said, ‘Get out of my store. I don’t need God.’ What was amazing…when she looked at me, all I could see was love.”

God was in pursuit of Roma Black when his love came to him through this young Christian girl who courageously entered his world to share Jesus. When Roma angrily threw the track at her face, she looked at him and all he could see was love. Roma was enamored by that love.

Have we not also set aside God, ignored God, even refused God in our lives? Despite our selfish ways, has God not shown us his unrelenting faithful covenant-love? Who can understand this love? Who can measure this love? No one!

Psalm 36:5 NLTYour unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

This unfailing love is Jesus Christ – his love is beyond comprehension and unlimited toward us!

Let’s pray: Lord, thank you for running towards me with your love and mercy. Captivate my heart with your irresistible love. Forever I am yours! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship God by singing “Pursue Me” by Worship Central (Click here).

– CH

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Day One: God’s Glorious Grace

Romans 3:23-24 NLTFor everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

Ephesians 1:5-6 NLTGod decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

“All humans share a solidarity of impoverishment with one another in God’s sight. The one thing they have in common is that which makes them objects of both wrath and grace, their unworthiness before God.” [James R. Edwards, NIBC, Romans, p. 102]

Through the message of the cross, God revealed to all the heavens and earth that everyone has sinned and everyone needs to be found. And through God’s divine reversal, “Yet God, in his grace…” he has revealed his supernatural faithful covenant-love in Jesus for our salvation. All praise and worship belong to Jesus for he alone is worthy! Worthy is his name – the name that is above all names!

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus, you alone are our glorious grace! You alone are our salvation! You alone are worthy of all praise and worship! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s declare, “Worthy is your name, Jesus!” by worshiping to the song, “Worthy” by Elevation Worship (Click here).

– CH

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