Prayer is often an act of love.
Jesus said that, above all, we are to love God and we are to love our neighbours as ourselves (Luke 10: 27).
When we are praising God, we are expressing our love and adoration. When we pray for others, we are demonstrating our love for them.
When Daniel and Nehemiah wept and prayed for Jerusalem and the people of Israel, their hearts were full of love (Nehemiah 1 and Daniel 9). Indeed, they confessed their own responsibility for the dire state of the exiled Jews while pleading for God's people.
Jesus spoke out of love and mercy while dying on the cross, asking the Father to forgive those who were crucifying him (Luke 23:34).
In his letters, Paul often says how he yearns for his fellow believers and prays for them constantly. It was his way to show how much he loved them.
Of course, not all prayer is an expression of love. Sometimes, we must put on our spiritual armour to battle Satan. Or, we must come to God with contrite hearts when we sin.
The hardest kind of prayer is praying for those who have hurt us. But that is what Jesus did on the cross. And it is the kind of prayer that God loves to hear.
In effect, we are making a sacrifice of love when we pray for our enemies. It is the ultimate in loving prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment