John, the New Testament writer, quotes Jesus as saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34, NKJV). Max Lucado agrees: “Love begins, not by giving love but by receiving the love of Christ.” Our capacity to love God, neighbor, and ourselves starts by tapping deep into the soil of God’s heart.

     For the next two weeks, you will be invited to read a passage of Scripture that centers on receiving God’s love for you. Through the idea of what is called “soaking prayer,” you will be asked to meditate on one or two verses each day by repeating the words slowly over and again, no less than three times.

 

     Following this five-minute exercise, you will be led to another passage of Scripture that inspires you to put the love you have been given into action. You will be moved to ask God to reveal someone to you who is in need of being loved. The daily pattern looks like this:

 

Day One:   Receiving God’s love for myself (five minutes):

Meditate on Jeremiah 31:3 ”I have loved you [state your name,] with an
everlasting love; therefore I have continued my
faithfulness to you.”

Sharing God’s love with someone else (by the end of the day):

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one
another up just as you are doing.”

 

Everyone has their own love language. Some people respond to one form of love
better than another. Today, ask God to reveal to you a person who typically
responds well to a word of encouragement. Then send an email, a Facebook
message, or a written note to that person as a means of expressing God’s love.