Prayer #2: Lord, Teach Me to Love

Prayer #2: Lord, Teach Me to Love! | 7 Prayers to Pray Over Your Character | by Jamie Rohrbaugh | FromHisPresence.com

Did you know that there is ONE character trait the Bible says is absolutely required in order for us to abide in God and know Him? It’s true. That one character trait is LOVE … and for that reason, TODAY, I urge you to pray, “Lord, teach me to love!”

This can be a hard thing to talk about, because walking in things that are NOT love has become “cool” in the Body of Christ these days.

It has become cool:

  • To brag and say, “I don’t have the gift of mercy” … which is a character defect, not a thing to brag about. (Luke 6:36: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.“)
  • To attack and abuse people who have different theological or political persuasions than you have.
  • To dismiss people whom we deem to be un-redeemable.

I understand the fleshly urge to do all these things. We all battle with these thoughts. However, we all have to figure out ways to overcome our flesh and our fleshly thoughts and determine to walk in LOVE instead. We can disagree with people while still loving them.

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    7 Prayers to Pray Over Your Character

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    What is love?

    As the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:

    • Love is patient.
    • Love is kind.
    • Love is NOT envious.
    • Love doesn’t make a martyr of the fact that you love.
    • Love is not puffed up.
    • Love is NOT rude.
    • It is NOT self-centered.
    • It is NOT irritable and easily provoked.
    • Love thinks the best of every person.
    • Love finds joy in truth; it does not find joy when you catch someone in sin.
    • Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
    • Love NEVER fails or stops.

    Related: Kill the Wounded Soldiers While They’re Down … Or Not?

    I’m preaching to myself here, folks. I need that kind of love in my heart. Don’t you?

    And the thing is, the Bible says that UNLESS we have love–THIS LOVE–in our heart, then WE DO NOT KNOW GOD.

    Brutal, huh?

    That’s right. If you and I have the kind of love that fails, stops or runs out …

    If we have the kind of love that snickers and laughs behind our hands (instead of grieving) when someone else is caught in sin

    If we have the kind of love that thinks the worst of people, instead of ALWAYS, without fail, 100% OF THE TIME believing the ABSOLUTE BEST about them, and clinging to God’s redemptive purpose for their lives …

    If we are not kind ALL THE TIME …

    If we don’t focus on others instead of focusing on ourselves …

    Then we do not have real love in our hearts, and we do not know God.

    Ouch.

    I don’t know about you, but I’m not there yet. I’m not there yet where I always think only good thoughts about people–even the people who hurt me–no matter what. I’m not to the place yet where I never get irritated. Oh, I think I “love.” But do I really? Do I really have love in my heart according to THIS definition of love?

    Not yet. I need to grow in this area.

    Do you?

    If we don’t love like the Lord describes in 1 Corinthians 13, we do not yet know God.

    Without this kind of love, we don’t know God. Without this kind of love, we don’t abide in Him. And without this kind of love, even if we can prophesy, speak in tongues, give millions of dollars to evangelism efforts, and have miracle-producing faith, all of those things do us no good.

    True story.

    First Corinthians 13:1-3 tells us this:

    “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

    And 1 John 4:7-16 says this:

    “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

    In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

    No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

    And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.

    God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:7-16, emphasis mine).

    This is a really big wake-up call. These passages contain some very hard truths to swallow.

    But, instead of getting discouraged about all the places where we have failed to walk in love, it’s time for you and me to go before the Lord and ask Holy Spirit to help us love. It’s time to pray, “Lord, teach me to love,” and then go out into our day-to-day lives with one thought on our mind:

    “I am working on my love-walk. Lord, teach me to love today. Help me to love like You want me to today.”

    So are you ready to pray, “Lord, teach me to love”? If so, pray the prayer below with me today–making the words your own as Holy Spirit leads:

    “Abba Father God, I come to You in Jesus’ name.

    Father, You love me so much. Your Word says that You love me so much that You sent Your one and only Son, Jesus, into the world to die for me. Thank You. And Lord Jesus, You love me so much that You willingly gave Your life for me when You died for me on the cross.

    Lord, I can’t compete with love like that. I could never exceed that kind of love; Your love is the ultimate love. But, I know I can walk in that kind of love–the love that You have toward me–because Your Word says that You will help me; that Your grace is sufficient for me; that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness; and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

    But Abba Father, for me to walk in Your love like You do, I need a heart change.

    I confess my sin to You today, Lord. I confess that I have not walked in love to this point. I have not loved the way You say I should love. I have sinned in many ways by my failure to love, and I repent for it today.

    Lord, Your Word says that if I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I confess that I have not loved; so, I humbly ask for Your forgiveness. Please forgive me, Lord. Cover me with the blood of Jesus. Wash me; make me clean; and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

    I’m so sorry, Lord, for sinning against You in failing to be loving and merciful. I’m sorry, Lord. Thank You for forgiving me.

    Lord, I desire to move forward into the love-walk that You have prescribed.

    So today, Father, I ask You to change my heart. In Jesus’ name, please take away my old heart–the stony heart–and give me a heart of flesh. Give me Your heart, Lord. Take away my old spirit and give me Your Spirit.

    Lord, please give me the heart of love that You have:

    • Help me to receive Your great love for me.
    • Help me to love myself the way You want me to, with Your own perfect love that You have placed in my heart.
    • Help me to love You back with Your own love–with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit.
    • Then, Abba Father, help me to love others with the same love You have for me.

    Lord, help me to exhibit Your love every single day. Saturate me with Your love:

    • Make me the kindest, most merciful, most patient person on the planet.
    • Teach me to see people the way You see them.
    • Give me Your heart and compassion for others.
    • Help me to always believe the best about every person.
    • Help me to always be calm and gentle, and to NEVER be irritated or irritable.
    • Help me to be kind, nice, and sweet to people at all all times–even to those people who are close to me, like my family, spouse, and children.

    Lord, set a watch on my tongue.

    Give me loving words to say at all times, and keep me from saying any words at all that are not loving. Keep me from hurting people with my words. Keep me from spreading gossip and from speaking word-curses over or about people, which are all unloving things to do.

    Let me speak as the oracles of God, Lord; and if I’m even tempted to say anything that is not from You–anything that is not loving–then let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth and keep me from speaking those things out at all.

    Teach me to love, Lord. Help me to abide in love.

    Lord, place a deep conviction about the love-walk in my heart. Help me to remember from this day forward that I can’t abide in You or even know You unless I love. Teach me to love, Abba Father. Help me.

    Abba Father, I love You. I want to abide in You. I desire You more than anything.

    But Your Word says that I cannot know You nor abide in You unless I abide in love. So today, Abba Father, I surrender to You. I surrender to Your love. I surrender to receive Your love; to love You back with the same love; and to love others with Your own perfect love.

    Teach me, Lord. Help me. Keep me on a short leash and convict me, Lord, about the importance of love AT ALL TIMES. Thank You, Lord. I know You will help me, for this is Your perfect will for me.

    Thank You, Abba Father. In Jesus’ holy and precious name, amen.”

    My friend, do you need to improve in your love-walk? Did you pray this prayer along with me today? If so, leave a comment below and publicly renew your commitment to walk in love with the help of the Lord going forward!

    30 Comments

    1. Tracy B Walker says:

      God bless you Jaime & thank you for what you do! I’m blessed by you & your prayers for me & your spiritual advancement of the Kingdom! I Jesus’ Mighty Name Amen & Thank U again! Love, Ur Sister in Christ Tracy B Walker

      1. Thank you Father God and thank you Jaimie for always providing our Father’s Word for the nourishment of our souls.Thank you Jesus

    2. Julie Peabody says:

      Thank you Jamie, for your ministry, and for the words you speak from God’s anointing! This area is speaking to me LOUDLY and clearly. Thank you Jesus!

    3. Jamie,

      Thank you so much for this message today. As I know it it God truly speaking through you. He knows this is truly my prayer today and going forward to truly learn how to walk in His love ❤️!! I am truly blessed by this! May God continue to bless you and your ministry!

      With Love,
      Shira

      1. Annanson John says:

        Sure God truly speaking!

    4. Juanita G Guadarrama says:

      I thank you for all your prayers they’re so touching to our hearts we need this so much we’re in dire need of prayer right now thank you

    5. I needed this prayer. Thanks.

    6. Jacqueline says:

      Thank you so much for this prayer 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

    7. Thank God and Jamie for this word this definitely my confirmation for my life at this moment of my life. Thank you God 🙏🏾🙌🏿

    8. I openly & publicly committ to walking in the God kind of love from this day forward in Jesus name Amen

    9. Annanson John says:

      Prophetess Jamie 1Cor15:58. Surely it pleases the Lord to release His Glory in earthen vessels. Timely and insightful. Timely, because I just finished pouring acid on a political tradition and some government officials, even though, the fact is there are unsettling allegations against them, I have no business spending that time in the bathroom talking alone and wishing and talking bad about them. For that and under this anointing I humbly asked for mercy and forgiveness. I plead the BLOOD of Jesus Christ over my life and released these peoples in the mercy of God and I pray for the Grace of God to abound unto me and them in Jesus’ name! Thank you Prophetess Jamie for your labour and purity of intentions.

    10. Annanson John says:

      You have Holy Spirit revealing that to you. Sure, it is the anointing operating here!!

    11. Annmarie Spring says:

      Thank You Father, bless You Jamie,
      Wow, the perfect prayer for right now, I realise how I have not been walking in love and renew my commitment to walk in love from this day forward with the help of our beloved Father.
      Love You

      1. Aimee Ortíz says:

        Jamie, this touched my heart. I have not been walking in God’s love. Forgive me, Lord Jesus, and help me to be a reflection of Your great love and mercy. In Jesus’ Name!

    12. Thank you Jamie. The Lord bless you and continue to use you for His own glory in the Body of Christ.

    13. Truly this commandment to love only the Holy Spirit can help me other person to walk in the in love that we may abide in Christ I have a lot of work to do in this area that don’t mean that I don’t love people but the way Christ said we to love. And simple love. Other as He loves us, Thank you Jamie for this lesson how to change our character.bleseing to you and your family.

    14. Truly convicting. The Lord has spoken and brought us back to the heart of the matter. He will be forever be praised. Lord teach us and help us to love, in Jesus name Amen.

    15. Hearing comes from an angel just like you Jamie … thank you 🙏🏼 🙏🏼

    16. wegosasa stella says:

      amen, i feel like much love for others

    17. COMMITED TO WALK WITH THE LOVE OF God FROM THIS DAY ONWARDS

    18. Oh how I needed this. Thank you Jamie for this most important theme. God bless you, and may God help all of His children to love like He does 🙏🙏🙏

    19. Thank you J, I ve just realised that the love I thought I have is far from the Love if God for mine stops and fails. God help me to have Your Love….
      You are a blessing J, to most of us. May the Lord God increase you

    20. In really studying these characteristics of love that God is, I see I have a long way to go even though I believe myself to be a kind and merciful person. Mercy I have always thought was my gift even. In spite of viewing myself as kind and compassionate and merciful, I see that I don’t always treat people., even my husband as I ought to. I am feeling sad about this and repenting. I know that repenting means that I am turning from my sin and promising not to do these things anymore. I am glad that God says that where I am weak He is strong and that He often works through weaker vessels. The times we are living in are making it even tougher to love as we ought to because I often express my views on social media and am finding that I get attacked frequently by those who don’t view the situation as I do. This is an area I really need God’s help with.I am asking God to help me to love others and see others as He does. No matter how bad they treat me.

    21. Lynn Eplee says:

      I confess I have not been walking in love. Forgive me Father God and give me Your power to walk in love the way You want me to. I commit to walk in Your love Lord with Your help Holy Spirit. Change my heart. Thank you Jamie for what you allow God to do through you.

      1. Dear Father, thank You for loving me the way You do. Thank You for showing me.how to love like You do.

        I confess that I have not been living or walking in love

        Please Father, help.me, give me a heart of flesh, teach me to love like You do sweet Holy Spirit. I commit to walk in love no matter what it takes dear Father…thank You….in Jesus name, amen!

        God bless you Jamie for allowing God to use you in such a tremendous way

    22. Wow thanks Jamie this is a powerful word on love be blessed in jesus name

    23. Irma Nortje says:

      Amen ThankU I am Blessed to be a beloved loving child of God and my family are blessed to be a blessing.

    24. I loved this… and I will prayer this prayer all day today. I really appreciate this!

    25. I prayed the prayer and it’s exactly what I needed. Thank you Jamie! I have been fighting the surrender to love because of so many hurts. But I don’t want to push God or love away any more. I’m so thankful for you, this prayer, and God’s mercy. May I walk in love all my days, that I may know God, abide in Him, make Him known, and love others with God’s love and rightly love myself. Amen 🙌.

    26. I’m having a hard time loving someone i love right now. this is no casual prayer but one of truth, hope and power. I’ll be stationed on this one until I’m changed. thank you.

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