Learning to Love Without Fear - Your Nightly Prayer - February 7th
Learning to Love Without Fear
Your Nightly Prayer
by Jennifer Slattery, host of the Faith Over Fear podcast
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
"There 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 4:8
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Do you ever fear that God is upset, angry, or disappointed with you? Do your weaknesses and flaws tend to scream louder than His grace? Have wounds from imperfect human relationships—rejection and betrayal experienced, losses grieved—subconsciously tainted your view of God and His incomprehensible love?
This is something with which I’ve long struggled. While I know, intellectually, that He lavishes me with grace upon grace, meaning, more than I could ever need or exhaust, sometimes my heart struggles to rest in those truths, particularly when I’m hurting or entering an uncomfortable or uncertain season.
Perhaps you can relate. If so, may today’s verse, and the truths it encapsulates, bring you the same comfort that it does me. First, it reminds us that God doesn’t want us to live in fear. In fact, much of Scripture seems focused on addressing our fears—with His love. When you fear He’ll reject or withdraw from you, He states, in numerous places and ways, that He’ll never leave or forsake you. When painful circumstances tempt you to view your hardship as punishment, He assures you of His abundant mercy and grace. When you face financial difficulties, He reminds you that He is the provider who owns all, controls all, and promises to care for all, you and your loved ones included. When you question if you’ll ever be able to restore damaged relationships or career opportunities, He emphasizes His role as the One able to rebuild and repair all things and replace the ashes in our lives with beauty.
Pause to reflect on the layers of truth encapsulated in Romans 8:32, which reads:
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (NIV).
In other words, consider the depth of love that drove God the Father to willingly send His Son to the cross—for you. Consider the depth of love that drove the Son to willingly suffer, on your behalf, so that He could develop a close relationship with you.
Jesus embraced whatever punishment you might have deserved or think you deserve. That debt has been settled, and that payment can never be revoked.
Consider also the power displayed in orchestrating all of history to bring about your salvation. Can He not also arrange the details of your and your loved ones’ lives according to His hope-filled plans for you (Jer. 29:11)? The One who quite literally rose from the dead is more than capable of resurrecting whatever feels dead or dormant in your life as well.
He is fully present, faithfully attentive, always available, and able to meet your every need.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father,
Thank You for Your incomprehensible love, directed, every moment, toward me and those for whom I care deeply. When I’m afraid, remind me of Your power, promises, character and heart. Help me to trust You more and to seek You in my fear and emotional overwhelm. I know, and choose to believe, that You will never abandon me, turn away, or withdraw Your love. May Your love reach to the deepest places in my soul, healing my wounds and casting out all my fears. In the Name of Your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. God loves you fully, unconditionally, and eternally. Prayerfully consider what this means to you and ask God to show you any inaccuracies in your understanding of His love.
2. In each moment, the One who sees and knows all and retains full control over all of creation sees and cares for you
3. He’ll help you to receive His love more deeply and trust in Him more fully as you continually turn to Him and regularly take in His truth. You can cooperate in this by praying Ephesians 3:16-19 over yourself. This passage reads: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
That is a prayer He loves to answer—and an understanding He loves to provide—even if we don’t specifically pray for that.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/anyaberkut
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.
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