Returning to Your First Love - Your Nightly Prayer - February 21st
Returning to Your First Love
Your Nightly Prayer
by Amanda Idleman
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. " - Revelation 2:4
SOMETHING TO PONDER
This is a gentle invitation to rekindle your affection for Christ during this season of reflection. Love requires effort. To show our kids we love them, we must spend time with them. Talking to them, playing with them, teaching them, and caring for them. To avoid feeling distant from our spouse, we must express our love for them regularly. We must commit to rhythms of connection. The same is true in our relationship with the Lord.
This is why the Bible instructs us to pray without ceasing, to offer God praise and worship, to spend time memorizing the Word of God, and to fast to grow closer to Him. Loving God requires effort. Thankfully, He empowers us to make that effort, but if we choose to step away from the Lord, the love we have for Him fades to the background in our lives.
Return to your first love. Do this by committing to spend time in God’s presence. Make prayer a priority. Prioritize studying the Bible. Attend church regularly. Connect with other believers and encourage one another on this journey. Repent for the sin that has held you back from seeking first the Kingdom of God for your life and for our world.
God promises that if we draw close to Him, he will draw near to us (James 4:8). Take steps to draw near to the Lord. Let his way guide you. Remember, his way is better than ours.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father,
I am sorry for losing sight of you and letting my love for you fade. Be the priority in my story. Be my guide and my first love. Show me how to seek your face wholeheartedly. Help me draw closer to you. Renew in me the joy of my salvation. Thank you for loving me no matter what. Thank you for being patient and kind with me.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Why has your relationship with the Lord moved to the back burner of your life? What steps can you take to draw closer to the Lord?
2. Take time to repent for rejecting God’s love in your life.
3. Remember, God loves you no matter what. Offer Him thanks for his endless love and patience.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
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