Love That Never Fails - Your Nightly Prayer - February 1st
Love that Never Fails
Your Nightly Prayer
By Angie Grant
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE:
"Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[a] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!" - 1 Corinthians 13:8
SOMETHING TO PONDER
God’s love never fails. Paul reminds us of that in 1 Corinthians 13:8- “Love never fails.” Paul contrasts love with gifts, our talents, and knowledge, all of which will eventually pass away. Human love often fails because there are limits to it- it’s both conditional and reactive. God’s love, on the other hand, never fails because it's eternal and unconditional. It is rooted in who He is, not who we are. I’m so grateful for that! I sometimes put unrealistic expectations on people, comparing them to the perfect love that only God can provide.
Human love is real and meaningful, requires work, but ultimately has limits. Characteristics of human love are conditional: “I’ll love you if...” It’s emotional, rising and falling with feelings at the forefront. It’s often transactional, meaning it is shaped by what one might get in return. Even our best attempt at love doesn’t measure up to the perfect love of our heavenly Father.
When we examine God’s love, we find it both unchanging and unfailing. It doesn’t originate in emotion but in His nature, His character. This love bled and breathed its last for you. It’s not unconditional, meaning it’s not earned or taken away. It’s a covenant kind of love rooted in promise, not in mood.
What can we learn when we compare human love with God’s love? When we receive His love, we can better love as He loves. We can better steady our love across all seasons, good times, and bad. We can operate without using love as a transaction. The closer we get to God, the more we reflect His character- love.
I love looking at the cross when we talk about God's love. If you remember, the disciples fled, and He still went; love stayed. When we sin, He is still near. He pursues us still. When death seemed final, He rose again. It was all love- the enduring love of God.
Loving others doesn’t always come easy. There are moments in life when love feels costly, inconvenient, or undeserved—when patience runs thin, wounds feel fresh, and grace doesn’t come natural at all. We might be tempted to pull away, protect ourselves, or love only as long as it feels safe. Yet it is in these hard places that God meets us, reminding us that we are not asked to love from our own limited strength. As we lean into His unfailing love, He supplies what we lack, enabling us to love beyond our feelings and remain faithful even when love is hard.
May the closeness of God in our lives help us to permeate the Love of God in our marriages, in our parenting, and in our friendships. In that closeness, may our love be steadfast, more patient, and more generous with those God has called us to. May we love, not from a place of striving or expectation but simply because we are God’s kids, fully known and fully loved. And to a watching world recognize Him, by the way we love.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father, help us to love as you love. A steady love, one that doesn’t keep records of wrongs. May we always remember what you did on the cross, perfect love- a sacrificial love. Help the way we love be a testimony to a watching world on how to love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Where might I be expecting people to love me only the way God can?
2. Where do I find myself withdrawing love when it is no longer convenient or reciprocated?
3. How can I better love others the way God does?
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/enginakyurt
Angie holds a degree in Child and Family Studies and currently serves on the staff at Cloverhill Church, where she and her husband have been leading for over 25 years. She is the Executive Director of Cloverhill Christian Academy, located in Midlothian, Virginia. Angie is a dedicated advocate for foster children and families, and also serves as a Trust-Based Relational Intervention Practitioner, offering support in her community and beyond. In addition to her roles in church and education, Angie contributes her insight and leadership as a board member for Families First and the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services.
How does she do it all? With purpose and passion—as a coach in family life, ministry, and schools, Angie brings experience, empathy, and a heart for helping others thrive.
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