Near where we live, there are signs posted along the road that read, “SLOW FOX CROSSING.” I have mused that this could indicate that there are foxes to watch for that aren’t moving very fast. More likely, the intention is to warn drivers to reduce their speed for the safety of foxes that may be trying to get to the other side. There are such a number of messages to read on signs. Some of them are very clear and others less so. Sometimes the wording of signs does not convey what was expected. Other signs like a “STOP” sign have an indisputable meaning. What are the messages that are conveyed by the ways that we live our lives as Christians? Are we known more for what we do or for what we don’t do? We find in Scripture the instruction of Jesus to His disciples that continues to ring so true for us today. Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34,35) The distinct sign that we belong to Jesus and pattern our lives after Him is to be our love. In a miraculous way, people can continue to encounter our living Lord Jesus through the love we display. We are meant to confirm that Jesus is real and to let our lives be a clear sign of that. Prayer is an integral part of this happening. We recognize that we need God’s transforming power to be consistent signs of His love and grace. Tomorrow, July 7th at 1 pm we will make this our prayer when we pause for WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER. We can prayer the prayer provided and add our own prayers for the specific individuals that God has given us to love.
Praying that our love will be an apparent sign that we belong to Jesus, Pastor Lola
Our God of love, we begin our prayer by thanking You for Your love for us. We have discovered in You Someone who loves us beyond what anyone else ever has. We are reminded our God that You loved our whole world and each of us so much that You sent Your Son Jesus to give Himself for us. Through this gift of salvation that Jesus provides, we have the assurance of eternal life with You. This degree of love is beyond our capacity to comprehend. When Jesus tells us that we are to love as He loves, we know for certain that we will need Your Divine assistance at every turn. We cannot love like this without You providing Your kind of consistent love in our hearts. Your love for us has given us hope in a world that can seem hopeless. Your love for us has given us a sense of belonging when our world can be such a lonely place. Your love for us has demonstrated forgiveness when we did not deserve it. Your love has inspired us to be more than we ever thought we could be. Your love leads us to continue to strive to love even when we fall short of Your example. When we bear the heaviness of the weight of sin and its effect in our world, we turn to You our God and hear You urging us to keep on loving. Thank You that loving as You love has life changing potential. Thank You God that we can highlight Who You are when we choose to love. We truly want people around us to encounter You through our love for them. We dare to imagine how our lives and the lives of others can be transformed by the love You invite us to live every day. We want our love to be a sign that we do belong to You. When people connected with church have acted in ways that cause disgrace to Your name, we pray that we will bring honour to Your Name. Our loving God, we want people who experience Your love through us to come close to Jesus to be loved and cared for by Him and to find Your purpose for their lives. Our prayer today is that those who have been wounded and broken will find healing in Your love. For those who feel they cannot trust, we pray that Your love will provide a place where trust can be restored. For all of us now wondering what the future holds, we thank You that You hold the future. You keep on persistently guiding us to employ the power of Your love in every thought and word and action. We will continue to need You to remind us how essential it is for us to love as You love us. We welcome Your love lived through us as a compelling sign for people to be convinced of Your love for them. We offer this prayer in Jesus’ Name. AMEN