Lately, I have been praying for God to give me His love for my family, my community and people on my street in a deeper way. This desire started when we received a direction to start a coffee and prayer ministry and just be available to whoever is in need of a blessing. The idea was simple: set up a sign on the highway, make coffee and sit there waiting for someone in need of prayer and a cup of coffee to stop by on their way to work or school.
By faith I prayed, asked my neighbors for help, and started walking in this ministry once a week. On our very first day I was asking the Holy Spirit, “Bring us someone who is desperate, feeling hopeless and in need of knowing the love of God.” Sure enough, among others who stopped by, there was a young mother who pulled over when she saw the sign for prayer on the highway. She came out of her car in tears. Accompanied by another mother from our church we greeted her, listened to her and then we prayed for her while she wept.
What an amazing experience to hug a stranger and pray with her. Though we had never met, there was an instant connection and it felt like we were anything but strangers. The basic thing about this prayer ministry is that, as humans, we know everyone has a need. I continue to pray for this mother we met, she has been very much in my heart.
As we yield to His Holy Spirit, we can see God taking over and moving above and beyond anything we can do in ourselves. We are truly called to be a channel of God’s love. Our purpose is to pray for what only God can give.
As I have been praying for the Father’s love for my family, community and neighbors I came across this quote “When we understand the nature of human beings in the flow of love, we will cry for the Lord to bring His love to sanctify our love. Every human relationship needs God’s love to perfect it.” (Some Things About Love, 1975, John R. Stevens)
If we believe the love we have received from the Father, it will encourage us to freely give what we have freely received. I want this reality of His divine love every day in my life. I am very aware that charity begins at home and my prayer is to be this expression of love, first of all for my family. Love is proved and tested when we have our hearts open to the ones closest to us. I would like to end with a prayer that we fearlessly keep our hearts open to love our neighbors, but express this love first in our own homes.
Here is a scripture to meditate on. God bless us all!
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
Luke 10: 32-37
Matthew 22:37-40