Love Challenge – The Presidential Prayer Team

He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – 1 John 4:10

Are you hard to love? Most people do not take the time to consider if loving them is a challenge for the people in their life! Whatever your answer, there are a few skills that make it easier, like becoming adept at apologizing and learning to compromise. But managing your human connections is different from understanding God’s love towards you.

Unlike earthly relationships, nothing about God’s affection reflects how lovable you have made yourself. His love is first love. He loved you BEFORE you were aware of His existence and He preset the circumstances of your life for you to discover that tenderness. Ironically, the day you realize how far you have missed the mark of His righteousness and holiness is the day His love begins to take shape in you. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us“ (Romans 5:8).

The work of Jesus Christ to remove your sin was God’s plan to display His great compassion for you from before creation. Removing your sin is neither a love challenge for God nor a reward for your good behavior. It has only ever been an expression of His heart, a gift. Once you recognize the magnitude of His affection you may embrace it or push against it but, like gravity, you cannot change it. Pray the good news of God’s love made known through Jesus Christ would be welcome in the leadership circles of America’s government. Ask that many accept His gracious gift.

Today’s Verse: 1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Acts 2:36-40

³⁶Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

³⁷Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”