Love Looks Like

Love looks like…

an invitation,

a glance, a gaze from afar,

studying and sweet,

tender and kind.

Love looks like…

acceptance, an interest,

a detailed and thorough care,

an uplifting, supporting strenth.

Love looks like…

passion, intensity,

a fire in the belly,

waters that cannot be quenched.

Love looks like…

broken pain,

vulenerability,

grief, loss, weakness,

an empty hole,

a cross.

Love looks like…

a small stream,

finding its way past the boulders,

rocks and walls,

swelling and building,

washing away its obstacles.

Love looks like…

a victor,

powerful, glorious, radiant,

touching, transforming, changing

all in its wake,

to beauty from ashes,

life from death.

Love looks like…

the cross, the resurrection,

the presence of God.

My Lord is Love.

Amen.

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Loved In The Wilderness

Lord,

thank you for your love,

though I’m stained with sin,

you save and deliver me

and call me lovely.

I bless you for taking me into the wilderness,

drying up any source of comfort,

pleasure, and addiction,

exposing hidden sins,

unearthing fears and pain,

breaking up my fragile veneer,

and tending to the sinner,

the mess within

with tenderness, compassion,

gentleness, and lovingkindness.

I praise you Lord of the universe,

you owe me nothing,

I deserve only your wrath,

but that you’d humble yourself,

and woo my heart,

proving your faithfulness again and again,

loving me to surrender,

showing me I’m no longer a slave,

or an orphan, or a broken soul,

but beloved,

a child of God,

whole, healed, complete in you

with nothing to prove,

nothing to give,

except my sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise.

Lover of my soul,

I bless your Name.

Amen.

Saved For A Purpose

Lord,

thank you for being my Savior,

redeeming my life from the pit,

I was lost in darkness, sin, and trauma,

grasping life for me,

for approval from the world,

slipping down a dangerous slope to death,

yet you saved me unto yourself,

healing and changing my heart,

giving me new desires,

renewing my mind,

transforming me,

I’m a new creation,

you’ve called me your own,

and saved me not only from death,

but to a greater purpose in you.

You’ve reawakened the call of eternity,

the whispers of your breath in my DNA,

calling me to your original design and intent,

what you created my spirit,

knit my soul, body, and mind to do.

I’m done fighting against you,

against your call, against the essence of your image within.

I surrender to you

saying yes with a whole heart

to live for your glory.

I have everything I need in you,

empowered by your Spirit

with access to all the spiritual blessings,

divine resources to fulfill your purposes in this generation.

I thank you that not only do you save,

you give life abundant

forever and ever.

I bless you and praise you Lord.

Amen.

I Praise You Lord

Lord,

I worship you.

Son of God,

Son of man

made of skin, bone, and flesh,

yet filled with Holy Spirit,

stepping into time

making eternity known,

your Word, sacrifice, death, and resurrection.

your love, mercy, and grace,

Your presence is life,

you save and deliver,

you redeem and resurrect,

your wisdom is from above,

all your ways perfect and good.

There’s none like you,

holy, beautiful, unknowable God,

who has pursued and grasped my heart,

loved me into surrender,

and resurrected my life.

You alone are Lord,

King of kings,

the one true God.

and I praise you alone Lord,

Amen.

Temple Of Grace

Lord,

help me to care for my holy temple,

where lies the Holy of holies,

my conscious clear,

my heart right,

my thoughts at rest,

my body well,

so that I may tabernacle with you,

your Spirit comfortable and welcome,

dwelling in me,

having full rein.

Take over,

where I do what I don’t want to do,

conflicted in flesh and spirit,

reign victorious over me,

establishing your mercy, comfort, and grace.

Gain the territories I struggle to yield,

and grant me vision once more

of your beauty, holiness, peace, and rest.

Have your way in me Lord,

that I may be perfected in your image,

reflecting your love, your heart, your righteousness.

I cast myself into your waves of mercy

and I praise you for your saving grace.

Amen.

Secure In God

Lord,

thank you,

you get me,

you know me better than I know myself,

through my images,

visages and projections,

covering up,

diverting away from my sin and grime,

you peel it off,

layer by layer,

a gentle scrub,

a piercing cut,

a healing balm

revealing blood-infused life,

new wineskin,

your spirit resurrecting

the dead within.

You’ve got me,

walking, fumbling

in my new identity,

unsure, uncertain,

but following your voice,

messing up,

getting stuck,

dangling in transition,

but…

your Spirit a powerhouse within,

overcoming, rerouting all my failures,

using all my compost for life abundant,

growing and guiding me,

to live free and strong

from the inside out,

your hand upon me,

you’ll never let me go.

I rest secure in you.

Thank you Lord.

Amen.

Lover Of My Soul

Lord,

Thank you for saving me,

lifting my soul up and out of the miry clay,

gifting me your Spirit,

breathing eternal life into me,

buoying me up by your mercy and grace

to traverse this life with you.

In you I have no lack,

my vulnerabilities find your strength,

my pain finds your healing and comfort,

my frustrations, your hope and counsel.

Fill this broken cup,

so that your healing, comfort, joy, and life

would overflow,

and that in all of my being,

utterly dependent on your love,

you would be so glorified

as Lover and Messiah of our souls.

I bless you Lord.

Amen.

Known

Lord,

Thank you that over the years

of melting my walls

and drawing me to you,

through knowing you,

you have shown me… me,

and I have to know her

a little bit better, a little bit more.

You’re kind, gentle, and gracious,

you won me in my stiff-necked rebellion,

you’re merciful to me in my willful independence,

you’ve held the line with discipline and safe boundaries,

other times giving me over to my choices

with painful lessons learned,

treasures still to be reaped in darkness.

You’re my good Father.

I’ve found more and more,

that you know best,

my Creator,

you know me best,

and I can yield to trust you,

though I’m still learning how.

You’ve taken a child of shame,

and brought me into your marvelous light,

and I pray to fellowship with you

walking in your grace,

enjoying you,

being simply me,

all the days of my life.

Amen.

Love On Display

Lord,

I throw myself into your care,

your arms of mercy,

your empowering grace.

Forgive me of my pride and independence,

melt my rigid perfectionism,

help me to slow my racing thoughts

so I can cast them onto you,

knowing you care for me,

and align me with your ways,

your peace, priorities, and pace.

Not by might, nor by power,

but let me live by your Spirit,

and entrust myself to You

who are able to keep me

from stumbling and falling,

and present me unblemished,

faultless and blameless,

before the presence of God

with victorious joy, triumphant delight.

I can’t wait for that day

for your glory, love, and power to be on display.

To you Lord, our Messiah,

be all glory, splendor, honor, majesty,

power, might, and dominion,

forever and ever,

through all time.

Amen.

I’m Blessed

Lord,

Help me to stay low, poor in spirit before you,

who considered yourself nothing before God

that I may be blessed, spiritually rich, and happy.

Let me mourn over my sins,

grant me a spirit of repentance

that I may be forgiven, touched by your grace,

and comforted when you lift my burdens.

Help me to walk in your gentle, sweet spirit,

and be kind and self-controlled,

that I may have your peace and security,

and be entrusted with your inheritance.

Put in me an insatiable hunger and thirst

to seek you, know you, and live right before you

that you may nourish me with all your goodness

and I may be completely satisfied in you.

Let me walk in mercy,

trusting in your promises

and sheltering under your deliverance,

that your loving kindness and mercy would overtake me.

Strengthen my heart to walk in purity,

staying on the paths of courage, integrity, and godly character

so that I may see your face clearly and know your closeness.

Let me be a peacemaker to express your heart,

brokering reconciliation, healing, and connection,

and have the joy and favor of being called your child.

Enable me to stand firm in faith,

doing what you have called me to do,

walking in love, courage, truth, and grace

that when persecution comes,

I would be spiritually alive,

my soul lit on fire for your glory,

experiencing your peace that transcends all understanding,

and enjoying your rewards when eternity comes.

I bless you Lord.

Amen.