(1 Corinthians 13:1-13) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Reminder:
"praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He
may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like,
or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we abide in faith (13:13)
- that we abide in hope (13:13)
- that we abide in love (13:13), which is...
- that we are patient (13:4)
- that we are kind (13:4)
- that we are not jealous (13:4)
- that we do not brag (13:4)
- that we are not arrogant (13:4)
- that we do not act unbecomingly (13:5)
- that we are not selfish or self-serving (13:5)
- that we do not provoke, manipulate or force love (13:5)
- that we do not hold grudges or seek revenge (13:5)
- that we appreciate and find joy in truth (13:6)
- that we believe and see the best of people and not listen to gossip or make assumptions, which does not mean that we should put ourselves into stupid or dangerous situations (13:7)
- that we are hopeful in each relationship, to be able to work things out when there are problems (13:7)
- that we endure all things, by being quick to forgive the other person whether they apologize or not, and by remaining available in case they change their mind and behavior (13:7)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrificial love, and that You give us a template of what that love should look like. I can definitely see a few things in that list which I still need to work on. This is sin, and I confess these. Help me figure out coping strategies so I can avoid falling into those bad patterns. Help me to love others with pure motives. This is obviously Your will, and I know that You will answer this prayer. Help me to be patient with myself, as I know that I am a work in progress!!!
Thank You for Your faithful and holy guidance. I have seen how You have worked in my life and in my relationships with various people! There have been a few "miracles" for sure!!! And when we do things Your way - I have seen how it works!!! And regarding those relationships that are still "touchy", work on the hearts of the other people, while keeping me patient and continuously working on myself - in Your strength and in Your love. Amen.
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