Prayer to walk in God’s love on Valentine’s Day
Author: Whitney Hopler
Bible reading:
“Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the law?” Jesus answered, “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the law?” “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is just like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hinge on these two commandments. ” – Matthew 22:36-40, NIV
Listen or read below:
Valentine’s Day puts the spotlight on romantic love. It’s fun to focus on your love life when it’s going well, but it can also be painful when you’re single. Thankfully, from God’s perspective, love is never limited to romance. There are many ways to express love and many opportunities to do so every day.
Of course, on any given day you have to make a lot of choices. And when you have so many things to do, you can get so busy and stressed that you lose sight of what’s most important. In Matthew 22:36-40, religious leaders asked Jesus a question that goes to the heart of their faith. “What is most important?” Jesus’ answer still guides us today: “Love.” Jesus says that from God’s perspective, the most important thing is to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus does not list accomplishments, religious accomplishments, or perfect behavior. He’s just pointing out love. So if you’re wondering how to honor God on Valentine’s Day, this scripture will give you a clear answer. It’s about choosing love over and over again.
You don’t always have to be emotional to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. To follow the first commandment, all you have to do is choose love as much as possible as you choose your daily words and actions.
Love is paramount to God because God is essentially pure love. The more we choose to be loving in our communications and actions, the closer we get to God and the more we experience the joy of His love. By putting love into action in your life, you will see that love is more than just a feeling. It’s action. God’s love flows into your life every time you choose loving words and actions. Your choice to be loving connects you to a loving God. In the process, you will be blessed and so will those around you.
Just by doing our best to love others every day, we can keep the second commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. It is possible through intentional kindness, forgiveness, and service. Choose to value yourself and choose to treat others with the same consideration you would give yourself.
Valentine’s Day is a powerful reminder that love is practiced. Whether you have romantic love in your life or not, you can take advantage of all kinds of occasions to love and be loved to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. Jesus loves you. And it asks you to respond to Jesus’ love by loving God, yourself, and others as much as you can.
Jesus pointed out that everything God wants you to live faithfully depends on choosing love. When you do your best to choose love, God will meet you where you are and send love powerfully into your life. Whenever you choose love, God is working through you. You don’t have to wait until you feel more love to start making romantic moves. Love often grows with practice.
So this Valentine’s Day, choose to let love make all your important decisions. Let Valentine’s Day be the first day of a new commitment to walk in God’s love every day from now on. You don’t have to be perfect to start this new habit. You just need to commit to choosing love as much as possible. When you make a mistake, God’s grace will meet you there. But if you succeed in choosing love, you will be blessed in the process. Because walking in love means drawing near to God.
Choose love this Valentine’s Day and beyond. Let it shape every decision you make every day. When you do your best to choose loving words and actions, you will experience the power of God’s love in any situation.
Let’s pray:
Dear God, thank you for loving me the most and showing me what true love looks like through Jesus. This Valentine’s Day, help me make and maintain a new commitment to choosing loving words and actions. I pray that with the help of your Holy Spirit, I will choose love every day from now on. Help me to love You with all my heart, soul and spirit and let Your love flow into my life. Then I can love myself and others. Teach me to adopt a lifestyle of kindness and service, walking in your love in every situation. Thank you, God. Amen.
Share your thoughts on today’s devotion in the Daily Prayer discussion in the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nodar Chernishev
Whitney Hopler helps people discover the wonders of God and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at major media organizations including Crosswalk.com, the national publication of the Salvation Army USA, and Dotdash.com (producing the popular Angels and Miracles channel). She currently leads communications operations at George Mason University’s Center for Human Services Advancement. Connect with Whitney on her website www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.
Related Resources: Lightbulb Moments in Marriage
Marriage is one of God’s most beautiful gifts, but it is also one of the most difficult. Even couples who deeply love each other and want to honor God can find themselves stuck in the same conversations, the same misunderstandings, the same frustrations, and wonder why nothing ever changes. That’s why I’m so excited to share this week’s episode of The Love Offering Podcast with you. If you like what you hear, follow The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.
