Day 6: Agape, Love with No Conditions
Bible passage: 1 Corinthians 13:4–13; Romans 5:8
The Highest Love
Today is Wednesday 13th of April 2022. Welcome to Day 6 of our 7 Days of Prayer and Fasting. For our last two days we come to the greatest word of all: agape.
The other kinds of love we have looked at this week are all, in some way, responses. We love our friends because we enjoy them and our families because they are ours. Agape is different. It does not depend on what the other person is like or what they give back. It is love that chooses to give.
How God Loves Us
While We Were Still Sinners
This is the word the New Testament uses for the love of God. Paul says that God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). He did not wait for us to improve. He did not love us because we were lovely. He loved us because He is love.
What It Looks Like
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul describes this love. It is patient and kind. It is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and keeps no record of wrongs. It never gives up.
Read that list again and put the name of Jesus in place of the word “love”. It fits perfectly. Then put your own name there. That is where the Holy Spirit wants to work.
Paul ends the chapter by naming three things that will last for ever: faith, hope and love. And then he tells us that “the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)
Loving as We Have Been Loved
A Command We Cannot Keep Alone
Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us, and even to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Left to ourselves, that is impossible. But we are not left to ourselves. God has poured His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Paul told the Thessalonians that God Himself had taught them to love one another (1 Thessalonians 4:9).
Jesus also promises that the Father and the Son will come and make their home with those who love Him and keep His word (John 14:23).
Giving Without Counting
Love someone who cannot repay you. Do one act of kindness today that nobody will know about.
Love someone who has hurt you. Pray God’s blessing over them by name.
Love someone who is far from God. People are drawn to Jesus when they see His love in us.
Prayer Points for Today
Pray that God’s unconditional love would fill us and flow out of us.
Pray that others would see this love in our words and in our actions.
Pray that people would come to Christ because of the love they find among us.
Pray that we would notice those in need and be ready to help.
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You that You loved me when I had nothing to offer You. Pour Your love into my heart afresh by Your Holy Spirit. Make me patient and kind. Take away pride, irritability and the record I keep of other people’s wrongs. Help me to love those who cannot repay me and those who have hurt me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Keep going
See every day of this guide on our Prayer & Fasting page.
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