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•A Prayer for Unifying Love•By Anthony Valente👉 “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:5)Heartbreak is hard. All around us today, and every day, people experience heartbreak. We experience heartbreak. It hurts so badly; we will build walls and shelters around us to keep heartbreak from happening again. Heartbreak is the consequence of deep love. There isn’t a relationship worth having with anyone which won’t walk us strategically through the valley of heartbreak from time to time. In those moments, we can choose to lean into love, which walks through the valleys with us. Love unifies us. It’s through unconditional love for each other that we find unity. We are all fighting the same battle against sin. We are all human, living this side of heaven. But we are all loved by God unconditionally. A powerful love that can overcome every difference and heal all hurt.The word love used in today’s verse is the Greek word agape. “A word to which Christianity gave new meaning,” The New Spirit Filled Life Bible explains, “Outside of the NT, it rarely occurs in existing Greek manuscripts of the period.” Unlike the English language, by which we use the same word to describe our love for French fries and our love for the love of our lives, the Greek language denotes different words to describe the varying levels of love we experience. “Agape denotes an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he does,” The New Spirit Filled Life Bible explains, “It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object…. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world.” When we find it hard to forgive, we can lean into the power of God’s love through the Holy Spirit living in us through Christ Jesus. When we are offended, we can choose to let it go, by the faithful reminder of God’s Word, which defines who we are…. not the words of others. Unity is choosing to lean into love, to let go of offense, forgive forward, and realize we are all loved by God equally…. and unconditionally. Let’s pray for a love that unifies. ✝️ Father,Glory to You, the Author of Life, and definition of love. Oh, God, that we could ever learn to love in such a forgiving, unconditional way! Help us to see each other through Your eyes, God. You created each one of us with unique purpose in this life. We get to be a part of Your Kingdom work here on earth! Continue to draw us close to You, God so that we can walk in Your will for our lives. Illuminate the ways we should go and make our everyday lives carry the meaning they were meant to, God. Father, You place us purposefully on this earth, in our families and communities. People are not accidental in any way, for neither are You. You are purposeful. Love unites us in Your purpose! As we learn to love You, God, our eyes are opened to those around us. Today, we come to You with contrite hearts, open minds, and a willingness to be vessels of Your love in this world. In our everyday lives, make clear to us Your presence and purpose, Father. Love unifies us. Oh, God, that we would be able to see each other for the people You made us to be. Help us to remove the film of perfection from the mirror we gaze in, at ourselves and each other. Help us to embrace each other in the thick of this world. We are so much better together, God. Unite us in prayer and common purpose to bring glory to You with our lives, Lord. Unite us in forgiveness, in choosing to let both past, present, and future offenses go. God, give us the strength and power, through Your love, to be un-offendable! Father, help us to care for the mistreated, abused, poor, and hurting together. Ignite in us a desire to focus on what matters the most in this life…. loving You and loving each other. Father, we pray a special blessing of healing today over everyone and anyone who carries the pain of offense and unforgiveness. Release them from the burden of heaviness that bears on their everyday lives, Lord, and free their hearts to love and be loved again. God, we pray for unifying love in our homes, schools, communities, churches, workplaces, and all of the people who touch our everyday lives. In Jesus’ Name,AMEN 🙏 My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. (Philippians 1:20)“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:26)For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name Israel.(Isaiah 44:3-5)“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)We love because he first loved us.(1 John 4:19)But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”(Hebrews 8:10-12)“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.(Galatians 5:22)And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.(Romans 8:28)“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”(Romans 8:39)But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.(1 Corinthians 8:3)“For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.(Jeremiah 17:5-8)I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.(Ezekiel 36:25)So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.(John 8:36)God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.(Hebrews 11:40)(pic verse)We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.