21 Days of Prayer - Day 7: Ask the One who said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Mar 22

Helpful Links & Resources

Opening Prayer

Christian Love (from The Valley of Vision prayer book)

Luke 10:25-37

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Notice

One expression of our wholehearted love for God is that we love our neighbor. In Dr. Luke’s account of this command, the lawyer famously asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In answer, Jesus tells one of his most famous parables, The Good Samaritan. The priest passed by the needy man, as did the worship leader, but the Samaritan stopped to aid him at his own expense and time. To love our neighbor is to stop what we are doing and go to some trouble to intervene to provide practical assistance. It is showing mercy. God has been merciful to us, and we in turn show our neighbors mercy. This is the second greatest of God’s commands.

Think about it

One distinguishing mark of modern life is a hectic schedule. “I’m too busy” is a repeated phrase. We’ve all said it many times. Are we too busy to love others? To stop what we are doing and show the mercy of Jesus to someone in need? Consider your day today: Is there room in your to-do list for love, for practical kindness and generosity, to show God’s love?

A prayer of willingness to love others by God’s grace

“My Father, you have made clear to me in your word that I am called to love: to love you first and foremost, to love my neighbors, to love my fellow believers, even to love my enemies. God, please help me love my neighbor today. Open a door for me to make a difference in someone’s life. Don’t let me miss an open window of opportunity. Prompt me by your Holy Spirit and give me wisdom in how best to respond. I want to be your vessel of love today and every day, by your grace and for your glory, amen.”

Pray the Psalms

Psalm 16: You Will Not Abandon My Soul

Group Prayer