Message #14 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
"Asking for the Spirit's Life"

by Kaye Johns

If there is, we are without excuse, for the Spirit of Love resides within us. Jesus taught that the first and greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." He said the second is like it, "Love your neighbor as yourself."[Matt. 22:37-39] Jesus shared a third commandment on love in John 13: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." [John 13:34]

Simple, isn’t it? We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind; to love our neighbors as ourselves; and to love others in the body of Christ as Christ loves His church. But can we do that on our own?

Of course not, and God knew that. That’s why He has given us the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Love [2 Tim. 1:7]. Why, then, do we find it so hard to choose to love the Lord and others as He desires we should? Perhaps because we view love as an emotion, as something that happens to us, rather than an act of our will. Loving someone--even God--is a choice that we make that is empowered by the Spirit of Love. Is there anyone you have chosen not to love? Has that grieved [Eph. 4:30] or quenched [1 Thes. 5:19] the Spirit’s life in you? Is it worth it?

Pray with me now -- Father, forgive us for our failure to love. Help us to repent in the strength of the Spirit of Love, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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