July 15 Prayer

“It was not you that chose me, rather I chose you and appointed you to go and bear lasting fruit….. to Love one another deeply ” John 15:16-17

You are His beloved chosen one.
Breathe in his presence of love to wash you in his glory.

God is the shepherd of his sheep, and he provides for each lamb what it needs.
Like an orphaned child all have been waiting for a family to belong to, expecting perhaps a parent to choose them, to pick them out from the crowd of many.
How would it feel to be that one that is selected, chosen, singled out from all the others? Pretty special, I imagine.
A question and wonder maybe if they were really chosen, really accepted, and to finally belong to a family that wants them.

We are those that have been chosen by God. And we do belong not only to the Father but we belong to his family. With his son, Jesus, our brother, Holy Spirit , our sister and mother? What a mystery this is.
How can we explain it and accept it?
God's embrace is for all his children, we belong in that infinite hold. In the place of belonging we have this simple command to bear lasting fruit that he has appointed for us to bear through loving one another deeply.
That is the command of the Father, that is his rule for us to follow.

Pause here a minute and look into the loving eyes of Jesus.
He is our window to see God more clearly.
Let us draw near to him now and ask for grace to pray.

“ Jesus, we belong with you and desire to love our brothers and sisters more deeply. Help us all to receive the love you have for us from the Father so we do not envy one another.
Keep our eyes on what really matters so the fruit of love will last in us.
Let joy abound in your family with the knowledge that everyone belongs.
Your love is big enough to go around.
Your embrace is large and wide enough to hold us all.
Would you root and ground us in your love today?
Show us how to care for the little lambs that need attending to with kindness and gentleness.
We are so blessed to be called your chosen beloved children, the sheep of your pasture.
We thank you with grateful hearts and outstretched hands.
May we be a blessing to many this day.
In the loving name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen