It’s no secret that our world is filled with a lot of hurt and division right now. As followers of Jesus, He has called us to love others with His love and to be peacemakers in our culture. Loving others who we disagree with, who’ve wronged us, and who are different from us.
The truth is we can’t do that in our power, but we can with God’s power. Here are a few prayers you can pray to fill up on God’s love for you so you can pour out His love to the people around you. Use these prayers to help you connect to God’s inexhaustible love for you and the world.
“‘And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31 NLT
Heavenly Father, I want to love my neighbor as myself, but sometimes it’s hard. There are days when the people around me are difficult to love. Would you please help me love You more to love the people in my life better? May I see them the way You see them so I can love them the way You love them. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” – Luke 6:31 NLT
Lord, I know that being kind to others paves the way to healthy relationships. Teach me what it means to do to others as I would like them to do to me. When people are unkind, may You give me the strength to treat them with kindness. When people seek to cause division, may I pursue unity. May You give me the wisdom and strength to bring help and healing when people are hurting. In Your name, amen.
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. – Romans 13:8 NLT
Father, life is complicated and busy. Sometimes things move so fast I find myself falling short of the love You’ve given me to pass on to others. Help me not to allow the noise and pace of life to cause me to forget the essential thing in life: love You and love others. May I always remember the love You’ve shown to me so I can pass it on to other people in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” – John 13:34-35 NLT
God, thank You for loving me with everlasting love. Your love for me is eternal and beyond my understanding. I want to love people the way You love me. Remind me of all the ways You love me. Keep in front of me what Jesus sacrificed to save me. Teach me how to grow in Your love by showing me how to follow the example of Jesus. In Your name, amen.
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:7 NLT
Lord, You are not just loving, You are love itself. I thank You that You never stop loving me, and I pray that You will fill me with Your love today. Help me not try to love others with my flawed, limited love, but that I would love others with Your limitless, perfect love. May I abide in You each day so Your love will flow through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8 NLT
Heavenly Father, thank You that You have forgiven me for all of my sins through Christ’s work on the cross. I admit that I struggle at times to forgive others when they hurt me. I ask that You help me forgive others the way You have forgiven me. May You remind me of all the ways You’ve shown grace to me and give me the strength to show that same grace to the people in my life today. In Your Son’s name, amen.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13 NLT
Father, You tell us that the most important thing we can do with our lives is loving You with everything we’ve got and loving others the way we love ourselves. That often means setting aside our wants and desires to do what’s best for someone else. I pray that You will help me see the needs around me and lay down my wishes to help someone today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? – James 2:1 NLT
God, I know You don’t play favorites, and I don’t want to, either. Help me not only love people who like me and who are like me, but teach me how to love people who are different from me and those who may not love me back. I know I can't do this on my own. May You do a work in me today to love my world the way You loved the world through Jesus. Amen.
