Love & Prayer

I love to read. When I was younger I was addicted to fiction. I especially loved adventures set in times long ago. . . As I grew up and started taking my faith more seriously I started reading books that talked about God; books that helped me walk with Him and live for Him more fully.

I remember one car trip with Matt before we had kids. I was reading out loud from a book by D.A. Carson, who happened to be one of Matt's professor's at seminary. The book was about prayer; how we can look to Paul's prayers in the Epistles as models for our own prayers. For some reason I remember being particularly moved by what I was reading at some point and bursting into tears. Poor Matt. I believe I kept reading as I sobbed. . . I'm not sure he was able to glean much from that particular reading. . .

That incident was at least 6 years ago, but there are parts of that particular book that have stuck with me to this day. There is something powerful about praying Paul's prayers for myself and for the people I love.

So this morning I am praying for you. The other day I talked about how love seemed to be the theme of my God-thoughts these days. . . and it will continue to be the theme of my summer as we hit the road with our bible study on His Revolutionary Love.

Today I am praying that you can experience the richness of His love in a powerful and life-transforming way. God knows I am longing for it to continually transform mine. . .

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19