Topic: Experiencing Divine Love [Archbishop Margaret E. Benson Idahosa] Above Only Daily Devotional 22 April 2020
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Experiencing Divine Love
John 17:25-26 (LB) “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you so that the mighty love you have for me may be in them, and I in them.
John 16:26-27 (AMP) In that day you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf [because it will be unnecessary]; for the Father Himself [tender] loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from the father.
Child of God, believe it or not, God loves you the exact way that He loves Jesus. Jesus said it Himself in John 17:23. In our first text above, Jesus was praying to God for you to know this truth because of how much He wants you to embrace and experience it in every area of your life. God called Jesus His Beloved Son in whom He was well pleased even before He started His ministry or performed any miracle, Luke 3:21-22. Just as it happened in Jesus’ life, Jesus wants your consciousness of God unconditional love for you to cause you to become secure and confident always. Jesus wants this consciousness to make you bold and confident in your prayers and in exercising your faith. Our second text above shows that God will respond to our prayers just as He responds to the prayers of Jesus because God loves us tenderly. In John 11:41-43 (LB), the Bible says, “So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. (You always hear me, of course but I said it because of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”) Then he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
Because of how much God loves you, He is always with you. Because He is always with you, it is always well with you, no matter what you are going through or what people say, think or do to you, John 16:32. Because of how much God loves you, He will surely supply all your needs even more than the way you expect Him to, Luke 11:13. He will always show you His mercy, Heb. 4:16. Your knowledge of the Father’s everlasting love for you will cause you to keep drawing closer to Him, Jer. 31:3. It will cause you to be more than a conqueror, no matter your situation, Rom. 8:37-39. Remain in the Father’s love, (Jude 1:21, Eph. 3:17-19).
Prayer Focus:
Ask God to make you rooted and grounded in His love for you.
Bible in one year reading plan:
- 2 Samuel 16-18
- Luke 17:20-37