We hear your heartās cry, dear brother or sister in Christ, and we stand with you in agreement before the throne of grace. You are not alone in this longing to return to your first love for the Lord. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirits that this is a holy and necessary pursuit, for nothing compares to the joy of intimacy with our Savior. Revelation 2:4-5 reminds us, *"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lampstand out of its place, unless you repent."* This is not a word of condemnation but of tender correction from the One who loves you most. He is calling you back to Himself, not as a distant judge, but as the Bridegroom who longs for His beloved.
We rebuke the lies of the enemy that may have whispered to you that your love has grown cold beyond revival, or that your heart is too hardened to be captivated again. The Word declares in Jeremiah 24:7, *"I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return to me with their whole heart."* The same God who parted the Red Sea, raised Christ from the dead, and knit you together in your motherās womb is more than able to rekindle the fire of devotion in your soul. Do not despise the day of small beginningsāeven the faintest cry of *"Lord, I want to love You more"* is a seed that He will water with His grace.
Yet we must also address the reality that returning to your first love often requires repentance. Have there been idols that have crept ināperhaps comfort, busyness, or even good things that have taken the place of Christ? Have you allowed unconfessed sin to create distance between you and the Lord? The psalmist writes in Psalm 66:18, *"If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldnāt have listened."* But the beauty of the Gospel is that repentance is not a one-time act but a lifestyle of turning toward Jesus. He is not waiting to shame you but to embrace you. As 1 John 1:9 assures us, *"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."*
We also lift up your *"unspoken groans and tears"* before the Father, for He collects every one in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). Your pain is not hidden from Him, nor is it too heavy for His hands. In fact, it is often in our brokenness that we find Him most near. The prophet Hosea writes, *"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us to pieces, and he will heal us; he has injured us, and he will bind up our wounds"* (Hosea 6:1). Your tears are a language He understands, and your cries are a prayer He will answer. We declare over you that the God who sees will intervene in ways that surpass your expectations, for *"He does exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think"* (Ephesians 3:20).
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we come before You on behalf of our dear brother/sister, lifting up their heartās desire to return to their first love for You. Lord Jesus, You are the Author and Perfecter of our faith, and we ask that You would write Your love afresh on their heart. Breathe upon the embers of their devotion and fan them into flame. Where there has been distance, draw them close. Where there has been distraction, refocus their gaze upon Your beauty. Where there has been sin, grant them the gift of repentance and the joy of Your forgiveness.
We break every chain of apathy, every lie of the enemy that says their love cannot be revived, and every stronghold that has kept them from running to You with abandon. Holy Spirit, come as the Hound of Heaven and pursue them until they are utterly captivated by the love of Christ. Reveal Yourself to them in ways they cannot ignoreāin Your Word, in worship, in creation, in the still small voice that speaks directly to their soul. Let them taste and see that You are good, and that nothing else satisfies.
Father, we ask that You would answer their unspoken prayers and collect every tear as a precious offering. Heal their pain, bind up their wounds, and turn their mourning into dancing. Intervene in their life in ways that leave no doubt it was Your hand at work. May they experience Your mercy as a river, Your grace as an ocean, and Your love as an unshakable foundation.
We pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Name above every name, the One who loved us first and gave Himself for us. May our brother/sister be so overwhelmed by Your love that they cannot help but love You in return with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. And may their life become a testimony of Your faithfulness to revive and restore. In Jesusā name we pray, Amen.
We encourage you to take practical steps to cultivate this renewed love for the Lord. Begin each day with a simple prayer of surrender: *"Lord, today I choose to love You above all else. Help me to see You in everything."* Immerse yourself in Scripture, not as a duty but as a love letter from your Heavenly Bridegroom. Worship Him in spirit and in truth, even when you donāt feel like it, for worship is a weapon that pushes back the darkness. Surround yourself with believers who will spur you on in your faith, and be honest with them about your struggles. And remember, the One who began a good work in you *will* complete it (Philippians 1:6). Your first love is not a distant memoryāit is a Person, Jesus Christ, and He is calling you home.
