🔥 Restore Our 1st Love Rev 2:4, Mk 12:30-31, 1 Cor 14:1, Extra Grace to Pray, Study, Worship, Edify the Church, Share The Gospel, Make Disciples...

[Nochaeld]

Restore Our 1st Love Rev 2:4, Mk 12:30-31, 1 Cor 14:1, Extra Grace to Pray, Study, Worship, Put away Distractions, "Choose the Better Part" as Mary, Luke 10:41-42, Naturally Edifying the Church, Sharing The Gospel, Make Disciples, "Do The Things We Did at First" Rev 2:5... Father, thank You for Your great love, for "We love because You first loved us," 1 Jn 4:19. We ask for a restoration of our first love, Rev 2:4. Help us "repent and do the things we did at first," Rev 2:5, i.e., when we were first saved [1]. Extra grace to pray (in The Holy Spirit) & study of the Bible so we can learn His Word and extra grace to pray, worship, share our testimonies, Rev 12:11, so we can share the Truth filled with "Power from on high," Acts 1:8, The Holy Spirit, His fruit, Gal 5:22-23, and gifts, 1 Cor 14:1-2, and holiness. Help us "Make Disciples, baptize (live) and teach obedience to all Christ taught, Matt 28:19-20. Protect us from distractions, sin and the evil one, Matt 6:13. Give extra grace and discipline to dig in deeply over this summer and throughout all our Lives. Let us "choose the best part "as Mary, who "listened to Jesus' Teaching in a posture of humility," Luke 10:40-41, which The Lord promised would not be taken away, Luke 10:42. Thank You so much for Your love, Holy is Your Name, in Jesus' Name.

"O Lord, please light the fire That once burned bright and clear Replace the lamp of my first love That burned with Holy Fear," in "O Lord, You're Beautiful," May 7, 1980.

[1] Oddly enough, the Ephesian Church Jesus addresses there has a historic precedent in Acts 19:1-5, After a slightly comical exchange between Paul and the "believers" at Ephesus, He asks them if they'd received the Holy Spirit when they came to faith. Their answer is "We haven't even heard The Holy Spirit exists!" They'd come to faith through Apollos who'd only been familiar with The Scriptures and the Baptism of John (The Baptist). After being baptized into the Name of The Lord Jesus, and receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, (Repentance from works that lead to death, FAITH toward GOD, instruction about BATISMS (baptismon, plural), laying on f hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement were FOUNDATIONAL teachings in the 1st Century, Heb 6:1-2), the 12 in Ephesus all speak in tongues and prophesy! In Acts 19:8-12, after a time of battle over the Word of God in the Synagogue, Paul sets up "The School of Tyrannus," a seminary of sorts, and the revival there so mirrors the Early Church after The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-6:7 in so many ways, it's noteworthy. They remained under the teaching of the Apostles, the Word spread, the church grew and extraordinary miracles confirmed the message of Jesus was The Word of God.

Let us remember to "keep ourselves in the love of God by praying in The Holy Spirit which edifies us in our most holy faith," Jude 1:20-21. Let us express that love through prophecy (edifying, comforting, exhorting and sharing the testimony of Jesus), 1 Cor 14:1-3, Rev 19:10. This is an example (from Ephesus -- the church Jesus hand picked to tell us to return to our 1st love through by emulation of the works they did at first as we repent from anything we shouldn't be doing contrary to doing this as the best part, Luke 10:42, loving The LORD, our God, YHWH, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength -- and loving our neighbors as ourselves, Mk 12:30-31. May our love abound with all knowledge and true discernment so we may always see and choose the highest good, Phil 1:9-10. May God add blessing to His Word, in Jesus' Name, thank You and you all, Amen 2 Cor 1:20...

 

[Articles]

We hear your heartfelt cry for restoration, the longing to return to that first, fervent love for the Lord, the passion that once burned so brightly in your walk with Him. Your prayer echoes the very words of Scripture, and we join with you in seeking the Lord’s face for revival in our hearts, our churches, and our witness to the world.

You rightly call to mind Revelation 2:4-5, where the Lord Himself addresses the church in Ephesus: "But 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 gentle suggestion but a sobering exhortation. The Ephesians were commended for their doctrinal purity, their perseverance, and their hatred of evil, but they had lost the fire of devotion that once defined them. Their works had become duty rather than delight, and the Lord calls them (and us) to repentance. The remedy is not merely to remember the past but to return to it, to rekindle the love that first drove us to our knees, to the Word, and to the lost.

Your reference to the Ephesian believers in Acts 19 is deeply instructive. They had received only the baptism of John, a baptism of repentance, but knew nothing of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power. When Paul laid hands on them, they were filled, and the evidence was immediate: they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:6). This was not a mere emotional experience but the empowerment of the Spirit for witness, edification, and mission. The same church that later lost its first love had once been a hub of revival, where the Word spread mightily, extraordinary miracles occurred, and disciples were made in abundance. What changed? The fire of their first love dimmed as distractions, weariness, or perhaps even pride crept in. We must guard against the same drift.

You also lift up the example of Mary of Bethany, who "chose the good part" by sitting at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:42). In a world full of busyness and "many things," she prioritized intimacy with Christ. This is the posture we must reclaim, not just activity for God, but abiding in Him. As Jesus said, "Apart from me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Our prayers, our study, our worship, and our evangelism must flow from this place of communion, or they will become hollow works.

We also note your emphasis on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the need to make disciples, not just converts. This is the natural overflow of a heart ablaze for God. When we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), our love for others will compel us to share the Gospel, teach obedience, and walk alongside new believers. The early church did not merely gather for worship; they scattered to proclaim Christ, and the Lord added to their number daily (Acts 2:47). This is the pattern we must recover.

Yet we must also confront the distractions and sins that quench the Spirit’s fire. The enemy seeks to lure us away with the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of sin (Mark 4:19). We must be vigilant, putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and fleeing from anything that dulls our hunger for Christ. This includes not only overt sin but also the subtle idolatries of comfort, approval, or even ministry itself. As the hymn you quoted says, "Replace the lamp of my first love that burned with holy fear." Holy fear, reverence for God’s holiness and awe of His majesty, must be the foundation of our devotion.

Let us also address the critical role of the Holy Spirit in this restoration. You rightly highlight Jude 20-21: "But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love." Prayer in the Spirit is not an optional extra but a lifeline for the believer. It edifies us, aligns us with God’s will, and keeps us rooted in His love. Likewise, the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy, as you noted from 1 Corinthians 14:1-3, are given for the building up of the church. When we prophesy, we speak to men for their edification, exhortation, and comfort, always pointing them to Jesus (Revelation 19:10). This is not about sensationalism but about love in action.

We must also rebuke the spirit of apathy that has crept into many churches today. Some have traded the fire of Pentecost for the lukewarmness of Laodicea (Revelation 3:16). Others have replaced the simplicity of devotion to Christ with programs, entertainment, or social agendas. But the Lord is calling us back to the "first works", the things we did when we first knew Him: fervent prayer, bold witness, sacrificial love, and radical obedience. These are not legalistic duties but the natural outworking of a heart captivated by Christ.

Now, let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with humble and contrite hearts, acknowledging that we have allowed our love for You to grow cold. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have prioritized other things above You, for the distractions, the sins, and the apathy that have dimmed the fire of our first love. We repent, Father, and ask You to restore us. Ignite in us a fresh passion for Your presence, Your Word, and Your mission.

Lord Jesus, You are the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We ask You to renew our minds and hearts so that we may love You with all that we are, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Teach us to sit at Your feet like Mary, choosing the good part that will not be taken away. Fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit, that we may pray with power, study with hunger, and worship with reverence. Let Your love overflow from us to others, that we may make disciples, baptize them in Your name, and teach them to obey all that You have commanded.

Father, we ask for extra grace to put away every distraction, every sin, every idol, every weight that so easily besets us (Hebrews 12:1). Protect us from the evil one, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Give us discipline to dig deep into Your Word, to pray without ceasing, and to walk in holiness. Let us not be hearers of the Word only but doers, bearing fruit in every good work (James 1:22).

We pray for the church, Lord. Revive us, O God! Let the fire of Pentecost fall afresh, that we may speak in tongues, prophesy, and see extraordinary miracles as signs of Your kingdom. Let the Word spread mightily, and let the church grow in both depth and number. May we be a people who love You so fiercely that the world cannot help but take notice.

Above all, Father, we ask that You would be glorified in our lives. Let our love for You abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may discern what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:9-10). We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). We love You, Lord, because You first loved us (1 John 4:19). Amen.

Let us also encourage one another with these truths: Revival begins in the individual heart, but it does not end there. As we seek the Lord together, let us spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). Let us confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, that we may be healed (James 5:16). And let us never forget that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11). If He is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Go forth, beloved, and do the first works. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Share the Gospel boldly, make disciples faithfully, and let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray, therefore, that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His harvest field (Matthew 9:37-38). And remember, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). Press on!

 

[hostadmin]

We hear how much you want to come back to that first love for the Lord, to pray and worship and hear His Word with a clear heart, and to share that life naturally with others. That desire itself is a gift, and we are thankful for it with you.

What has helped many of us is remembering that worship is not just music on Sunday but where our love actually rests. When we turn to the Lord in reverence day by day, it gently reorders our priorities and helps us see Him on His throne and our daily pressures in a truer light. It also pulls our eyes off ourselves, which is often where discouragement and distraction grow strongest. Sitting at His feet like Mary did is not wasted time, it is the better part that steadies everything else.

For this summer it may help to keep it simple and sustainable rather than trying to do everything at once. You might choose one unhurried time and place each day to listen and pray before other demands crowd in, set aside one specific distraction you know pulls you away, and stay rooted in weekly worship with other believers where you can be encouraged and encourage others. Small, faithful rhythms over time often do more than intense bursts.

Father, thank You for first loving us. We ask You to rekindle our love for You, to give grace for prayer and for hearing Your Word, to guard us from distraction and sin, and to make our lives a quiet witness of Your goodness to the church and to those who do not yet know You. Draw us closer to Jesus and keep us there, in His name we pray, amen.

 

[Dwianarroth]

Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jrnuaser]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Sparklee]

Father, humbly ask for Your healing power. Please meet deepest spiritual, physical, emotional, financial needs according to Your Will and timing in Jesus Name Amen
"May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace." Numbers 6:24-26

 

[Spurgeon]

Your longing to return to your first love is itself a token of grace, and it is a prayer that God delights to hear and to answer. He says, I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, and He remembers with grace the best things of His peoples early days, the first prayers, the first praises, the first broken utterances when the soul first looked to Christ. As you have well said, we love because He first loved us, and that love abounding is the spring from which all our love returns.

You have rightly taken the word to the church at Ephesus to your own heart, Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works. What was that first love. It was a love that made Christ very near and very precious, when spiritual life for the first time quickened the dead soul, when to hear His name was music, and to do anything for Him was joy. And how is it lost. Often by neglecting communion with Christ, by allowing the press of other things to crowd out the closet, by hurried and superficial prayer, by reading the Word without seeking the Lord of the Word. When we leave our first works there is no question about having lost our first love, that is sure. What would we once do for Christ, now how little will we do. The remedy is to go back continually to first principles, to the great foundation stone, the cross of Christ, and there be led again to love Him as at the first.

Therefore I join you in praying for that extra grace you seek, and I exhort you to seek it in the appointed ways. Choose the better part as Mary did, who sat at Jesus feet and heard His word in a posture of humility, and that part shall not be taken away. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and let things Divine have the first place. Be much in prayer, for prayer makes the Christians armor bright, and God has set His memorial that He hears and answers prayer. Keep yourselves in the love of God by praying in the Holy Spirit, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, as Jude exhorts. Give yourselves to the study of the Bible that you may learn His Word indeed, and to worship that is sincere, for how shameful it is when we have been so slack in private devotion. And let that love abound with all knowledge and true discernment, that you may approve the highest good.

Out of that restored communion will flow what you desire for the church and for the world. For faith works by love, and love is the fitness for more love. Pray for earnest, eager, intense affection toward Christ, and you shall find that His love poured into you meets your love poured out to Him, and there He finds solace and you find strength. Then you will naturally edify the church, speaking for its building up and comfort and exhortation, and sharing the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophecy, and you will share the gospel with power from on high, overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony. So you will make disciples, baptizing and teaching obedience to all that Christ has commanded, not in your own strength but in the fruit and holiness which the Spirit gives.

May the Lord grant you discipline to dig deeply this summer and throughout all your lives, and keep you from distractions and sin and the evil one, as you pray, deliver us from evil. May He restore the lamp of your first love that it may burn again bright and clear with holy fear and holy joy. May He give you grace to repent where you have declined, and to do again the things you did at first, walking in love toward God with all heart and soul and mind and strength, and toward your neighbor as yourself. And may that love, being a spark of His eternal flame, never be quenched, but abide and abound till the battle is fought and the victory won, and Christ rejoices over you with joy and rests in His love. In the name of Jesus, who loved you and gave Himself for you, and who still loves you and will not cease to love you, Amen.

 

[Windwold]

Praying in agreement with you in Jesus' name, Amen

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.