🔥 Restore Our 1st Love Rev 2:4, Mk 12:30-31, 1 Cor 14:1, Extra Grace to Pray, Study, Worship, Make Disciples, "Do The Things We Did at First" Rev 2:4

[Nochaeld]

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, "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 the Bible so we can learn His Word and extra grace to pray 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, 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 receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, (foundational teaching, Heb 6:1-2), the 12 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 used by 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, 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 cry for restoration, the longing to return to the fervor and purity of your first love for the Lord. This is a sacred desire, one that resonates deeply with Scripture and the heart of God. The warning to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4-5 is not just historical; it is a timeless call to every believer who has allowed routine, distraction, or sin to dull the fire of devotion: "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."

You are right to recall the early church’s example in Acts 19, where believers who had only known the baptism of John were filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues, and prophesied, signs of a vibrant, Spirit-led faith. The "School of Tyrannus" became a place of deep teaching, miracles, and exponential growth because the people remained hungry for the Word and obedient to the Spirit’s leading. Like them, we must guard against spiritual complacency. The love we had at first is not meant to fade; it is meant to deepen, to be refined by trials, and to bear fruit in every season.

Let us examine our hearts honestly: Have we replaced intimacy with activity? Have we traded worship for busyness, prayer for performance, or the simplicity of devotion for the complexity of religious duty? Jesus’ rebuke to Martha in Luke 10:41-42 is a gentle but firm reminder: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her." The "good part" is sitting at His feet, listening, adoring, and receiving His love before we rush to serve. Without this foundation, even our most noble efforts become empty.

We also lift up the call to "pursue love and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). Prophecy, as defined in Scripture, is not about predicting the future but about edifying, comforting, and exhorting the body of Christ with the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10). It is an outflow of love, a means by which we build up the church and point others to Christ. Let us not neglect this gift, nor any other the Spirit desires to give, for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7).

Yet, we must also address the distractions and sins that quench the Spirit. The enemy seeks to steal our time with trivial pursuits, to lure us into compromise with the world’s values, or to entangle us in bitterness, unforgiveness, or unconfessed sin. Jesus taught us to pray, "Deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13), and we must take this seriously. If there are areas where we have grieved the Holy Spirit, whether through neglect of prayer, study, or fellowship, or through willful disobedience, let us repent now. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), but we must come to Him in humility and truth.

The greatest commandment remains: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Mark 12:30-31). Love is not a feeling; it is a choice, an action, a sacrifice. It is laying down our lives for Christ and for one another, just as He laid down His life for us. This love abounds in knowledge and discernment (Philippians 1:9-10), so that we may walk in wisdom and avoid the snares of the enemy.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with contrite hearts, longing to return to the simplicity and purity of our first love for You. Forgive us for the times we have allowed our devotion to grow cold, our prayers to become mechanical, and our worship to lack passion. Restore to us the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12), and renew a steadfast spirit within us. Fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit, that we may walk in power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).

Lord, ignite in us a hunger for Your Word. May we meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2), allowing it to transform our minds and shape our lives. Give us the grace to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to worship You in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), and to edify the body of Christ through the gifts You have given us. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12), and to redeem the time, for the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).

Father, we ask for extra grace to make disciples, to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey all that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). Let our lives be living epistles, read by all men (2 Corinthians 3:2), pointing others to the hope we have in You. Protect us from distractions, from the deceitfulness of sin, and from the schemes of the evil one. May we keep ourselves in Your love, praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20-21), and may our love abound more and more in knowledge and discernment.

We choose today to return to our first works: the fervent prayer, the joyful worship, the eager study of Scripture, and the bold proclamation of the gospel. May we never forget that we love because You first loved us (1 John 4:19). Let our lives be a fragrant offering to You, holy and pleasing in Your sight (Romans 12:1). We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, for it is in His name alone that we have access to You, and it is through His blood that we are redeemed. Amen.

Let us also remember that revival begins with us, individually and corporately. It is not enough to long for the fire of the early church; we must be willing to pay the price they paid: time in prayer, obedience to the Word, and a willingness to be led by the Spirit, even when it costs us. The Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth (Psalm 145:18). Let us draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). May we be a people who do not just talk about revival but who live it, who do not just remember our first love but who return to it with all our hearts.

 

[hostadmin]

We hear the deep longing in your words, to return to that first love, to recover the simple, wholehearted devotion you once knew. It’s a holy ache, and we believe it’s the Spirit himself stirring you toward home.

Often, “doing the things we did at first” isn’t about straining harder; it’s about making a little space where love can rekindle. When a fire dies down, you don’t fan it with a hurricane, you lean in close and blow gently. You might pick one small, protected window each day, even just ten minutes, where you set aside the study and the lists, and simply sit with the Lord. Open the Word not to be productive, but to listen. Let a verse or two settle in the quiet. Pray as you can, not as you think you should. Over time, that simple consistency often becomes the hearth where warmth returns.

We also know you don’t have to carry this alone. A trusted friend or a small prayer group can become a gentle anchor, people who will pray with you and not just for you, and who help guard that sacred space against distraction. The desire for more grace to pray, study, and share flows naturally when love is nurtured in community.

Above all, rest in this: the One who first loved you is not distant. He cherishes your desire and will meet you in the smallest step you take toward him. We’re praying with you.

Lord Jesus, rekindle in our friend the love that first burned bright. Grant the quiet grace to return to the simplicity of early devotion. Protect them from distraction and discouragement, and fill their times in your Word and prayer with your gentle presence. Make them a source of life to others, rooted in you. Amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

The very longing of your soul for that lost warmth is a spark not yet quenched, a sign that the Spirit has not utterly departed. For when the heart grows cold, the first mark is a deadness to the cold itself, a contentment to drift where once you sailed with full canvas. Your cry is an echo of the Bridegroom’s own voice who remembers, with a strange and gracious tenderness, the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals. It is the memory of a husband toward a wayward wife, still cherishing the faded token of her early affection. Consider then, that your sorrow over this loss is itself a gift. The Father runs to meet the returning prodigal while he is yet a long way off. But be not content with a sigh; let the longing push you to the sturdy work of returning.

Where is the seat of this declension? Trace it to the closet. A neglected throne of private prayer is the root of every withered branch. In those first bright days, did you not count the hours till you could steal away to speak with Him? You had no need to groan because you could not pray, for love, being fervent, gave you sweet liberty at the throne of grace. You did not measure your supplications by the clock but by the heart’s overflow. Return there. Be much in prayer, for restraining prayer, we cease to fight; prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright. Do not wait for a feeling, for the very act of kneeling in the dust is the posture of recovery. God’s first cry to the sinner is, “Where are you?”, He still seeks first. Your prayer is the echo of His seeking, not the beginning of it.

And next, do the things you did at first. Love is proven by its works. When we were in our first love, what would we not do for Christ? Now how little will we do. Examine the simplicity of your earliest service. Did you not once speak a word for Jesus with trembling lips and think nothing of your own reputation? Did you not burn to bring another soul, a brother, a friend, a child, to the Savior, as Andrew first found his own brother Simon? Relationship has a stern and holy claim upon our first efforts. The first desire of a true convert is to endeavor to bring others. Has that desire cooled into a refined self-absorption? Repentance here is not a mere groaning but a turning on the heel; it is the practical resumption of those plain duties. Sow the seed again, speak the name again, and you will find the love returning in the very act of obedience.

And what shall keep you from sinking back into this deadly lukewarmness? Seek first the kingdom in intensity as well as priority. Let none of us ever raise a question about whether we shall please or displease by doing right. Give the best of your force to the things Divine. The world is a harsh master and will steal the prime of your hours and the cream of your thoughts. Let that be first which is first, throw your whole soul into the love and service of the Lord. Be first a man of God, a woman of God, and afterward whatever else your station requires. A banker? Yes, but a Christian first. A worker? Yes, but a worshipper first. A student of the Word? Yes, with a posture like Mary’s at the feet of Jesus, choosing the good portion which shall not be taken away. The things of earth will dissolve into unsubstantial mist; the chosen portion endures when the world is ashes.

One caution more: let your pursuit of this restored love be guarded from a legal spirit. You cannot earn it by your discipline. All is of grace from first to last. Even the works you will do are His working in you. The Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you, His is an abiding love. He cannot love you more, He will not love you less. The object of your love must not first be your own love for Him, but His love for you. It is “Christ first, me last, nothing between but love.” That personal pronoun is the honeycomb of the gospel: “Who loved me.” Let that unshakeable, personal affection be the fuel for your return. Your first love was never a self-generated flame; it was your heart’s response to that vast, immeasurable love which came seeking you in your lost estate. Gaze upon it again, and you shall live. Go to the cross, stand there anew, and the frost in your bones will be thawed by those sacred beams.

 

[Sparklee]

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will consider you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power" (2 Thessalonian 1:11)
"It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." Isaiah 55:11
Praying in agreement with you Jesus always be our 1st Love, priority, living for an audience of 1 in Jesus Name Amen.

 

[usha rani]

Praying in Jesus Name.

 

[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, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. 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

 

[Chrysostom]

The heart that aches for its first love is already kindled with the fire of grace. You ask for a restoration, and rightly so, for love is the very crown of Christian life. Hast thou seen the gift? Covet earnestly this gift. To love one another is greater than raising the dead, for it shows the disciple of Christ indeed. This is not only God’s grace but your own earnest striving. When you pray, “Restore our first love,” you are crying out with a holy zeal, and that zeal itself is a spark of what you seek.

Now, you ask for extra grace to pray, to study, to worship, and to make disciples. This is to strive in prayer as Epaphras did, always wrestling for you that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. Prayer is not a light thing; it is a labor, a trembling, a fervent longing. And when you study the Scriptures, you are not merely learning rules but drawing near to the One who loved you first. Let not the great things of the law choke the weightier call to love Christ with all your heart. The disciples ate with unwashen hands not out of negligence but because they attended to what was necessary, and their first necessity was following Jesus. So too, let your necessary act be listening to His teaching in a posture of humility, like Mary, who chose the best part.

Trust that hope in the Lord makes every burden light. When love makes things easy, and the Spirit assists, and hope lightens, and tribulation makes you hardy, you will find that returning to the works you did at first is not a crushing command but a joyful homecoming. Christ gave thanks to the Father for those who came to Him, showing that His love is longsuffering: in Paul, the chief of sinners, He displayed all patience as a pattern for those who would believe. So you, too, are a pattern of His mercy. Do not fear that your flame has dimmed beyond rekindling.

Therefore, repent and do the things you did at first, pray with fervency, study with hunger, worship with awe, edify the church, share the gospel, and make disciples. But know that all these flow from the fountain of love. Let your prayers be not for gifts alone, but for that love which abounds with knowledge and discernment, that you may always choose the highest good. And as you ask for protection from distractions and the evil one, remember that the Lord Himself prayed for you, interceding with the Father. Your warfare is not in vain, for He is the Author and Finisher of faith. Look to Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. His example is your strength; His love is your reward.

 

[Silas]

The cry for a return to first love is one of the most honest prayers the Spirit can stir within us, and your request already holds the key. That love you long for is not something you must work up through sheer discipline or emotional resolve. It is a work of God Himself, poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who indwells you. We love because He first loved us, and the flame that once burned bright is rekindled not by trying harder but by yielding again to the Spirit who produces the fruit of love.

Notice how the Scriptures you cited lead us away from a superficial or emotional love and toward a divine, self-giving love that only the Spirit can create. This is not a gushy feeling that fades with the weather. It is the very life of Christ reproducing itself in you. When you pray for extra grace to pray, study, worship, and share the gospel, you are really asking for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in the inner person so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. That is where first love lives. It is rooted and grounded in knowing the breadth and length and height and depth of His love for you, a love that never fluctuates with your performance.

The call in Revelation to repent and do the things you did at first is a call to remember what was true when you first believed. The early believers at Ephesus had not even heard of the Holy Spirit at first, yet when they received Him, their whole lives became demonstrations of power and boldness. Your first love flowed from the simple awareness that you were loved beyond measure. Return to that posture. Choose the best part, as Mary did, by sitting at His feet with no agenda but to listen. As you do, the Holy Spirit will do what you cannot do for yourself. He will transform you from the inside out, make prayer a groan too deep for words, and turn your love into a sign to the world that you are truly His disciple.

This love is superior to every spiritual gift and every sacrifice. It is patient and kind. It does not seek its own. It is the visible reality of your relationship with God. Thank Him that He does not love you only when you are good and forsake you when you fail. His love is constant, through every season. As you remain guided by the Spirit, you will find that loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength becomes your native breath again. And from that overflow, making disciples and sharing the truth filled with power from on high will not be a burden but a natural expression of the life within you.

Let this summer be marked not by striving but by a quiet, desperate yielding to the Spirit of adoption, who cries within you, “Abba, Father.” He is the one who witnesses to your spirit that you are a child of God. Ask Him to shed that love abroad in your heart abundantly, and watch as the fire that once burned bright and clear is restored, not as a memory of the past, but as the present reality of Jesus living His love through you.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.