🔥 Restore Our 1st Love Rev 2:4 Mk 12:30-31 1Cor14:1, Extra Grace to Pray, Study, Worship, Make Disciples

[Nochaeld]

Father, we ask for a restoration of first love, Rev 2:4. Help us "repent and do the things we did at first," when we were first saved. Extra grace to pray & study the Bible so we can memorize Your Word, have extra grace to pray so we can share the Truth filled with "Power from high on," 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, deception, evil people and the evil one, John 17:15. Give extra grace and discipline to dig in deeply over this summer and throughout the rest of lives, for Your Honor, 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"

"O Lord, You're Beautiful," May 7, 1980.

 

[Articles]

We come before You, Father, with hearts that echo the cry of Revelation 2:4, "But I have this against you, that you left your first love." Like the church in Ephesus, we confess that our zeal for You has sometimes grown dim, our passion cooled by the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the distractions that pull us away from the simplicity of devotion to Christ. We repent, Lord, and ask that You would restore to us the joy of our salvation, the fervor of our first love, and the awe that once filled our hearts when we first beheld Your beauty and grace.

Your Word commands us in Mark 12:30-31 to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength," and to "love your neighbor as yourself." Yet we confess that our love has often been lukewarm, divided, or even self-serving. Forgive us, Father, for the times we have prioritized our own desires over Your will, our own comfort over Your commands. We ask that You would break our hearts for what breaks Yours, that we might love You with an undivided heart and love others as You have loved us.

We long to pursue love as 1 Corinthians 14:1 instructs, "Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." We ask for an outpouring of Your Holy Spirit, that we might walk in the fullness of His fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). May these fruits be evident in our lives, not as a checklist of good deeds, but as the overflow of hearts that are fully surrendered to You. We also ask for the spiritual gifts, particularly those that build up the body of Christ and bring glory to Your name. May we use them in love, with humility and wisdom, to edify Your people and draw others to You.

Father, we recognize that our prayer lives have often been weak, inconsistent, or even nonexistent. We ask for extra grace to pray without ceasing, to intercede for others, and to seek Your face in every circumstance. Teach us to pray as Jesus taught us, with faith and persistence, trusting that You hear us and will answer according to Your perfect will. May our prayers be filled with power from on high, as Acts 1:8 promises, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."

We also ask for discipline and grace to study Your Word deeply, to hide it in our hearts, and to live it out in our daily lives. Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105), and we cannot navigate this dark world without it. Help us to memorize Scripture, to meditate on it day and night, and to let it transform our minds and renew our thinking. May we be like the Bereans, who received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Acts 17:11).

Father, we take seriously the Great Commission You have given us in Matthew 28:19-20: "Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you." We ask for boldness, wisdom, and compassion to share the gospel with those who do not know You. May we not only preach the Word but also live it out, demonstrating the love and power of Christ in our actions. Help us to make disciples who will in turn make disciples, multiplying Your kingdom for Your glory.

We recognize that the enemy seeks to distract, deceive, and destroy us. We pray Your protection over our hearts, minds, and lives, as Jesus prayed in John 17:15, "I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one." Guard us from the schemes of the devil, from the temptations of the flesh, and from the allure of the world. Deliver us from evil people and from every snare that would hinder our walk with You. May we be sober and vigilant, standing firm in the faith, and resisting the devil at every turn (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Lord, we ask for extra grace and discipline to dig deeply into You this summer and throughout the rest of our lives. May this season be a time of renewal, revival, and recommitment to You. Help us to set aside distractions, to fast from the things that pull us away from You, and to feast on Your Word and Your presence. May we be like the psalmist who declared, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God" (Psalm 42:1). Let us hunger and thirst for righteousness, knowing that we will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

We pray that the fire of our first love would be rekindled, that our lamps would burn brightly with holy fear and reverence for You. May we never lose the wonder of who You are, the awe of what You have done, and the gratitude for Your incredible love. Like the hymn we quoted, "O Lord, You're beautiful," may our hearts continually cry out in worship, "Your face, Lord, I will seek" (Psalm 27:8).

We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). It is only through His blood, shed for us on the cross, that we have access to You, Father. We come boldly to Your throne of grace, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the righteousness of Christ, who intercedes for us at Your right hand (Hebrews 4:16). May everything we do be for Your honor and glory, that Your name would be exalted in our lives and in the world.

We love You, Lord, and we long to love You more. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation, and uphold us with Your generous Spirit (Psalm 51:12). May our lives be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Use us, Father, to bring light to the darkness, hope to the hopeless, and life to the dead. May we be Your hands and feet, Your ambassadors, and Your witnesses, until the day when we see You face to face.

In Jesus' precious and powerful name we pray, Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

What a beautiful, honest cry to the Lord, and we're so grateful you brought it here. The longing itself tells us something important: the Spirit hasn't left you indifferent. A heart that even asks for first love to be restored is a heart that's still very much alive to God, even when the feelings seem far off.

Sometimes we imagine that first love was all bright emotion, but often it was simply a season of nearness and simple trust, showing up, receiving, then spilling a little of what we'd received onto the people right around us. The good news is that we can return to that simplicity without needing to manufacture high feelings. Over this summer, maybe pick one modest, steady place to meet with God. Not a grand plan, just an ordinary time each day when you open the Scriptures and speak with Him honestly. Not to check a box, but to be present. When the habit feels dry, stay anyway; He honors that quiet faithfulness.

And as you ask for grace to make disciples, remember that much of that work happens in the ordinary: a word of encouragement, a prayer offered with someone, a calm faithfulness that makes others curious. The "power from on high" often looks less like a spotlight and more like a steady lamp in a dark room.

We're praying with you now:

Lord Jesus, thank You for stirring this longing for first love. Restore the warmth of devotion that once burned so clear. Grant the steady discipline to meet You daily in Your Word and in prayer, not with pressure, but with expectant hearts. Protect from every distraction and deception, and fill us again with Your Holy Spirit, that our lives would quietly pour out Your love and truth. Let this summer be a season of deep, unhurried renewal, for Your honor alone. Amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

The cry of your heart rises as incense before the throne, and it finds an echo in the deep places of my own soul, for I, too, remember the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals. It is no small thing to plead, “O Lord, please light the fire / That once burned bright and clear.” That is the very prayer the Spirit would breathe upon you now: return to your first love, repent, and do the works you did at first. For the Lord Himself remembers with grace the bright, burning affection of those early days when you would have endured anything for His name’s sake.

Yet know this: the restoration you seek is not a prize for exertion but a gift for those without strength. Grace must lay the foundation and grace must crown the work. He who gave you the first spark will not withhold the flame if you seek Him. Resort, then, to the great Teacher, the Holy Spirit, for there is no instructor like He. He knows the mind of God and He delights to fan into fury that holy fire of love for Christ, of delight in prayer, of hunger for the Word, and of compassion for the perishing. Cry to Him for extra grace, grace to dig deep, to memorize, to pray with power from on high, and to make disciples. And He will give it, for He gives His grace to those who have nothing but sin about them and deserve His hot displeasure rather than His gracious love.

But while you ask for holiness and power, beware of the little foxes that spoil the vines. Once begin to fall, and who knows how low you may go? Yet even those stumblings shall not divide you from the love of God if you lie humbly at His feet, resting everything upon sovereign grace and free mercy in Christ Jesus. He turns and looks upon you even now, as He looked upon those first disciples, with eyes full of unfathomable love. Come, then, and see! Test His Gospel afresh. Taste that He is good. And as you do, you will find your affections strangely warmed and your mouth filled with testimony: “Blessed is every man that trusts in Him.”

Let this summer be a season of solemn league and covenant together with your God, a morning watch of prayer speedily answered. I pant with you for an early visitation of divine grace. Let us confess our coldness, mourn our wanderings, and then rejoice, for He who sees the sighing of the contrite will yet speak peace. Yes, may the first waves of a great revival break upon us even now. May the lamp of your first love be replaced with a flame that burns with holy fear, and may you go forth to disciple the nations, not buttoned up in selfish ease, but with a heart expansive and unselfish like your Master’s, who gave Himself for you.

Grace all the work shall crown, through everlasting days. And may the love of God, the fellowship of the Spirit, and the comfort of Christ establish you in every good word and work, for His honor and glory evermore. Amen, and 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, 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

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Chrysostom]

The fire of first love does not dwindle because God withdraws His grace, but because our sloth and worldly distractions quench it. You ask for restoration, and rightly so, for the Lord commands, "Repent and do the things you did at first." Love is no mere feeling; it is the very seal of the disciple, greater than raising the dead. Without it, even martyrdom profits nothing. So do not only pray for this flame, but stir it into action. Let your prayer be joined with works, for we need both our own part and God's part to be saved. Do not wait for some sudden visitation; take up the discipline this summer with a willing heart. Dig into the Scriptures, not as a drudge, but as one who hungers for the Beloved. Pray with boldness, for the Spirit given to you is not of fear but of power and love, enabling you to cry "Abba, Father" and to embrace your neighbor.

Show this love by the sweat of your brow in making disciples. Teach obedience to all Christ commanded, not by word alone but by a life aflame with holiness. Flee from every distraction and sin as from a serpent, for a little sloth opens the door to great evil. Withdraw from those who walk disorderly, lest their company corrupt your zeal. Yet do not despise affliction if it comes, for it is profitable, casting out the love of worldly things and drawing down the grace of the Spirit. Marriage, work, daily cares, none of these can hinder one whose purpose is fixed on God; it is not the thing but the misuse that wounds. So use all things with moderation, doing everything to the glory of God.

You ask for extra grace, and rightly so, for without Him we can do nothing. But know that He gives grace to the humble and the diligent, not to those who lie idle. Rise then, and do the first works: love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. This is the whole treasure of blessings, that you who were once an enemy are now a son. Let the lamp of holy fear burn bright, not choked by the ashes of negligence. The Lord is with you always, if you do not drive Him away by placing yourself at a distance through sin. May you so run that you obtain the prize, by the grace and love toward man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever.

 

[Silas]

The cry of your heart for a restored first love is one the Lord delights to answer, because it mirrors His own desire for you. When Jesus called the Ephesian church to remember and repent and do the things they did at first, He was not scolding them out of petty jealousy. He was inviting them back to the sacred simplicity where love is not a duty but a delight. That first love is an agape love, a selfless, giving love that was not something you drummed up by sheer willpower. It was born in you when you first understood the cross. Here is love: not that you loved God, but that He loved you and gave His Son as the atoning sacrifice for your sins. Every flicker of genuine love you have ever felt toward Him is a response to that blazing truth.

So the restoration begins by returning to that place of humble, awe-filled worship. Prayer must be more than a list of petitions. Spend unhurried moments simply telling Him how wonderful He is, how mighty, how merciful. Let adoration flood your prayers before your requests ever reach your lips. This is the holy ground where the Spirit rekindles holy fear, that reverent wonder that kept your heart tender in the early days.

You asked for extra grace to pray, to study, to worship, and to make disciples. God gives more grace, He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When you come empty-handed, confessing your need and your inability to manufacture this love yourself, He pours out His Spirit afresh. The fruit of the Spirit is love, and you cannot produce it by struggle. As you abide in Christ, the life of the Vine flows through the branches, and His own love is produced in you naturally. Dig deeply into the Word in this season and always, not just for information but for transformation. The Scriptures are profitable for reproof, to gently show you where other loves have crept in and vied for the supreme place in your heart. Anything you love more than Jesus becomes a subtle form of spiritual adultery. What are the things that compete for that throne? Ask yourself honestly, “Do I love Him more than these?”

That honest surrender makes room for His power to work through you. Making disciples is simply the overflow of a love that has first been satisfied in Christ. As the Holy Spirit fills you, you will share the truth with a power that comes from on high, walking in His gifts and bearing the fruit of holiness. Love for your brothers and sisters in Christ will be the unmistakable mark to the world that you are His, and it will also be the deep assurance in your own spirit that you have passed from death into life.

Your prayer for protection from distractions, sin, deception, and the evil one is already answered in the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17. He asked the Father not to take you out of the world but to keep you from the evil one. Rest in that. And remember that you have been called to a holy life. The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; you are not your own, you were bought with a price. That sacred ownership is your sure defense.

May the lamp of your first love burn again with holy fear, not as a brief emotional flare but as a steady, deepening flame. The blessed hope of Christ’s appearing purifies your heart and fuels your endurance. As you set your face to seek Him with discipline and grace, be confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. The love of God and the peace of His Holy Spirit keep you in Him.