Heavenly Father I praise You for loving me when I don’t even like myself. I praise You for forgiveness which I am still learning to do. I praise You for teaching me that love is much deeper and more sacrificial than I ever would have imagined. I praise You for teaching me that loving others is going to cost me many things in life but no greater cost then when Christ died on the cross.
Holy Spirit help me to love without hypocrisy. Teach me to hate what is evil. Show me how to grab onto what is good. Holy Spirit continue to push the church and me on how to be devoted to one another with brother and sisterly love; help us always to prefer one another in honor, help us not to be lazy in diligence, being fervent in spirit, serving You with all that is within us. Help us to rejoice in hope, to be patient in suffering, and to always persevere in prayer. Help us to give generously whenever it is within our power to do so whether money, resources or time. Holy Spirit complete within me an understanding of hospitality so that I can practice it continually. [Romans 12:9-13]
Holy Spirit help the church and help me to start treating each other with respect and with a love that is genuine and humble. Teach me to see others as You see them not the way the world sees them. Help me to see the soul of the person so I can know how to befriend them and to support them in their walk with You. Holy Spirit give me confidence of when to speak, when to listen and when to stand and let others put their burdens on me so I can bring them to You. Help me to never gossip, slander or go out of my way to destroy others who are Your adopted children like me. Help me to accept that my family in You is multi-cultural and fills the human rainbow of colors with no distinction or racism. Help me to be a standard of hope to all people and to see them all as potential for God.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Holy Spirit help us to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another. Teach us to forgive as the Lord forgave us. And over all these virtues help us to put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we are called to peace. Let us be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God. And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, help us to do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Amen. Colossians 3:12-17