Loving Your Neighbor

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27 NIV)

Dear Heavenly Father, the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. Help us to be prayerful of opportunities that allow us to reach out to the people living in our neighborhoods. Perhaps a neighbor is lonely, has lost a loved one recently, has been sick, have children in diverse difficulties, need help with a task or errand, are searching for God’s purpose and some we could witness to.

There are people we encounter daily in the grocery store, in our children’s school, in our workplace, or at the social club we frequent who we’ve not thought as being our neighbor. They may need a listening ear, an encouraging word or an invitation to attend church with us. Help us remember them in prayer and offer help when possible.

Finally, Lord, help us to forgive with your love the neighbors who have mistreated, taken advantage of, hated, cursed or robbed us. If we have done any of the aforementioned, forgive us and help us to do good in restitution. May we be a blessing to them and your Holy Name. Amen.

Loving Family

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV)

Lord, God, loving family includes our children, parent(s), brother(s), sister(s), in-laws, step-children or step-parent, distant relatives and those who are in our church family as well.

Help us to be patient, kind and forgiving when they are difficult or almost impossible.

Help us model Christ-likeness in our giving, church attendance, and extra-curricular activities.

Help us repent of a habit contrary to the role-model we are to be.

Lead us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Help us with the chores we do for family members, however menial or unpleasant.

Lead us to show love and kindness by sending a card, making time for and bonding with family members, blessing them with homemade goods or gifts to cheer when they are in need and on occasion performing one of their tasks unexpectedly.

Give us direction as we offer our service to the church.

Help us to have special times of prayer for family members who are unsaved.

Give us a desire to read your Word daily and spend time before your throne of grace in prayer. Fill us with your Presence, and help us serve them with a glad heart.

May we be faithful to pray for guidance for our loved ones to become who and what you have created them to be.

Finally, Lord, forgive us when we have been an ineffective witness because we displayed undesirable behavior toward our family.

Forgive us when we’ve been harsh, abusive, spiteful, jealous, covetous, hurtful, unloving, unyielding, unkind, and unfaithful.

Reform us into the family members that bring glory to you.

In Jesus name, Amen.