Intro: Every day I pray with faith for the mountainous challenges to be moved in people’s lives; life can present so many physical, emotional, and spiritual obstacles. Scripture teaches the love motivated prayer of the righteous produces wonderful results, so let’s be diligent to pray for one another (James 5:16). It is also important to pray for every person’s faith to be increased each time God takes him or her through, around, or over a mountainous challenge, because as long as we are on earth we will need to use our faith to keep moving mountains. Spiritual gifts are a great blessing from God, but the greatest gift God has ever provided is himself—to bring his loving presence into our lives in order to save us.
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us that love must be the motivation for our prayers, attitudes, and actions, because faith works through God’s perfect love. Now, many people want to define love by their own standards, but only God who IS love can define himself perfectly. Let God’s love motive your faith as you call upon the name of the Lord to move the mountainous challenges you and your loved ones may face in this dark world. Use your faith in God—LOVE—and never give up!
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (TPT) Love, the Motivation of Our Lives
1 If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love [burning love/eternal energy], my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains [and keep on moving mountains], but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.
3 And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value.
4 Love is large and incredibly patient [because it transforms the spirit]. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated [overly sensitive] or quick to take offense [resentful]. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty [the truth] and finds no delight in what is wrong [unrighteous]. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others [never loses faith]. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the power of prayer, faith, and love. All my hope is in you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.