Love

Eternal God, our Father, we want to thank you first of all for leading us to this hour, for we believe that we have been led by the Holy Spirit. Now we pray that you will be present in a very real way to help us sort out the things that are important from those that are not important. O Lord, help us to think straight - but even more, lead us to know how to love completely.
We have heard so many in our time who have sung out of an empty life in an empty world, "What the world needs now is love sweet love; Love is what there is just too little of." We believe this Lord. How our own hearts ache to love and to be loved, and we believe we are one with all mankind in this. But we have found that even when we have tried hard, we can't generate love in our own strength. Our kind of love turns back in on us and makes our problem seem worse because we try to buy peace of soul with good deeds. What we want, O Lord, and what we feel the need of is still in such short supply in our own poor hearts!
We hope and trust that we are ready today to turn to the eternal fountain of your love poured out on us and on all the world in our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to believe that here is where the empty cup of life can be filled to overflowing. Teach us to say until it grips our hearts: "He love ME and gave himself for ME." "Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly..."
Then, O Lord, as your love flows like a rushing stream into our own hearts, we shall come to understand what it means to show love, and we shall seek and find ways to show love to others: our families, our friends, even our enemies and those with whom we disagree. "We love because He first loved us." Let this be our theme, Lord.
We bring this hour to you for your blessing. We seek your love for ourselves for all who are sick of body, mind or soul - and for all who need you.
All that we ask is in your name. Amen