“This side of heaven, do whatever you personally can to make peace and live at peace with everyone” (pp Rom.12:18).
“Abide, linger, marinate in my love for you, for that will impact everything in your life.” (pp John 15:9).
Heavenly Father, we who share in this daily prayer community wake up in different time zones of the world, with different weather fronts and breakfast choices, different music filling the airways and different projects in front of us today. But the one thing we ALL have in common is less than perfect relationships requiring ample portions of your mercy and grace.
The most emotionally and spiritually healthy among us still need your mercy and are called to extend your grace. Though it will take heaven to fully heal our relational brokenness, well before heaven we’d love to participate in more stories of your reconciling love and relational healing. What is our place in a lifestyle of mercy-giving, bridge-building, and peacemaking, Abba? Here are a few of our challenges, questions, and “asks.”
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Abba, what’s the line between loving others “as unto you,” versus putting pressure on anyone to fulfill our dreams for our family, friendship, and working relationships? Help us know when we’ve moved from good longings to unhealthy obsession.
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When we don’t see eye-to-eye with others about the causes of current relational tensions and disruptions, how can we still love heart-to-heart? After all, since every relationship requires daily mercy and fresh grace, living at peace does not require the absence of conflict or total agreement.
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Abba, what do we let go of for now, with the sure hope of resolution and restoration later? Time alone does not heal, but “time + grace” can accomplish a lot.
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Lastly (for today), would you please restore us to our first love for Jesus, our first satisfaction in Jesus, and our first freedoms from Jesus? Seems like that would help most of our relational challenges. So Very Amen.