How do we find the emotional and spiritual strength to love our neighbour as ourselves? Let’s consider how the day-long availability of God’s love helps us.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” — Lamentations 3:22–23
God’s love is new every morning, but is ours?
Every dawn brings us a fresh dose of God’s mercy — patient, faithful, and real. His mercy is what enables us to love our neighbour. I don’t know about you, but I find that my love for others easily grows thin. We tire, we forget, we rush. To love our neighbour as ourselves, our love must be renewed daily, and that renewal begins in — you guessed it — prayer.
Prayer as love-fuel
Prayer is where we remember how fully we are loved. It’s where our spirits are refreshed so that love can overflow from us to others. Here’s something to add to what we already know — renewal isn’t limited to morning devotions. It also happens in small moments throughout the day.
Even a brief turn of the heart toward God — even while cooking, working, or waiting in traffic — can steady us and make ordinary things holy. As Robin Daniels writes,
“Prayer… will put you, and keep you, in closest union with your source.” — The Virgin Eye, p. 393
Prayer as a lifestyle
What happens when we leave a focused time with God? When we step out of solitude to take up our responsibilities, we don’t really leave prayer behind; we carry it with us. Each task becomes an extension of that conversation with God. All very well, but how do we practice this in the hurly burly of everyday life? Don’t expect to develop ongoing, habitual conversational prayer with God overnight, but by paying attention to these steps, you will create a life of prayer and a prayer-full life over time:
1. Attention: Pause and notice God is present.
2. Intention: Ask, “What does God want me to do here?”
3. Affection: Do it because you love Him.
4. Commitment: Continue because you trust Him.
As The Virgin Eye reminds us, “the prayer of conversation merges with the prayer of action, resulting in life as prayer.” p394
Brother Lawrence spoke of this same way of living in The Practice of the Presence of God — an awareness that turns every ordinary duty into an act of love (https://amzn.eu/d/bx8E53W).
What did Jesus say? “Abide in me, as I abide in you… apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5) Paul urged, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17) Our heavenly Father is inviting us to stay connected to the source of love in the whole flow of life.
For Reflection
– When do I most easily forget that God is present during my day?
– How might I let love shape my responses to others rather than hurry or habit?
A Simple Practice for the Week Ahead
Each morning, take a moment to pray:
“Lord, as your love is new this morning, make my love new too.”
Then, pause once or twice during your day — perhaps before a task or conversation — to remember His presence and renew your intention to act in love, fuelled by His love.
Your brother, Malcolm
