Oct 16 - Day 289. Pray & Walk in Love. Ephesians 5.1-2

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” 

Welcome to another daily prayer. Prayer works. Ephesians 5:1-2 encourages us to embody the qualities of God, urging us to be imitators of Him as beloved children. It calls us to demonstrate love in our daily lives, mirroring the profound love that Christ has shown us. His sacrifice for humanity was not just a mere act but a purposeful offering to God, representing the ultimate expression of love and devotion. This act was pleasing to God, described as a "sweet-smelling savor," symbolizing the acceptance and joy of His sacrificial love. In following this example, we are invited to cultivate a life characterized by love, compassion, and selflessness, reflecting the essence of Christ in our interactions with others.

Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to another episode of our EBC Prayer Podcast. Today is October 16, the 289th day of the year.

And we are truly blessed to come together once again. Let's reflect on the profound power of prayer. Prayer works, and our connection with the Lord is outstanding.

I am your host, Dr. Victoria Haddad, the First Lady and Prayer Leader at Elyon Bible Church, Apostolic in Salem, New Jersey. It's an honor and a privilege to serve the Lord wholeheartedly during our prayer. 

Today, we are going to focus on Ephesians 5:1-2, and it reads: “Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” 

 The Lord is reminding us of the hope that comes from knowing his calling. 

Today, as we pray, let’s open our hearts to the wisdom and qualities of God, deepen our faith, and connect with the Lord during our prayer. 

Let's pray. 

Dear Heavenly Father, our Lord God and loving Savior, Father, we come before you with our hearts overflowing with gratitude for the priceless gift of prayer and your relationship with us.

Lord, as we go through this day, let our focus be on you and not on ourselves. Please guard our hearts from worldly desire, so we can connect with you in a heart-to-heart way that will deepen our connection and our earthly understanding with you. 

Lord, you call us to be followers, as dear, beloved children. Help us to generally be followers, people who are not afraid to live holy, people who are not afraid to do the right thing, people who will please you.

Lord, help us to walk in love, as you, our Savior, have loved us and given yourself as an offering and a sacrifice, a sweet-smelling aroma for us. You want us to be a symbol of the love that you are sharing upon us, be an example of your love to everyone we encounter. Lord, send an outpouring of your love to our families, friends, and everyone we meet.

Strengthen our faith and help us to serve others, just as you have so graciously served us. Father, help us to forsake every work of darkness and shine brightly, to be rooted and grounded in love, filled with all the fullness of your love. 

Lord, help us to mirror the sacrificial love in every area of our lives, to be compassionate, tender, and humble.

Let us, Lord God, fully surrender to you so your amazing love can overflow through us, so that everyone who feels your presence can radiate your love from the inside out. Grant us the strength to navigate challenges and reflect your love, action, and words, and spiritual assurance. Lord, let our lives, Lord God, be an example of you and your sweet-smelling aroma for us.

Let our life be a sweet sacrifice to you, rising as incense before your throne, so we can become the spiritual fragrance in our home, the spiritual fragrance in our neighborhood, the spiritual fragrance in our workplaces, and the spiritual fragrance in our community. 

Lord, let our relationship be an alteration of your presence and a testimony of your redeeming power. 

Father, help us to build an atmosphere rooted in understanding, unity, and compassion.

Uproot every spirit or division. Remove every jealousy, anger, and plant a seed of peace, grace, and healing throughout our lives. 

Today, God, help us to lay down our pride and our burden at your feet. And pick up the mantle of selfless love, patient and enduring kindness in every area of our lives. 

Father, as we gather in your presence, help us to become general followers of your teaching. Fully surrender ourselves to you as your beloved children.

Help us to seek to embody the love you have so generously showered upon us. Inspired by your ultimate example, the selfless sacrifice you made as our offering for your sake. Grant us, God, the fortitude to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Always strive to reflect your love in our actions, words, and power that you have bestowed upon us. Strengthen our faith, Lord. Teach us how to offer kindness and compassion, even in the midst of trial.

Let us, Lord God, be a vessel of your light, to draw others closer to you through sincerity and devotion. Lord, thank you for hearing our prayer. We seal it with faith, trusting that you will empower us to live out this call of love and forgiveness completely.

In the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray, amen. Hallelujah, hallelujah. 

Everyone, I want to thank each and every one of you for listening to this prayer podcast.

Please have a wonderful day. And by God's grace, we'll pray again tomorrow. God bless you, bye-bye.