I pray that you ... may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and longand high and deep is the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17-19).
If you aren't sure about God's love for Us—or about God's love for you—you aren't alone.
(Note: This free online Bible study is adapted from the biblically-based book Who Do You Think You Are?.)
When counseling with people suffering from anxiety or depression, I often take them to one of my favorite passages in the Bible: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). I love this verse because it says why we can cast our anxiety on God—because he cares for us. Imagine that! God, the creator of everything that exists, actually cares for you and me!
Do you experience God's love for us? Or do you sometimes think you are all alone in the world? Or that God doesn't love you? If so, you are not alone. Multitudes of people today, Christians and non-Christians, have similar thoughts. This was also true when Paul was alive. Look at what he said when he prayed that the Ephesians would deeply know God's love.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:16-21).
The Ephesians did not fully grasp God's love for them. If this is true of you, too, prayerfully study the following Scriptures on God's love for you. As you read, ask God to help you believe and accept the wonders of his mighty love for us.
Accept God's love for us and the new life Jesus offers.
Jesus offers each of us a walk with God and a fullness of life that is not possible without him. As he said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), and "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He also said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). Jesus' death, resurrection, and offer of eternal life is the greatest manifestation of God's love for you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).
If you have not been born again—that is, if you have not become a Christian—let me invite you to surrender yourself to him now, for "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Give your life to God by accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Let me invite you to read the following as a prayer.
Dear Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. Please forgive my sins and accept me as your child. I invite you to be my Savior and the Lord of my life. I surrender myself to you in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.Click here to learn more about salvation (or how to be "born again").
Meditate on Bible verses that illustrate God's love for you.
Make it a project to grasp how much God loves you. Read the following verses slowly and prayerfully, and ask God to make them real to you.
Write three of these verses on God's love for you on a piece of paper and carry it with you. Then read them from time to time, each time asking God to help you more fully understand his love for you.
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies (Psalm 36:5).
How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 36:7).
Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love (Psalm 48:9).
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever (Psalm 52:8).
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15).
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever (Psalm 136:26).
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3).
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends John 15:13).
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (John 15:9).
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).
Pray this prayer about knowing God's love for you daily.
In addition to meditating on the above verses on God's love for you, print the following out or copy it on a piece of paper and read it as a prayer two or three times a day. (It is based on the prayer for the Ephesians about knowing God's love for us that you read at the beginning of this study.) Read this and other scriptures on God's love for you whenever you start to feel down.
I pray, Father, that out of your glorious riches you may strengthen me with power through your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. [Adapted from Ephesians 3:16-21]
Keep praying this prayer until you grasp the reality and the wonder of knowing that God truly loves you!
Respond to God's love for you.
The greatest sacrifice someone can make for another person is to die for him or her. Jesus did that for you and for all of us so that we could fully know God's love for us. Read this brief Bible study on becoming reconciled with God to better know God's love for you. There's nothing more strengthening than to bask in God's love.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
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