If it wasn’t for the love of God, where would we be?  Let’s pray this prayer based on the first 11 verses of Hosea chapter 11 thanking God for His love for us.

Prayer

Oh Lord, I thank You for Your love. You loved me before I knew You, and You love me even when I wander. Backslidden, You love me. Dedicated, You love me. As sure as the sun rises, Your love is more sure. In love You trained me and matured me bringing me from spiritual infancy to where I am now. You heal my heart and fill my life with loving relationships. You hold me in your arms like a baby! You love me even in my defiant rebellion! You love me when discipline is in order.  When You should destroy me for my lack of repentance, Your love causes You to change Your mind forgiving me from Your heart, even when Your head says this makes no sense. Your heart doles out lavish forgiveness.  Your compassion is greater proof of Your deity than Your wrath. Because of Your love You are going to roar like a lion, and when Your backslidden children hear Your roar, they are going to drop everything and come running home to Your arms! When they return, the fear of the Lord and the comforts of Your loving family are going to keep them home. We are all going to settle in together as one happy family in Your loving arms. Thank You Father!

Hosea 11:1-11

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realizeit was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. “Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High,I will by no means exalt them. “How can I give you up, Ephraim?How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man—the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.

Announcement

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