What Kind of Love?

Warriors Arise: October 5, 2020

John 21:15 (NKJV) So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

Have you ever been in a friendship where you loved someone more than they loved you? Maybe you made more sacrifices, paid attention to their likes and dislikes and honored them not only in your friendship, but before others. Jesus asks Simon, "Do you love Me more than these?" In the English language we have one word for love. We use the same world to tell someone we love them and again to say we love pizza. So do we love the person in the way we love pizza?

In the Greek language there are four definitive words for love. Jesus asks Simon, "Do you love Me more than these?" When you looked into the word Jesus uses for love it is the word for agapao.

Agapao (CWSB Dictionary) To esteem, love, indicating a direction of the will and finding one's joy in something or someone.

(II) As referring to superiors and including the idea of duty, respect, veneration, meaning to love and serve with fidelity.

(III) To love, i.e., to regard with favor, goodwill, benevolence.

Veneration means having great respect; reverence.

Fidelity means having faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.

Have you been at that place where you are expressing your love for someone but they are not wanting to go into the deep end of love with you? If you have not experienced one side or the other, you have surely seen it in a movie where a man expresses his love for a girl, asking her out or to marry him but she wants to just remain as friends. When the relationship began they maybe had what we refer to as puppy love, a kind of smitten love without knowing whether we even like the person or not. He is wanting to take the love to a committed love but she is backing down to the love of a friend. There are different meanings of love.

Maybe you have found a friend and want to become best friends. You find that you have similar likes and want to spend more time together, you want to be there for them when they are struggling and share their joys as well and you want the same in return. However, your friend doesn't want to become best friends but just remain friends, at the level of an acquaintance, knowing and appreciating each other but not wanting to get to know each other, encourage one another or counting on one another.

Jesus is asking Simon, "Do you have veneration and fidelity toward me? Do you reverence me, are you being faithful to the cause of Christ, wanting to demonstrate your continued loyalty? Do you love Me as the Father loves Me?"

What kind of love do you have for the Father?

Father, love is not a question to take lightly. I do not want to frivolously respond to the question. I must look into my life for evidence of my relationship with You. I want my love to be a committed love, a love where I am faithful to You, Your call on my life, and to the people around me. I ask for my heart to be moved by Your love for me. I ask for my mind to be set on You, to be a part of Your plan to expand Your kingdom here on earth. I thank You for Your sacrifice and commitment to pursue me. I want to walk in the character and integrity of Christ, as I honor You with the gifts and talents You have given me. I pray for Your love to be known to all people. I ask for You to reach the darkest corners and the hardest hearts with Your love. I pray for the lies of the enemy to be cast down and the truth of Your goodness and love love to restore people to walk with You each day. I pray for the deception of the enemy to be revealed and for people to want to know the truth of Your ways and respond, committed to seeing Your ways demonstrated here on earth. I ask for You to break through the the blindness of this world and open eyes to see Your faithfulness, compassion, and mercy to each one. Let the blind see You. I pray for the deaf ears to open and and hear of Your amazing love, the truth of who You are and the grace to have offered each one. I pray for the deaf to hear the truth and be set free from the lying spirits. I ask for each person to receive Your love and commit their ways, thoughts, and actions to Your ways, thoughts and actions in Jesus' name amen.

A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,

Veridee Joy

My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.