Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start. And the year is still brand new!

Have you prayed about a word from God to carry you forward into 2022?

I shared in my previous post about the Word He placed on my heart for 2021. It was fervent and by His mercy and His faithfulness, I ended the year with fervor.

He removed the barriers, applied salve to my heart, revealed to me how He was with me preventing the weapons against me from prospering.

And I’ve been meditating on a word for 2022. It keeps returning to the same word. Love.

At first, this word felt like maybe it wasn’t specific enough, too vague, or even lacking clarity.

But God wouldn’t let me change it. I kept returning to it again and again as the word for me.

I’ve been praying for the release of several “character flaws” of mine for a few years now. I keep asking God to just take these tendencies away from me.

And then there are other prayers that I pray often like for strengthening and clarity and to hear His voice, and to be a better mommy, and the list goes on….

God has impressed into spirit that all of my prayers have the same solution… time with Him being filled with His Love.

Time leaning into Him learning with FRESH revelation how wide, how far, how deep His love is for me.

And from that posture, all the other prayers will be touched.

As I abide, soak, dwell in Him, there is natural overflow that pours all over every area of my life. Basically there are byproducts from being with Him. There are things that are produced when we place Him first and honor time with Him above all else. Jesus put it this way:

Seek first the kingdom of God and all else will be added to you.

When I am resting in His love, strengthening is occurring.

When I am resting in His love, healing is happening.

When I am resting in His love, fear, anxiety, frustration, false identities, unrealistical expectations of society, lack, not enough, unworthy scripts, or ANY THING counter to His truth has to flee in the Presence of Love.

The disciple John writes that “Perfect love casts out fear.”

So as we experience His perfect love, all else that is counter love, has to flee. It is literally cast out!

And we are equipped from His love to carry out the Lord’s TWO biggest commandments which by obeying these two, Jesus says you will fulfill them all!

Love God.

Love Others.

My pastor shared that a few years ago, he changed up his quiet time with God for a season. He would rise, make his coffee, and simply sit with God and pray something like, “Lord, show me that I am a much loved son. Reveal to me how much, how far, how deeply you love me.”

Our pastor grew up in church. He was the pastor’s son and now is the pastor. He knows God loves him, but he was seeking a deeper revelation of what God wanted to show him about love. And he shared that it was uncomfortable at first to just sit with God like that not making other petitions or praises, but instead just sitting and abiding in His love.

He shared that something shifted and changed in him after a few days and he felt an overwhelming sense of the love of the Father in a tangible, fresh new way.

He shared that testimony a few years ago and I never forgot it. Sometimes, we can approach God with no expectation or prayer request other than to just be with Him. How precious is it to you when someone you love dearly just wants to be with you for no reason except to enjoy your company?

With my Word from the Lord being love, I believe that I am being called to learn to just sit with Him and dwell in His love so that I can learn how to FULLY love others as He intends.

And loving others goes far beyond a feeling. I want to love people in deeper measure with my thoughts, my words, my actions, my attitude, and whatever else the Lord calls me to do.

But I can’t love like that without His love FIRST.

I have found so many verses and teachings throughout the Bible on love over the past week. There is alot to read and meditate on related to love. And then beyond the teachings, there are also the examples and  demonstrations of God’s love to us throughout the scriptures as well!

So, I am embarking on a journey to open my heart and receive a fresh outpouring of love from God which will strengthen me to carry out His greatest commands to His people….

“Love Me and Love My People”

What a year this is sure to be!

Do you have a Word for 2022? Will you share it?

If not yet, consider asking God for a word for the new year!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to experience Your love in a new way this year. Help us to move from head knowledge of Your love to a deeper security of knowing You love us because we’ve experienced it by sitting in Your Presence. You loved us so much that You removed every barrier between humanity and access to Your Presence. Now because of Jesus, we can enter Your Presence. We can approach Your throne as a much loved daughter or son. Lord, move us into a deeper revelation of how much You love each of us!! From that revelation, equip us to love others in deeper measure.

In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Blessings!

Vanessa Lynn