You Need This Prayer

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 If whenever you think about God, your first instinct is to picture Him with a frown on His face, you need this prayer. Richard Sibbes said, “Present God to yourself as He is presented in the Gospels. The devil will put other colours upon God. He presents Him as a tyrant, as a judge, and as a revenger. Remember, the devil does this because he hates God.” John Owen, in his book, Communion with God, says, “So long as the Father is seen as harsh, judging and condemning, the soul is filled with fear and dread every time it comes to Him… But when God… is seen as a Father, filled with love, the soul is filled with love to God in return.” Owen continues, “All that we learn of God will only frighten us away from Him if we do not see Him as loving and merciful to us. But if your heart is taken up with the Father’s love… it cannot help but choose to be overpowered, conquered and embraced by Him.” Ask the Father to direct your heart into His love. Keep on asking until, like snow that melts in the warmth of the sun, your heart begins to thaw in the warmth of God’s love. Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish