A Prayer about Loving God and Loving Others

‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:30-31

Triune God,

In a day when hatred seems more common than love, 

when mocking seems more common than meekness, 

when taking offense seems more common than taking up our cross, 

we confess, the greatest commandment seems impossible. 

And yet, you have not only called us to love you 

with all of our beings, our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength, 

you have empowered us through your Spirit to do so. 

You have not only called us to love you in this way, 

but you have called us to love our neighbors 

(including strangers and enemies) 

as much as we love ourselves (which we have to admit, is a lot!)

Thank you for Jesus, who loved us, 

Your enemies, 

so much that he died 

so that we might become your friends. 

May we live and love 

out of our gratitude 

for his sacrifice 

and out of the power 

of his resurrection. 

In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

Read Mark 12:28-34.