A Prayer to Receive the Father’s Love - Your Daily Prayer - February 13

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A Prayer to Receive the Father’s Love
By: Emily Rose Massey

Bible Reading:
“But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13, HCSB).

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For the majority of my life, I struggled to feel truly loved by my dad, who was an on-again, off-again recovering alcoholic. Because of that missing piece, I longed to find love and constantly sought out approval and attention from boys, giving myself away piece by piece - first becoming entangled by pornography, then slowly moving toward sexual encounters beginning at the tender age of twelve and going on until I was about 22 years old; a whole decade of my life.

I knew John 3:16 by heart, but I didn’t fully understand it. I couldn’t shake the religious upbringing that taught me only about a vengeful, angry God who would smite me down if I were not perfect. I still felt like I had to work for forgiveness and love. That performance-driven mentality affected all areas of my life. No matter how hard I tried to be perfect, I never felt good enough.

I reached a point where I stopped trying and just lived. In college, I made plans to run away to Los Angeles. I would be an actress and prove to the world my worth, talent, beauty, and charm. But, one Sunday morning, only a couple of months after I graduated, my eyes were truly opened to my selfish and sinful existence.

I hadn’t been to church in years, but one morning I went with my mom and sister. During the worship service, I began to experience this deep conviction that I was living a reckless and selfish life; I had been running away from God. Immediately, I knew I needed to repent and start running toward Him, into the Father’s arms. In that moment, I realized where I truly belonged.

Right there, with hands lifted in worship and tears streaming down my face, I repented of my pride and rebellion. I told God that I didn’t want to live this life on my own anymore and that I wanted to surrender to His plan. 

But only a few short months after this change began in my heart, I received some traumatic news - my father had been killed outside of a strip club. His lifestyle landed him in the wrong crowd, and it tragically cost him his life. Although I lost my earthly father, I discovered a Father’s love that is stronger than anything I’ve ever known.

Since that time in my life, God has completely healed me, transformed me, and shown me His overwhelming love as my Father, who will never leave me. The most profound understanding I gained after the Lord saved me was found in the first chapter of the book of John:

“But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13, HCSB).

What a powerful reminder for us! Jesus died so that we could have unending fellowship with the Father. When you fully embrace Jesus, the Father embraces you. Jesus gave us the privilege of being called God’s children, and He made a way for us to have access to the Father. No matter what you have done, you can never outrun His love. You are never too far gone for His reach. He will rescue you and use you for His purpose on the earth. And if you have a difficult or nonexistent relationship with your earthly dad, remember that your Heavenly Father’s love can bring healing to your heart and bring true satisfaction to your soul. Christ made a way for you to run into the embrace of your Heavenly Father. Receive Jesus and the work of the cross and learn to stand in the most important position you will ever hold in this life - a child of God!

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

What a gift to call You my Father because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross for me! I know I do not have to run away from You; You see it all and know I will undoubtedly mess up. That is why You sent Your Son Jesus to earth to live the perfect life for me, to fulfill the law completely for me. His death on the cross paid for the punishment of my sin.

I come boldly to the throne of grace today and receive new mercies that Christ died for me to have. In Christ, I am given the right to be called Your child. I rest in the finished work of the cross and trust that You are healing my wounded heart where my earthly father may have failed, hurt me, or is no longer here. I know that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Thank You for calling me one of Your own. 

In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional spoke to you on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix 

Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a homeschooling momma of four boys, while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com.

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