"Thy Maker Is Thine Husband" (Isaiah 54:5)

SCRIPTURES ABOUT LOVING JESUS AS HIS BRIDE       DFO

Copyrighted October 1996, The Family, Zurich, Switzerland

         The Bible makes numerous references to the deep, enduring, personal and often passionate love relationship between Jesus and His bride, the Church, also referred to as the Body of Christ, of which every true Christian is a part.
         Some of the Bible's most beautiful, poetic, and romantic passages are found in the Song of Solomon, which most Bible scholars agree is an illustration of the Lord's love relationship with His Bride. In the book of Ephesians, Paul refers to this relationship as the "great mystery concerning Christ and the Church" (Ephesians 5:32). Through these and other Scriptures, we will now explore what the Bible says about the most wonderful of all love stories.

1. The Lord desires and rejoices over our love.
         Deuteronomy 10:15 The Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
         Psalm 45:11 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.
         Song of Solomon 2:10,14b [The bride1 speaks:] My beloved spake, and said unto me, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. ... 14b Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely."
         Song of Solomon 7:10 [The bride speaks:] I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. (See also ch. 4:7.)
         Isaiah 43:21a [We were created to love God.] This people have I formed for Myself.
         Isaiah 62:3-5 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken ... for the Lord delighteth in thee. ... 5b And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
         Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His Love, He will joy over thee with singing.
         Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (See also verse 33.)
         1Many Bible scholars and theologians through the ages, such as John Wycliffe, Bishop Reynolds, Matthew Henry and others, agree that the Song of Solomon is an allegory in which the beloved or the bridegroom represents Jesus, and the woman Shulamite represents the Church. Jesus describes His love for His bride, the Church, in this beautiful song. David Berg explained the Song of Solomon as follows: "Although it is a love poem to one of Solomon's wives particularly it is said to be about the Queen of Sheba nevertheless, theologians and ministers of the Gospel for ages have considered that it was also a significant poem, an allegory, like a parable. It was really the Lord speaking to His bride, His wife, whom He calls the bride of Christ!" (ML #2110:17).
         1 John 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

2. We are married to Jesus.
         Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His Name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.
         Hosea 2:19,20 And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 20 I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
        
Jeremiah 3:14 [The Lord says even to those who have drifted away from Him:] Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you. (See also ch. 31:32.)
        
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to Another, even to Him Who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
        
2 Corinthians 11:2 [Paul reminded the church in Corinth that they were married to Jesus.] For I am jealous over you with Godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
        
Revelation 19:7-9a [The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is the great Heavenly celebration of our marriage to Jesus.] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9a And he [the angel] saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
        
Revelation 21:2,9,10 [New Jerusalem, God's Heavenly City, is made up of God's saints throughout the agesliving stones, the True Church, the Bride of Christ:] And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... 9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels ... and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the Bride, the Lamb's wife. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God.

3. The Lord is our Bridegroom, in love with the true Church, His beautiful bride.
         Song of Solomon 2:14 [The bridegroom speaks:] O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
        
Song of Solomon 4:7,9 [The bridegroom speaks:] Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. ... 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one [look] of thine eyes.
        
Song of Solomon 6:4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah1, comely as Jerusalem, terrible [awesome] as an army with banners. (See also verse 10.)
        
Song of Solomon 6:8,9 [The Lord sees past the splendor of worldly beauty and royalty only to admire and honor His beloved bride.] There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
        
Song of Solomon 7:6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
        
1 Peter 3:3,4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
         1Tirzah: a city in ancient Israel, whose name meant pleasant or acceptable.

4. The courtship of the Lord with His bride:
         Ezekiel 16:8-14 Now when I passed by thee [the Lord's bride], and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread My skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest Mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water ... and I anointed thee with oil. 10b ... I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. 11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. 12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. 13b ... And thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.
        
Isaiah 61:10,11 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

5. The marriage union is an illustration of our relationship with Jesus.
         1 Corinthians 6:17 He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
        
Ephesians 5:25,27,29-32 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it. ... 27 That He might present it to Himself a glorious church. ... 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church: 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.

6. The Lord knows the feeling of loneliness and longs for fellowship with His Own.
         Psalm 14:2,3a The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3a They are all gone aside.
        
Psalm 27:8 [King David responded to the Lord's pleas to draw near.] When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. (See also ch. 63:1; 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22.)
        
Psalm 81:11 But My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me.
        
Isaiah 43:21,22 This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise. 22 But thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel. (See also Proverbs 1:24.)
        
Matthew 22:2,3 The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. (See also Luke 14:16-18.)
        
John 4:23b The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

7. Jesus' bride loves, adores and desires her Husband.
         Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.
        
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His Name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
        
Psalm 45:2 Thou [Jesus] art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.
        
Song of Solomon 2:3 [The bride says:] As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
        
Song of Solomon 5:16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
        
Isaiah 33:17a Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty.
        
Zechariah 9:17a For how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty.

8. Just fall in love with Jesus!
         Psalm 18:1 I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.
        
Psalm 63:5b,6 My mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: 6 when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches. (See also Psalm 104:34.)
        
Psalm 73:25 [Let Jesus be your first love.] Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside [more than] Thee.
        
Psalm 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
        
Song of Solomon 3:1-4 [The bride says:] By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
        
Isaiah 26:8b,9a O Lord, have we waited for Thee; the desire of our soul is to Thy Name, and to the remembrance of Thee. 9 With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early.
        
Jeremiah 2:2b Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me.
        
1 Corinthians 8:3 If any man love God, the same is known of Him.
        
2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
        
1 Peter 2:7a Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious.
        
1 John 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

9. Jesus desires our kisses of love and devotion.
         Psalm 2:12a Kiss the Son.
        
Psalm 22:3 But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises [spiritual kisses] of Israel.
        
Song of Solomon 1:2 [The bride says:] Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.
        
Song of Solomon 8:1b [The bride says:] When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee.
        
Luke 7:45,46 [Jesus admonished the Pharisee for not humbly showing Him love as did the woman who was called a "sinner."] Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment.

10. Closeness to Jesus through loving Him deeply:
         Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.
        
Hosea 11:4 [The Lord doesn't force us to come to Him, but He seeks to draw us in love, relating Himself to us in our humanness.] I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of Love. (See also Jeremiah 31:3.)
        
John 14:21 He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. (See also verse 23.)
        
John 17:22b,23a,26b [Jesus praying for his disciples.] That they may be one, even as We are One: 23a I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one ... 26b That the Love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

11. Spiritual lovemaking with Jesus:
         Song of Solomon 1:4a [The bride says:] Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine.
        
Song of Solomon 1:13 [The bride says:] A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
        
Song of Solomon 2:4,6 [The bride says:] He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. ... 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
        
Song of Solomon 4:16 [The bride says:] Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
        
Song of Solomon 5:2-4 [The bride says:] I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
        
Song of Solomon 7:8b,9,12 [The bridegroom says:] Thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. ... 12 [The bride says:] Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
        
Song of Solomon 8:1b-3 [The bride says:] When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. 2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. 3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

12. The Lord lovingly gives us pleasures to enjoy.
         Job 36:11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. (See also 1 Chronicles 16:27.)
        
Psalm 16:11b In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
        
Psalm 36:7,8 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.
        
Psalm 34:8a O taste and see that the Lord is good.
        
1 Timothy 6:17b The living God giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

13. Feelings of joy and ecstasy from loving Jesus!
         Psalm 4:7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
        
Psalm 43:4a Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy.
        
Psalm 63:3a Thy lovingkindness is better than life.
        
Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.
        
Psalm 149:5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
        
Song of Solomon 1:2b,4b [The bride says:] For thy love is better than wine. ... 4b We will remember thy love more than wine. (See also Zechariah 10:7.)
        
Habakkuk 3:18b I will joy in the God of my Salvation.
        
Luke 1:46-49 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His Name.
        
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.
        
1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (See also Ephesians 3:19.)

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Quotations on Loving Jesus

TAKEN FROM THE WRITINGS OF DAVID BRANDT BERG, AND HIS WIFE, MARIA DAVID

Let Jesus Be Your First Love
         * As He wishes to do with all Christians, the Lord has been trying to bring us into a closer relationship with Him. He wants to be in us every moment of the dayto be with us, to speak with us, to love us, to guide us, to strengthen us and to whisper His Words of Love in our ears! He's helping us to relate to Him more personally so we will desire Him more, and as a result receive more of His Words and more of all He has to offer; more of Him.1
         * When asked by one of the scribes what the most important commandment was, Jesus said, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mark 12:29-30). As Christians, loving the Lord fully with all that is within us should be our main goal and desire. 2
         * He gave His life for us so that we could have life here and life eternally, and He's blessed us beyond measure! He's given us the truth, joy, peace and a reason for living, so of course we love Him and want to express that love to Him the way He wants us to! 3

We Are His Bride
         * We know from the Bible that God sees His Church, the great body of believers worldwide, as His Bride. (See Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14b; Hosea 2:19,20; Romans 7:4 and 2 Corinthians 11:2.) 4
         * Marriage is an illustration of the spiritual union of the believing Bride with Christ. God in His wisdom has created this husband-and-wife relationship to be a marvelous picture in the physical of our spiritual relationship with Him and our union with our Heavenly Bridegroom! 5

God Needs Our Love
         * God actually needs us and wants us and is in love with us, His bride! 6
         * Why would the great God of the universe actually need our love in a very personal way? He's God, He's not a human being. But you see, this is where we haven't seen His heart! We haven't realized how much the physical illustration of the man and woman loving each other applies to Him and His relationship to us. That's one of the reasons He made human love, human desire, a human need for loveso we would understand His desire and His need for us! 7
         * If God can humble Himself by asking for our lovethe great God of the universe wanting and needing us so much that He's willing to do everything possible to get us to love Himhow can our heart not be completely melted and completely won by such unfathomable love? 8

Fall in Love with Jesus
         * Although Jesus likes to be our friend, He wants to be more than that! He wants us to love Him with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind and all our strengthwith everything there is within us! If we love Him this way we won't just think of Him as a friend, but He'll be our lover as well. 9
         * He wants us to crave Him, His Word, His voice, His Love. He wants us to feel a burning desire for Him, a desperate need to be with Him and to communicate with Him. 10
         * When you are with someone that you really love, don't you just love to talk with them, listen to them, kiss and caress them? Don't you enjoy their company almost more than anything else? Well, the Lord is saying that's how we should be with Him! 11
         * As His bride, we should be jumping at the chance to spend time with Him, loving and fellowshipping, whispering words of love and talking and sharing our hearts. 12

         1 ML #3029:1; 3024:66; 3030:52
         2 ML #3024:13
         3 ML #3024:13
         4 ML #3029:29
         5 ML #332C:84; 3025:3
         6 ML #1389:13
         7 ML #3029:44
         8 ML #3013:107
         9 ML #3025:8
         10 ML #3025:8
         11 ML #3025:5
         12 ML #3024:31

Letters from Your Lover
         * There are two ways that we can read His Word: One way is like picking up a newspaper and reading it for information and instruction, without getting very personally involved. The other way is like reading a love letter from one who is very dear to us. When we read a love letter, we read it to find out what our loved one is thinking, to look eagerly to see what words of love they are communicating to us, to feel closer to that one and be reassured of their love for us. It excites us, thrills us, and we hang on to every word! Because it is a love letter from someone we deeply desire to hear from, it is the next best thing to having them right there with us. It makes us feel so warm and secure, so loved and needed! Those loving words stir our hearts and make us want more! 1
         * Just as we love to listen to someone that we're deeply in love with, we should rejoice at Jesus' voice, both in His written Word, as well as in all the other ways that He speaks to us: His still small voice in our hearts and minds, the concerns and desires He places there, Godly counsel, prophecy, etc. 2
         * The Lord is in love with us, and wants to kiss us with His Words! 3

Take Time to Love Jesus
         * If you want to know how to have Jesus shine through you so others will see Him instead of you, the answer is: Spend time with Him! Spend time in His Word, in prayer, in praise, in lovemaking with Jesus. Just get full of Jesus. 4
         * We need this time with the Lordnot only so that He can show His Love to us through His loving Words, but so we can learn of the ways to please and to love Him. 5
         * What does God need from us? The thing He really wants the most is that intimate fellowship and love. 6
         * All the time we spend with Him shouldn't just be us
receiving from Him, but we should also be giving to Him. Like any love relationship, there has to be an exchange of love, both the giving and receiving of love. 7
         * If we want more of Jesus, then we need to give Him more of us! If we want His Love, then we must give Him ours! He wants us to show Him love by taking time with Him. 8
         * We're His bride, and the thing the Bridegroom wants to do most with His bride is to make love to her, and she should want to do the same with Him. 9
         * The bed of love is your private time with Him, one on one, where you can receive the seeds of His Word and say those intimate things to Him and love Him deeply and let Him love you. This is the time when you can communicate much more deeply with Him than you would be able to while around others. You can speak your heart freely and communicate the desires of your heart to Him so He can pour forth those desires to you. It's also a time when you can concentrate, without distraction, on what He is saying to you either through His Word or in His personal communication with you. 10
         * He wants us to have those times when we stop everything, so we aren't distracted by our work or children or other thoughts of the day. At those times we are just there for Himto love Him, to say love words to Him, to please Him, to give Him what He needs. And what He says He needs most is our love; He wants to hear our words of love to Him. 11
         * Any relationship is very one-sided if it involves a lot of taking, but not much giving. The Lord certainly doesn't mind our taking all that He has for us, but in return He looks for our thanks and our appreciation, our acknowledgment that we are pleased and happy with all the gifts that He has given to each of us. He dispenses them with such care, making sure that they are exactly what we personally needtailor-made just for us! He is thrilled to give them to us, but He waits to see if we like them. Part of His pleasure is receiving our thanks and gratitude for the special things that He plans so carefully for us and prepares with such great love and tenderness. 12
         * You undoubtedly have a full schedule and you're busy from morning till night, so it's probably difficult for you to find sufficient time to spend with the Lord. If so, pray for the Lord to show you how to make this necessary time for Him. 13

         1 ML #3030:41
         2 ML #3025:5
         3 ML #3024:31
         4 ML #3024:47
         5 ML #3024:24
         6 ML #1389:14
         7 ML #3024:86,87
         8 ML #3025:16
         9 ML #3024:24
         10 ML #3030:56
         11 ML #3030:44
         12 ML #3013:2
         13 ML #3024:35

The Blessed Results of Loving Jesus!
         * Through loving Jesus, we will receive many blessings: We will be calmed and strengthened. We'll have an uplifted spirit and renewed faith, strength and vigor. He will guide us, speak to us, and we'll be able to perform His will more easily. All of this if we will spend time loving Him! 1
         * We are constantly tempted with the need to hurry, to push, to get things done, but if we're going to labor, then we should labor to seek Him, and if we do, He will make our job, ministry and life so much easier. 2
         * If we have spent time being filled with love and with peace before we enter the day, we will take this peace and this love with us, and we will be a bubble of peace and love in the sea of the confusion of the world. 3
         * If you know that the one you love is deeply in love with you and will do anything for you, it gives you support and confidence and the feeling that you're not alone, and that as a team you can be more powerful. Likewise, this deeper relationship with Jesus will strengthen you in many ways you never thought possible! 4

         1 ML #3024:32
         2 ML #3024:85
         3 ML #3024:37
         4 ML #3031:14

A Lover's Prayer

COMPILED FROM PRAYERS BY MARIA DAVID

         Jesus, all to You we surrender! We lie here before You and say, "Help us! We need You! We love You! We want You!" We're nothing and You're everything! You are the Creator, we are the creation--created to love You, for Your pleasure. Help us to be pleasurable to You. Help us to love You with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength!
         Thank You that You love us and want to be in the bed of love with us. You want to hear us whisper sweet things to You, just as You whisper sweet things to us. So help us learn to give You what You desire and what You want from us, as well as expecting
         You to give us what we desire from You!
         Give us that contact and the desire for that contact, that desire to put You first and to really pursue You and our relationship with You. Help us to persevere in our relationship with You! Just as in human relationships, Lord, it takes a while to build a good relationship, but the thrills and the joys and the results will be better than our wildest imaginations!
         Oh, Jesus, we need You so desperately, each of us! We want to enter the bedchamber with You! We want You to hold us in Your arms and to give us Your Word-kisses.
         Help us not to get so wrapped up in our work and other things that we don't realize that we need to be close to You, to be intimate with You, to be lovers with You. All this other is good and necessary, but we should not leave the most important thing--our relationship with You--undone. We need to maintain that close communication with You and that intimacy, that love relationship with You that we cant go wrong in.
         Thank You, Jesus, for Your promises to bless us abundantly if we will make love to You in this way. Thank You for the joy, the rewards, the answers to prayer that You are promising. Oh, Jesus, even if You didn't promise all this, we would still want to love You because You have been so loving to us. You loved us enough to go all the way to the cross for us--now we want to go all the way in love with You!
         Please help us to look upward into Your beautiful face, always trusting, always praying and praising and loving You! Help us to come to You, to tell You of our love for You, to constantly show our appreciation for You and to give You all the glory.
         We need You, Jesus! Help us to have a more loving relationship with You. Help us to be ever nearer to You! In Jesus' name, amen.


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family