Recently, two of my grandsons spent the night with me. One of them is 12 and one is 11. Sunday morning, I spent a long time praying for them, and by the time I came out of my office, they were up and ready to eat. As they were eating their breakfast I told them I had been praying Ephesians 3:14-20 for them. In case you’re unfamiliar, here are the words of Paul in that passage:

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, 
From whom every family in heaven and earth
derives its name. 
I pray that out of his glorious riches
He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit
In your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
May have power together with all the Lord’s holy people,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep
Is the love of Christ, 
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge –
That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
According to his power that is at work within us,
To him be glory in the church,
And in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
Forever and ever.”

I reminded my precious grandsons that as they stand on the brink of becoming teens, it’s critical that they root their identity in Christ’s love. Honestly, the same holds true for you and me. Like a building with a strong, secure foundation, our soul needs the strong foundation of being deeply loved by God. The more we internalize the love of Christ and sink our roots into that love, the more we’ll be able to hold steady when the storm winds blow. 

As I look around me at our culture and listen to people, I realize that more than ever we need a reawakening to God’s deep love. Beyond just knowing it in our heads, we need to internalize it in our hearts.  In fact, God desires that we feel His love. Sit with that thought a moment. Think about it. If I just intellectualized my husband’s love and never felt loved by him, what type of marriage would we have? God is our eternal husband and His desire is that we feel cherished and treasured by Him. 

What do you do if you don’t feel God’s love?

Ask Him for a Deeper Experience of His Love. This is a prayer God loves to answer because it is a prayer according to His will. However, after you ask Him, be attentive to how He answers. As you feel different expressions of His love, write those experiences down so you don’t forget. 

Memorize a Few Key Verses That Remind You of God’s Love. Having verses in your mind when doubts about God’s love come is extremely helpful. There are a lot of scriptural promises about God’s love, but here are 3 of my favorites:

Psalm 136:1 – “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Zephaniah 3:17 – “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; In his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Praise Him by Faith for His Love, Even When You Don’t Feel It. Praising God unlocks our heart to experience greater intimacy with Him. Even when you don’t feel loved by God, praise Him that He loves you. I believe if you do this consistently for a month, you will begin to feel God’s love in ways you never expected. 

Friend, here’s what I know. God wants the roots of your confidence to sink down deeply into the love of Christ. There is no other foundation for our security. 

January is a great month to start a new Bible study. Dive into the Psalms with me!  

The Extraordinary Power of Praise