{"id":16046,"date":"2025-01-21T17:23:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T16:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/?p=16046"},"modified":"2025-01-21T17:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T16:23:07","slug":"to-love-as-jesus-loved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2025\/01\/21\/to-love-as-jesus-loved\/","title":{"rendered":"To love as Jesus loved"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\n <\/p>\n

Opening prayer<\/h3>\n

O God,
\nyou broke down the barriers when you crept in beside us.
\nIn Jesus, your hands touched all, and touched us.
\nYou opened our eyes
\nto see how the hands of the rich were empty,
\nand the hearts of the poor were full.
\nYou took the widow\u2019s mite and the child\u2019s loaves
\nand used them to show us the Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Here in the company of the neighbour whom we know
\nand the stranger in our midst,
\nand the self from whom we turn,
\nwe ask to love as Jesus loved.<\/p>\n

Make this the place and time, good Lord,
\nwhen heaven and earth become one,
\nand we in word and flesh
\nknow ourselves beloved.
\nAmen.<\/p>\n

 
\n~ from the website of Old South Church<\/strong> in Boston, posted on re:worship<\/a><\/p>\n\n

From the blog<\/strong>
\n3 prayers for the New Year<\/a>
\nTable grace<\/a>
\nGerminate and grow<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Opening prayer O God, you broke down the barriers when you crept in beside us. In Jesus, your hands touched all, and touched us. You opened our eyes to see how the hands of the rich were empty, and the hearts of the poor were full. You took the widow\u2019s mite and the child\u2019s … Continue reading “To love as Jesus loved”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-16046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prayer","tag-loved"],"yoast_head":"\nTo love as Jesus loved - Prayer matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A prayer inspired by Jesus' love and his love for us: "we ask to love as Jesus loved.... and to know ourselves beloved."\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2025\/01\/21\/to-love-as-jesus-loved\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"To love as Jesus loved - 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How sacrificially you have loved us, Jesus; how completely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer"","block_context":{"text":"prayer","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/frosty_leaves.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/frosty_leaves.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/frosty_leaves.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/frosty_leaves.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12620,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2022\/02\/18\/evening-prayer-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":16046,"position":1},"title":"Evening prayer #4","author":"Irene Bom","date":"February 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 A prayer to accompany you as day changes into night. \u00a0 O God our Creator, by whose mercy and might the world turns safely into darkness and returns again to light: we give into your hands our unfinished tasks, our unsolved problems and our unfulfilled hopes, knowing that only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer"","block_context":{"text":"prayer","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pink_evening_sky.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pink_evening_sky.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pink_evening_sky.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pink_evening_sky.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16644,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2025\/09\/22\/he-took-bread\/","url_meta":{"origin":16046,"position":2},"title":"He took bread","author":"Irene Bom","date":"September 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The four-fold pattern of self-giving love At the very end of his life Jesus did two things that more any other, lodged in the minds of his friends. The first, the washing of their feet, spoke as no other action could, of the plain, unromantic, down-to-earthness of the love God\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer"","block_context":{"text":"prayer","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/michael_mayne_bread.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/michael_mayne_bread.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/michael_mayne_bread.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/michael_mayne_bread.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4471,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/03\/13\/testing-ground\/","url_meta":{"origin":16046,"position":3},"title":"Testing ground","author":"Irene Bom","date":"March 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Photo: Lindy Twaddle) \u00a0 The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery has a lengthy entry on Wilderness, ending with the following summary: \"... the wilderness is an ambivalent image in the Bible. If it is a place of deprivation, danger, attack and punishment, it is also the place where God delivers his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sun_in_the_woods.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sun_in_the_woods.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sun_in_the_woods.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sun_in_the_woods.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16245,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2025\/04\/21\/no-higher-calling\/","url_meta":{"origin":16046,"position":4},"title":"No higher calling","author":"Irene Bom","date":"April 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Holy Spirit, help us love being a child of God, for there is no higher calling. from a prayer written by Paul Sauer, posted on re:worship \u00a0 From the blog To love as Jesus loved In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks Stand still for a moment\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "quote"","block_context":{"text":"quote","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/quote\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/chandelier_demolition.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/chandelier_demolition.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/chandelier_demolition.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/chandelier_demolition.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13119,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2022\/07\/17\/the-desire-of-the-humble\/","url_meta":{"origin":16046,"position":5},"title":"The desire of the humble","author":"Irene Bom","date":"July 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Litany of Humility Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus ... (Philippians 2:5) O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer"","block_context":{"text":"prayer","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/shattered_window_utrecht_centraal.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/shattered_window_utrecht_centraal.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/shattered_window_utrecht_centraal.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/shattered_window_utrecht_centraal.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Irene Bom","author_link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/author\/irenebom-com\/"},"rttpg_comment":1,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/\" rel=\"category tag\">prayer<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"  Opening prayer O God, you broke down the barriers when you crept in beside us. In Jesus, your hands touched all, and touched us. You opened our eyes to see how the hands of the rich were empty, and the hearts of the poor were full. 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