Prayer for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – John 13:31 -35
John 13:31-35
The New Commandment
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
O God,
When we hear the words of Jesus in John 13,“Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” , our hearts respond with a resounding “Yes!” Yet when it comes to living out that love, our actions often fall short of our intentions.
Lead us, your people of faith, to love one another as You have commanded. As the world around us shifts and changes, keep our focus rooted in loving your people and your creation. Help us hold fast to the “Yes!” in our hearts, for we know that in it we find true joy.
Today, we lift up a world desperate to know that every person is deeply loved. Each day, we’re confronted with voices of hate, insult, and anger, words meant to exclude and diminish those who don’t conform to narrow expectations. God, empower us to be the disciples You have called and commanded us to be.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
