Praise be to you, Father in Heaven, for your perfect love and grace in our lives. You chose us before the foundation of the world, meaning that you wanted us to be your children and knew we would respond to your efforts to draw us to yourself.
You purchased us with the blood of the Lamb, paying a huge price to buy us back from the prince of darkness. You predestinated us to the adoption of children through Jesus Christ—“according to the good pleasure of your will” (Eph. 1:5b). It gave you pleasure to make sure that we became your children!
We are not just tolerated, we are fully, wonderfully, whole-heartedly embraced and enjoyed by you! We exalt in this, we rejoice in this and praise you, giving thanks from full hearts for the warm and wonderful love that you pour out on us every day.
According to Ephesians 1, your attitude towards us, your interaction with us, your words about us are filled with energetically positive and loving thoughts. It is a delight and pleasure to you when we come into your presence in prayer, or worship or thanksgiving or thought. Your response is, “Oh!! It’s you!! I’m so glad you came!!! I am delighted to hear from you!! I was just thinking about you, how much I love you, how you are one of my favorite ones—of course, all my children are my favorites, but that doesn’t diminish my love for you.
“I am so glad you are my child; I have no regrets about choosing, calling and adopting you; in fact, every time I think of you I am pleased; I delight in you; you are fully accepted in my heart. It is such a pleasure to have you in our family, to know you, to spend time with you.
“Come to me more often, I enjoy your prayers, your intercession, your praise time, your thoughts of me throughout the day. I look forward to eternity where we can spend unbroken time together in heaven, where you will be continually in my presence spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Live now in my love, live in obedience to Truth so that we both may have more pleasure and joy.”
And my soul and spirit respond with, “Yes!”
Prayer: “We praise you, Lord, our heavenly Father, for your rich, warm love toward us. Help us to honor and glorify you by reveling in your love, rejoicing in your acceptance, responding to your desire to spend time with us in coming to you each day.
