Jitu Raiyan

Web Developer

Akoko Daily Week 6

“God is love.

Love begins with who God is.

Fire does not attempt to be hot. It does not relearn how to produce its flame. The ocean does not rehearse its tides or consult the horizon before stretching wide. The wind does not petition the skies for permission to blow or to go wherever it wants to go.

Each simply is, exuding from its nature without effort, constant in essence, faithful in expression, unchanged by who watches or who walks away. In the same way, God does not exert effort to love; love flows from Him like light from the sun, unceasing, inherent and self-originating. First John 4:8 anchors us in this foundational reality.

It reads, “”Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”” Psalm 103:8 expands that revelation. It says, “”The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”” And Psalm 130:6 reminds us that this love endures, unchanged by time or response. It reads, “”Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

His love endures forever.”” Together these Scriptures invite us to see love not as effort, but as essence. Scripture declares that God is love. Identity, not attribute. Essence, not expression. This distinction changes everything, because it means love is not dependent on circumstance. Before love was ever felt, needed or returned, it existed fully and undiminished in Him.

When we define love by human encounters, we reduce it to emotion, attraction or effort, but divine love is deeper. His mercy is not a mood. His kindness does not fluctuate with our obedience or distance. Love in God is not conditional, because it is God’s being. When we root love in His nature, transformation begins not by trying harder, but by seeing Him more clearly.

Let this question rest gently: Where have I defined love by experience instead of God’s nature? Receive this declaration as grounding truth: God is love, and I live from his nature. And let this be your prayer today: Father, reset my understanding of love according to who you are. As you close this time, listen to the song of the day and allow it to support your meditation, journaling and prayer, letting your understanding of love be reshaped by who God has always been”

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Question
Where have I defined love by experience instead of God’s nature?

God Is Love

(Love begins with who God is)


1 John 4:8 (KJV)

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Exodus 34:6

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,


Psalm 136:1

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

God is love, and I live from His nature.

Father, reset my understanding of love according to who You are.

“Love before creation. Love existed before us. Before you think about who you are or what you’ve done, pause and consider this truth: love did not begin with you. You were not the starting point; you were the result. John 17 verse 24 pulls back the curtain and reveals something sacred.

Love existed within God before the world was ever formed. Before need, before failure, before distance, there was love. It reads, “”Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”” Proverbs 8 verses 30 through 31 paints a picture of delight showing wisdom rejoicing alongside God as creation unfolded.

Love was not reluctant; it was joyful. It reads, “”Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world, and delighting in mankind.”” And Ephesians 1 verse 4 anchors us in assurance, reminding us that we were chosen in love before time began, not after we proved ourselves worthy.

It says, “”For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love.”” Together, these scriptures remind us that love is not God’s response to us; it is the environment we were created from. Knowing that love existed before you changes everything.

It means God did not begin loving you when you believed, obeying, or understood him. You were never an interruption to his love; you were always included in it. Love is not something God discovered when he made you; it is what he expressed through making you. When love precedes creation, fear loses its authority.

You stop striving to secure affection and begin resting in belonging. Let this question settle gently: How does knowing love existed before you change how you see God? Receive this declaration as assurance: I was chosen in love before time began. And let this be your prayer today: Thank you, God, for loving me before I ever knew you.

As you close this moment, listen to the song of the day and allow support your meditation, journaling, and prayer. Resting in the truth that love has always surrounded you.”

 

Question
How does knowing love existed before you change how you see God?

Love Before Creation

(Love existed before us)


John 17:24 (KJV)

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Proverbs 8:30–31

30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.


Ephesians 1:4

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

I was chosen in love before time began.

Thank You, God, for loving me before I ever knew You.

“Love is not earned. Love is not a reward. When children are on their best behavior, doing their chores, excelling in their studies, obeying instructions, they are usually rewarded and showered with love by their parents. The children who fail to meet these expectations, on the other hand, are usually punished or exempted from their parents’ gestures of love.

As a result of this, many are raised to believe love is a reward that must be earned. This mindset has shaped how many perceive God’s love. We unconsciously, or maybe even consciously, begin to measure God’s love for us by our works, how well we behave, our consistency, strive and effort.

But God’s love does not operate this way. It is not earned. Romans 5:8 establishes that there is no criteria for God’s love. “”But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”” God did not wait for us to repent or be in our best behavior before He chose to love us.

His love came first. Titus 3:4-5 and Deuteronomy 7:7-8 backs this by making us understand that God’s love for us is neither because of our righteousness, nor our number. God’s love for us is not a reward. It requires no qualification. There is no need to strive for it. God’s love is unconditional.

Ponder on this question today. Where am I still trying to earn God’s love? And let this be your declaration. I receive God’s love freely, without striving. Today’s prayer. Teach me to rest in the love you have already given me. Amen. As you close this moment, listen to the song of the day and allow it to support your meditation, journaling, and prayer, resting in the truth that love has always surrounded you.”

Question
Where am I still trying to earn God’s love?

Love Is Not Earned

(Love is not a reward)


Romans 5:8 (KJV)

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Titus 3:4–5

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;


Deuteronomy 7:7–8

The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

I receive God’s love freely, without striving.

Teach me to rest in the love You have already given.

“Love is steady. Love does not fluctuate. Before you reflect, pause and gently notice where uncertainty has crept into how you experience love, especially in moments when things feel inconsistent and fragile. Malachi 3:6 anchors us in a profound truth: God does not change. His nature is not shaped by seasons, responses, or circumstances.

James 1:17 reinforces this, reminding us that every good and perfect gift comes from a God who does not shift or cast changing shadows. And Psalm 102:27 stretches our perspective even further, declaring that while everything else may wear out or fade, God remains the same. Together, these scriptures steady our hearts.

Love in God is not reactive. It does not rise and fall with our obedience, our emotions, or our understanding. His love is not heightened by our faithfulness or diminished by our failure. God’s love does not fluctuate because His character does not fluctuate. It is steady like time itself. Days change, moments pass, but time keeps moving forward without asking permission.

What feels unstable in human relationships is stable in Him. When we anchor our sense of worth in a love that is steady, fear begins to lose its grip. We no longer brace ourselves for withdrawal or loss. We learn to rest knowing that the love holding us today will be the same love holding us tomorrow.

Let this question rest honestly: Where do I fear love will change? Receive this declaration as grounding truth: God’s love towards me is constant. And let this be your prayer today: Anchor my heart in your unchanging love, Lord. As you close this moment, listen to the song of the day and allow it support your meditation, journaling, and prayer, letting your heart settle into the steadiness of God’s enduring love.”

Question
Where do I fear love will change?

Love Is Steady

(Love does not fluctuate)


Malachi 3:6 (KJV)

For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.


Psalm 102:27

But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

God’s love toward me is constant.

Anchor my heart in Your unchanging love, Lord.

“Love is intentional. Love chooses on purpose. Love should be a deliberate and conscious effort. Love is always intentional when there is a purpose. God chose to create man. The creation of man in itself is a purpose. Hence, God has always been intentional about man. Like Ephesians chapter one, verse five confirms this purpose from the very beginning, to Adam, down to the children of Israel, to Jesus choosing his disciples, and even after the death of our Lord Jesus.

Every step shows the intentionality of God. Think about this. God didn’t just create man, but He also had the purpose and choice to love man. Many people build friendship without a purpose. Hence, they lose the drive to be deliberate and intentional about their friends. God says He created Jacob, and He has called him by his name.

Recall how the story of Jacob went in the Bible. Despite all, God didn’t give up on him. Instead, God still chose to communicate with him through dreams and visions. Jeremiah 31:3 confirms this, that God’s love is everlasting. Jacob’s story, like many others, highlights how much effort God makes to see each of us fulfill purpose.

Ponder on this question today. Do I believe God loves me intentionally? Let this be your declaration. I am intentionally loved and chosen by God. Say these words of thanksgiving. Thank you for choosing me with purpose. As you close this moment, listen to this song of the day and let the words soothe your soul as you allow it penetrate your mind and thoughts as you think about the intentionality of God’s love.”

Question
Do I believe God loved me intentionally?

Love Is Intentional

(Love chooses on purpose)


Ephesians 1:5 (KJV)

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Isaiah 43:1

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.


Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

I am intentionally loved and chosen by God.

Thank You for choosing me with purpose.

“Love is Holy. Love restores wholeness. We have already established that love is a nature of God. Scripture declares that God is love. In the same way, First Peter 1:15-16 and Psalms 99, Verse 9 reveals holiness as another defining nature of God, instructing us to be holy because I, that is God, am holy.

If love is who God is, and holiness is who God is, then it is safe and necessary to conclude love is holy. So many people are used to a version of love that takes more than it gives. Love that lusts, love that hurts, love that manipulates and takes advantage, love impure, which distorts perception of what true love is, leaving them broken.

But God’s love is different. It is holy. Not the kind of holy that seems impossible to reach, but the kind of holy that draws you near and purifies you, that accepts you as you are, making you holy and whole like him. Leviticus 19, Verse 2. Let this question search you thoroughly.

Where has my view of love been shaped by compromise? Receive this declaration as freedom. God’s holy love makes me whole. And let this be your prayer today. Shape my understanding of love by your holiness. As you close this moment, listen to the song of the day and allow it support your meditation, journaling, and prayer.

Resting in the consciousness that God’s love is holy, and it brings wholeness.”

Question
Where has my view of love been shaped by compromise?

Love Is Holy

(Love restores wholeness)


1 Peter 1:15–16 (KJV)

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Leviticus 19:2

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.


Psalm 99:9

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.

God’s holy love makes me whole.

Shape my understanding of love by Your holiness.

“Love Is the Source Love flows from God.Take a moment to pause and consider where your love has been coming from lately. whether it has felt replenished or depleted, flowing or forced.

First John four, verse nineteen establishes the direction clearly: love does not originate with us. It begins with God. We love because He first loved us. Love is not something we manufacture; it is something we receive and respond to.

John one, verse four deepens this truth, revealing that in Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. Love is not only expressed by God; it is the life He imparts.

And Psalm thirty-six, verse nine completes the picture, declaring that with God is the fountain of life, and in His light we see light. Love flows the same way. From a source, not from effort.

Together, these scriptures remind us that love was never meant to be self-sustained. When love is disconnected from its source, it quickly becomes exhausting. We begin to love out of obligation, performance, or depletion. But when love flows from God, it carries life instead of strain. Loving from connection feels different than loving from effort. It is steady, replenished, and unforced. God does not ask us to produce love on our own; He invites us to remain rooted in Him, the source from which love naturally flows. When we stay connected, love becomes a response, not a responsibility.

Reflect on this question and answer honestly. Am I loving from connection or from effort? Make this declaration and receive it as truth. God is my source of love.And let this be your prayer today. Keep me rooted in You, the source of love.

As you close, listen to the song of the day and allow it to support your meditation, journaling, and prayer. Remaining connected to the One from whom all love flows.”

Question
Am I loving from connection or effort?

Love Is the Source

(Love flows from God)


1 John 4:19 (KJV)

We love him, because he first loved us.

John 1:4

In him was life; and the life was the light of men..


Psalm 36:9

For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light..

God is my source of love.

Keep me rooted in You, the source of love.

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