A Prayer for Love to Overflow in Relationships
By Heidi Vegh
Bible Reading:
“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NIV)
Listen or Read Below:
My son just graduated from high school. The week was a whirlwind of party planning, welcoming out-of-town guests, organizing ceremony logistics, and a flood of emotions pouring from my heart. My prayer for him that day was simple: that he would feel loved and celebrated. I wanted his heart to overflow with love on this milestone day, one I hoped he would remember forever.
And God answered. Our home was filled with guests I hadn’t expected to come. The 16 pounds of pulled pork I feared would go uneaten disappeared quickly. More importantly, my son was surrounded by love, tangible, powerful, encouraging love. Not just through gifts, but through presence, heartfelt words, and genuine celebration. It was beautiful and unforgettable.
As I’ve grown older, one truth has become blindingly clear: relationships are among the most important parts of life, second only to our relationship with Jesus. It sounds obvious, but we often take our relationships for granted, especially if we’ve always been surrounded by love.
But God calls us to love in a way that reflects His heart, not just a trickle of love, but an overflowing, abundant, Spirit-filled kind of love.
So how do we love like that? By being filled first.
Romans 5:5 says:
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
God’s love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the source of our confident hope—and the source of the love we’re called to share.
Overflowing love looks like:
- Choosing unity over being right.
- Laying down selfish motives to pursue peace.
- Encouraging those who are weary.
- Forgiving, even when no apology comes.
- Being patient when it’s inconvenient.
- Holding our tongue or deleting that hurtful response.
Unforgiveness can block our ability to love. It hardens our hearts and turns our focus toward resentment instead of grace. But when we let the Holy Spirit cleanse those places, we make space for His love to overflow through us. And when it does, we begin to reflect Jesus. We strengthen relationships, we build community, we stand out—and that opens doors to share the gospel with those who wonder what makes us different.
So ask yourself: Who in your life needs to experience the overflowing love of Jesus today? You don’t have to love others with your own strength. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you daily. And then watch how His love spills naturally into your marriage, your friendships, your parenting, and your community.
Let’s Pray:
Lord, I fall short every day as I strive to love others the way You love me. I need You to fill me with Your love, so full that it overflows through my words and actions.
Show me the places in my heart that are bitter or hardened. Cleanse them so there's room for Your Spirit to work. Teach me to love better. Help me to see the needs of others and respond with Your compassion.
Forgive me for the thoughts, attitudes, or words that don't reflect Your heart. Stop me when I’m heading down a negative path that could block someone from feeling Your love through me.
You’ve written the greatest love story of all time, and I want my life to echo that truth. Help me stand out in how I respond to this world. Let me love like You love, even when the world misunderstands it.
I trust You, Lord. I believe Your ways are true and Your love is eternal. Use me as a vessel, overflowing with Your love for a hurting world.
In Your precious name I pray,
Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Natali_Mis
Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women’s Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more.
Praying through Psalm 15: A Prayer to the One Who Will Never Be Shaken
Are you tired of being spiritually weary? You've come to the right place! Join us for a time of prayer, reflection and meditation. Leave the baggage of your day behind you and come away refreshed, renewed, and reconnected to God. Who is the kind of person who will never be shaken? Find out in today's 10-minute devotion as we explore Psalm 15. If you like what you hear, subscribe to Praying Christian Women on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Now that you've prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below
