On this Prayer Walk I ask A LOT of questions. I hope you can ask yourself honestly and give truthful answers no matter how difficult. Faith in Motion: Tell someone everyday this week that you love them. Here’s the challenge: Choose someone new every time and choose only those you wouldn’t normally say it to.
This was tough for me. I do not believe you can love someone without knowing them. You can like them, but love is a strong emotion.
How do you know the whole person? It could be all on show and you love that, but they could be a completely different person behind closed doors.
I have learnt this through personal experience.
My mum made sure our family looked perfect all the time, but it wasn't all real.
Behind closed doors, my mum, (an alcoholic, and when drunk,) was a monster to me. I won't go into details, but even though I loved her because she was my mum, I didn't really like her as a person. Not just because of what I went through when she was drunk, but when sober, there were traits etc that I didn't like. I could never be the true me.
So this is why I never take people at face value.
I think with technology, it is a perfect example of how you think you may love someone, but not really know them. Look at how many people have been catfished.
I know this sound very cynical, but I am just cautious.
When it comes to God, I love all the beautiful gifts he has given us and I love him for that, but do I truly love him. To be honest, no. I like him, I love the amazing nature that we have, but I think it's more a respect I have for God than love. I appreciate him, but I don't truly know him. How can I? So I think it's the same in life. There can be so many different ways, different levels of love. Love can be a way of saying you respect someone and admire them, even when you don't know them. It's a term that is used a lot today, but doesn't have the same meaning. True love, is different. It has more meaning.
Just wanted to clarify. I have many different definitions when it comes to love. So I do love God, but in a different way to how I love my sister, for example. I love God for what he has given us and what we have been taught, but it's not as powerful as the love I have for my sister.
Good morning Donny and thank you for all these questions to ponder. I like Teresa's answer about loving yourself first in Jesus name. I believe in my heart that is true as when I think about some friendships or a relationship from the past (many years ago), I tried to earn that love and appreciation from others. That in fact is only temporary and everyone of those friendships or relationships did not last. It wasn't all on me, but one reason was I did not love myself or like myself, and I did NOT put God first. Those were just not meant to be, and I accept that. I'm filled with flaws and sometimes the demons from the past come back to haunt me that fills me with doubt and fear. Any time those lies surface in my mind, I try as quickly as I can to turn that over to God through prayer and scripture. My desire is only to serve God and love all people though what He's calling me to do.
Thank you for this prayer walk Donny. Lots of questions to ponder. One thing do I believe is that you really cannot love others -whether you know them or not - unless you love yourself and that is not always an easy thing to do. But as it is a command of Jesus to love others as yourself then loving yourself is a must do.
This was a lot of questions for me early in the morning. 😂 I think it's impossible to love God, ourselves and others without allowing God to infuse us with His love, which is a benevolent love that wants only the best regardless of how we "feel" about ourselves and others. I am now asking myself, do I truly love God or do I love what He has done and is doing for me? In my imperfect heart, am I even capable of loving as He loves? But I give myself grace in knowing that God has all of that covered for me and gives me the capacity to love with His love that he has given to me when I surrendered my life to Him. Once again, you have challenged me to examine my heart in regards to how I'm loving God, myself and others. My love is imperfect, but God's is not and I'm so grateful He loves each of us in His loving way and gives us the capacity to love.
I can tell you that I have no doubts about my love for God, however, I need to improve the quality of my time with Him.
Regarding people, some I love instantly and give my heart fraternally without expecting anything in return. For me, the essence of love is “blind”, it is pure and devoid of passions. So, I can love the other for the beauty and good that that person radiates, as William Shakespeare says "Love is not seen with the eyes, but with the heart". The proof that it is possible to love without to know is in this community, I love many of you and I still don't know you.
But, To some extent I am selective...
There are those people that I look at and feel “I didn’t like her...”
So..., Another powerful walk that requires me to reflect and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide me to the flaws that I have in my heart.
I used the word "blind" as a figure of speech, it's in quotes, but your question is thought provoking and made me think more deeply.
Also, my train of thought was because in the video - around 19 minutes - you say: "try not to get into the language of those who call themselves Christians..."
So I looked at Shakespeare's references - lol, he was the one who created the phrase "love is blind" (there's even a romantic comedy about it - original title "Shallow Hal" title in Portuguese "love is blind" - if you haven't watched it yet I recommend it, it's so cute - lol).
But, getting back to your question...
No, I don't think that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were "blind" when Jesus was crucified! On the contrary, the Grace bestowed in the act of the crucifixion shows us true love.
The crucifixion is an act of God giving us complete love, He communicates His own Love to us.
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were also not "passionless" at the crucifixion, in Christian language the term "Passion of Christ" is used.
But the word "passion" in the human context can be applied to designate admiration for an ideal and trigger dangerous psychobiological reactions. Passion as a “feeling” is the one that loves the image of beauty, which is why in psychology it is finite, it can run out over time and it was in this context that I used the term.
Anyway, I hope I answered your questions - lol
Ah, have you read the book "The Four Loves - C S Lewis"?
Do I love people I don’t know? My answer normally would be yes. My nature is to observe people and try seeing into their hearts by looking into their eyes. When I make a commitment to someone to pray or support them I follow through until God gives me the peace I need to let go. I still pray for them but trust God for their future. I don’t have to hang out with you to continue to love you. We all have lives to live but love travels. I can’t carry the burden God gives me alone for people so if I just love them He can carry what I can’t. I saw you with Graham, had not met you yet but that love for another heart I could not resist wanting to meet you. I meet hearts not just people.
This was one of my favorite prayer walks so far. You asked questions that I ask myself so often. I think that loving someone you do not know is not possible. You can admire and appreciate them, but how can you love them if you do not know them? This is different with your belief in a higher power because that to me is faith. Faith that comes from the hope that you will be protected by the unconditional love of that power because you offer your love as well. In my life I have met very few people who I actually believe truly walked in faith, there is a grace about them that you can feel, a light if you will that surrounds their being.
I struggle with people who are not authentic in their portrayal of their "beliefs" they say the words, as you said "raise their hands" but they do not truly honor with their actions. There is a song called "That's Where I Find God" that I believe speaks a truth, that your faith in that power will be what shows your love and it will find you where you are. So many things in the world today are based on a false belief system that it is a struggle to even know where to place your love. But, if you do not have your own faith and hope then how can you offer that to anyone else?
So many questions to consider. A great prayer walk. Thank you. As I listened I thought this isn’t a black or white issue, there’s some gray areas, very personal for each individual and the path they travel. I tend to lead with my heart. Sometimes it’s wrong but most the time it’s very rewarding. Leap of faith...... love you! ❤️
I believe God commands us to love the world and the people of the world. There are different levels of love. You don't love a friend the same way as you love your parents or a spouse. But, we should love the world as God loves. Can we love as deep as God? No, but we should definitely strive to love as God loves.
What an interesting question Donny, I tend to say no but I still need to define the word love. When we say I love my family, my friends, my dog or the chocolate, I think the word love has different meanings. On the other hand, loving God has a whole other meaning for me, I can say that I don't know him well and that I will only know him when I am with him, yet I love him. I know he loves us infinitely and I realize that I could hardly love others the way God loves us just because I am human, but I have no feelings of guilt about it. I try to see the other as a creature of God and therefore to love him as he is with kindness and respect, but is that love? After listening to this prayer walk again, I wondered what does the word know mean? Do I really know the people I love? It takes years to get to know the people I say I love. The main thing for me is to have a relationship based on respect, kindness and love as God asks of us. I also think there are people I don't know but who touch me, with whom I can have a real sincere relationship, do I love them? I think so and you are the proof, I never met you, the first time I saw and heard you was during the podcast with Graham some time ago, your testimony has me so much touched that I wanted to know you better. So yes for me you can love someone without really knowing them and fortunately, I know that I can hardly love the other as God asks me but I ask God to help me look at them and respect them with love . Thank you Donny for this prayer walk which allowed me to move forward and reflect. God bless you 🙏❤️
This prayer walk left so many questions in my mind. To say it was thought provoking does not do it justice. I had a whole long response posted and deleted it because my mind is still racing. After contemplating I have condensed my thoughts into this rambling summation. Every person is a child of God with their own free choice, God wishes none to perish, I cannot know everyone, I cannot completely understand God’s unconditional, all knowing, sacrificial love, I am human so my human reactions will taint or grow my very human love based on human behaviors, God truly knows my heart as He knows every man’s heart, my goal is to love as God commands and to spend eternity with Him. God bless you Donny on your continued journey. Thank you for your inspiration and for exercising my mind each week. 🙏
I did comment earlier today but had to cut it short because we took Katie to the ER again. But one thing I know that God guides my heart in is expecting something in return. I feel funny sometimes when I do. I never give something hoping for a return. If I give something it comes from the real me. Love from me is unconditional like God’s love is given to me.
Thank you Donny for sharing what is on your heart. I know that I can love as God loves just by living those around me. For starters I can love you without knowing you. I appreciate you sharing these prayer walks but that doesn’t mean I know you. If we love as God has commanded as we let Him guide us then I can love those I don’t know. I work with volunteers, some of whom I really know, others I don’t but I love them all equally. And that love is unconditional, which I think is key. I live all who comment and share their feelings. May God bless you all with deeper wisdom and understanding.
I think ,I know that you can love someone without knowing them,there’s a feeling ,a vibration that you get just hearing the name ,seeing the name it’s a strange sensation you ask yourself why am I getting,receiving this feeling of love especially when I don’t know this person.Thank you for bringing this to us all you have to stop and think we really don’t know God but we see His name ,the writing.so what is the difference of loving God and a person without knowing that .
This was tough for me. I do not believe you can love someone without knowing them. You can like them, but love is a strong emotion.
How do you know the whole person? It could be all on show and you love that, but they could be a completely different person behind closed doors.
I have learnt this through personal experience.
My mum made sure our family looked perfect all the time, but it wasn't all real.
Behind closed doors, my mum, (an alcoholic, and when drunk,) was a monster to me. I won't go into details, but even though I loved her because she was my mum, I didn't really like her as a person. Not just because of what I went through when she was drunk, but when sober, there were traits etc that I didn't like. I could never be the true me.
So this is why I never take people at face value.
I think with technology, it is a perfect example of how you think you may love someone, but not really know them. Look at how many people have been catfished.
I know this sound very cynical, but I am just cautious.
When it comes to God, I love all the beautiful gifts he has given us and I love him for that, but do I truly love him. To be honest, no. I like him, I love the amazing nature that we have, but I think it's more a respect I have for God than love. I appreciate him, but I don't truly know him. How can I? So I think it's the same in life. There can be so many different ways, different levels of love. Love can be a way of saying you respect someone and admire them, even when you don't know them. It's a term that is used a lot today, but doesn't have the same meaning. True love, is different. It has more meaning.
Thank you for sharing Christine. I appreciate hearing your heart.
In order to fully understand. What do you mean "there can be so many different ways, different levels of love"?
A better question might be "How do you define love"?
Good question. Will have to think on that.
This is very honest and thought provoking, Christine. Thank you for sharing.
Just wanted to clarify. I have many different definitions when it comes to love. So I do love God, but in a different way to how I love my sister, for example. I love God for what he has given us and what we have been taught, but it's not as powerful as the love I have for my sister.
Good morning Donny and thank you for all these questions to ponder. I like Teresa's answer about loving yourself first in Jesus name. I believe in my heart that is true as when I think about some friendships or a relationship from the past (many years ago), I tried to earn that love and appreciation from others. That in fact is only temporary and everyone of those friendships or relationships did not last. It wasn't all on me, but one reason was I did not love myself or like myself, and I did NOT put God first. Those were just not meant to be, and I accept that. I'm filled with flaws and sometimes the demons from the past come back to haunt me that fills me with doubt and fear. Any time those lies surface in my mind, I try as quickly as I can to turn that over to God through prayer and scripture. My desire is only to serve God and love all people though what He's calling me to do.
Thank you for sharing Anne
Thank you for this prayer walk Donny. Lots of questions to ponder. One thing do I believe is that you really cannot love others -whether you know them or not - unless you love yourself and that is not always an easy thing to do. But as it is a command of Jesus to love others as yourself then loving yourself is a must do.
Thank you for sharing
This was a lot of questions for me early in the morning. 😂 I think it's impossible to love God, ourselves and others without allowing God to infuse us with His love, which is a benevolent love that wants only the best regardless of how we "feel" about ourselves and others. I am now asking myself, do I truly love God or do I love what He has done and is doing for me? In my imperfect heart, am I even capable of loving as He loves? But I give myself grace in knowing that God has all of that covered for me and gives me the capacity to love with His love that he has given to me when I surrendered my life to Him. Once again, you have challenged me to examine my heart in regards to how I'm loving God, myself and others. My love is imperfect, but God's is not and I'm so grateful He loves each of us in His loving way and gives us the capacity to love.
Thank you for sharing Cathey
I can tell you that I have no doubts about my love for God, however, I need to improve the quality of my time with Him.
Regarding people, some I love instantly and give my heart fraternally without expecting anything in return. For me, the essence of love is “blind”, it is pure and devoid of passions. So, I can love the other for the beauty and good that that person radiates, as William Shakespeare says "Love is not seen with the eyes, but with the heart". The proof that it is possible to love without to know is in this community, I love many of you and I still don't know you.
But, To some extent I am selective...
There are those people that I look at and feel “I didn’t like her...”
So..., Another powerful walk that requires me to reflect and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide me to the flaws that I have in my heart.
Thanks for the Walk!
God bless you!
Thank you for sharing Angela.
For clarity:
Do you think God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were "blind" and"devoid of passion" when Jesus was crucified?
I used the word "blind" as a figure of speech, it's in quotes, but your question is thought provoking and made me think more deeply.
Also, my train of thought was because in the video - around 19 minutes - you say: "try not to get into the language of those who call themselves Christians..."
So I looked at Shakespeare's references - lol, he was the one who created the phrase "love is blind" (there's even a romantic comedy about it - original title "Shallow Hal" title in Portuguese "love is blind" - if you haven't watched it yet I recommend it, it's so cute - lol).
But, getting back to your question...
No, I don't think that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were "blind" when Jesus was crucified! On the contrary, the Grace bestowed in the act of the crucifixion shows us true love.
The crucifixion is an act of God giving us complete love, He communicates His own Love to us.
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were also not "passionless" at the crucifixion, in Christian language the term "Passion of Christ" is used.
But the word "passion" in the human context can be applied to designate admiration for an ideal and trigger dangerous psychobiological reactions. Passion as a “feeling” is the one that loves the image of beauty, which is why in psychology it is finite, it can run out over time and it was in this context that I used the term.
Anyway, I hope I answered your questions - lol
Ah, have you read the book "The Four Loves - C S Lewis"?
Thank you for clarifying 🙂
And yes, I've seen "Shallow Hal" and appreciate Shakespeare.
I believe the passion of the three in one could see the future of all in that one.🙏
I love your honesty. Thanks Angela. ❤️
🙏❤
Do I love people I don’t know? My answer normally would be yes. My nature is to observe people and try seeing into their hearts by looking into their eyes. When I make a commitment to someone to pray or support them I follow through until God gives me the peace I need to let go. I still pray for them but trust God for their future. I don’t have to hang out with you to continue to love you. We all have lives to live but love travels. I can’t carry the burden God gives me alone for people so if I just love them He can carry what I can’t. I saw you with Graham, had not met you yet but that love for another heart I could not resist wanting to meet you. I meet hearts not just people.
Thank you for sharing
What a beautiful phrase: "I meet hearts not just people" :)
This was one of my favorite prayer walks so far. You asked questions that I ask myself so often. I think that loving someone you do not know is not possible. You can admire and appreciate them, but how can you love them if you do not know them? This is different with your belief in a higher power because that to me is faith. Faith that comes from the hope that you will be protected by the unconditional love of that power because you offer your love as well. In my life I have met very few people who I actually believe truly walked in faith, there is a grace about them that you can feel, a light if you will that surrounds their being.
I struggle with people who are not authentic in their portrayal of their "beliefs" they say the words, as you said "raise their hands" but they do not truly honor with their actions. There is a song called "That's Where I Find God" that I believe speaks a truth, that your faith in that power will be what shows your love and it will find you where you are. So many things in the world today are based on a false belief system that it is a struggle to even know where to place your love. But, if you do not have your own faith and hope then how can you offer that to anyone else?
Thank you for sharing Robin
I love my husband and your family Jackie McAdams 16
So many questions to consider. A great prayer walk. Thank you. As I listened I thought this isn’t a black or white issue, there’s some gray areas, very personal for each individual and the path they travel. I tend to lead with my heart. Sometimes it’s wrong but most the time it’s very rewarding. Leap of faith...... love you! ❤️
🙂🙏🏼
I love you too Jackie McAdams 16
I believe God commands us to love the world and the people of the world. There are different levels of love. You don't love a friend the same way as you love your parents or a spouse. But, we should love the world as God loves. Can we love as deep as God? No, but we should definitely strive to love as God loves.
What an interesting question Donny, I tend to say no but I still need to define the word love. When we say I love my family, my friends, my dog or the chocolate, I think the word love has different meanings. On the other hand, loving God has a whole other meaning for me, I can say that I don't know him well and that I will only know him when I am with him, yet I love him. I know he loves us infinitely and I realize that I could hardly love others the way God loves us just because I am human, but I have no feelings of guilt about it. I try to see the other as a creature of God and therefore to love him as he is with kindness and respect, but is that love? After listening to this prayer walk again, I wondered what does the word know mean? Do I really know the people I love? It takes years to get to know the people I say I love. The main thing for me is to have a relationship based on respect, kindness and love as God asks of us. I also think there are people I don't know but who touch me, with whom I can have a real sincere relationship, do I love them? I think so and you are the proof, I never met you, the first time I saw and heard you was during the podcast with Graham some time ago, your testimony has me so much touched that I wanted to know you better. So yes for me you can love someone without really knowing them and fortunately, I know that I can hardly love the other as God asks me but I ask God to help me look at them and respect them with love . Thank you Donny for this prayer walk which allowed me to move forward and reflect. God bless you 🙏❤️
Wonderful thoughts, Thank you for sharing
This prayer walk left so many questions in my mind. To say it was thought provoking does not do it justice. I had a whole long response posted and deleted it because my mind is still racing. After contemplating I have condensed my thoughts into this rambling summation. Every person is a child of God with their own free choice, God wishes none to perish, I cannot know everyone, I cannot completely understand God’s unconditional, all knowing, sacrificial love, I am human so my human reactions will taint or grow my very human love based on human behaviors, God truly knows my heart as He knows every man’s heart, my goal is to love as God commands and to spend eternity with Him. God bless you Donny on your continued journey. Thank you for your inspiration and for exercising my mind each week. 🙏
You're welcome Linda, thank you for sharing
I did comment earlier today but had to cut it short because we took Katie to the ER again. But one thing I know that God guides my heart in is expecting something in return. I feel funny sometimes when I do. I never give something hoping for a return. If I give something it comes from the real me. Love from me is unconditional like God’s love is given to me.
Thank you Donny for sharing what is on your heart. I know that I can love as God loves just by living those around me. For starters I can love you without knowing you. I appreciate you sharing these prayer walks but that doesn’t mean I know you. If we love as God has commanded as we let Him guide us then I can love those I don’t know. I work with volunteers, some of whom I really know, others I don’t but I love them all equally. And that love is unconditional, which I think is key. I live all who comment and share their feelings. May God bless you all with deeper wisdom and understanding.
Thank you for sharing Joanne
I think ,I know that you can love someone without knowing them,there’s a feeling ,a vibration that you get just hearing the name ,seeing the name it’s a strange sensation you ask yourself why am I getting,receiving this feeling of love especially when I don’t know this person.Thank you for bringing this to us all you have to stop and think we really don’t know God but we see His name ,the writing.so what is the difference of loving God and a person without knowing that .