Love is the measure of who we are (1Corinthians 13:2,3,8,13, Matthew 20:26). Although feelings, decisions, thoughtfulness are manifestations of love, they are not the ESSENCE of LOVE, which is SPIRITUAL, coming from the Presence of God in us, for God is love, and all love is of God (1John 4:7,8,16), and the fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). God is the Source of love and He pours His love it into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). This then empowers us to think loving thoughts and making the decision to act in love. We cannot generate love from our own soul, for it comes from the Spirit of God (Matthew 5:3). In our soul, we must believe in and receive the love that He gives us, and surrender to His Love as He pours into our hearts, and yield to it in our lives (obedience). This is our soul aligning to the Love of God that comes from the Spirit. How much you know God (through your fellowship with Him) determines how much you are connected to the Source of Love, which determines how much love you can express in your life. We GROW in LOVE by (1) RECEIVING His LOVE into our heart by faith, and then (2) RELEASING His love through our words and actions.
First, we must PRAY and ask God to FILL our HEART with His LOVE. The classic PRAYER to be FILLED with the LOVE of God is Ephesians 3:14-19, which Derek expounds. God wants us to comprehend, receive and experience: "(1) the WIDTH (John 3:16) and (2) LENGTH (Jeremiah 31:3) and (3) DEPTH and (4) HEIGHT of the LOVE of CHRIST, which passes knowledge (it does not come from your mind, but from the Spirit)." In this way, we "may be filled with all the fullness of God (who is love).” God is ready to fill us with Himself abundantly above all that we ask or think, through the power of the Holy Spirit who is working within us, but He is limited by our (1) THINKING and (2) ASKING, so we need to (1) meditate on His Word and pray for more revelation of the 4 dimensions of His love, and (2) come to Him in confident faith and lay hold of His love, with which He wants to fill our hearts (Ephesians 3:20). God's ultimate purpose is that He would be glorified through His Church; that is, through our union with CHRIST, the GLORY of GOD (the manifestation of His LOVE) would shine through us by the power of the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT, to the glory of GOD, the FATHER (Ephesians 3:21).
First, we must PRAY and ask God to FILL our HEART with His LOVE. The classic PRAYER to be FILLED with the LOVE of God is Ephesians 3:14-19, which Derek expounds. God wants us to comprehend, receive and experience: "(1) the WIDTH (John 3:16) and (2) LENGTH (Jeremiah 31:3) and (3) DEPTH and (4) HEIGHT of the LOVE of CHRIST, which passes knowledge (it does not come from your mind, but from the Spirit)." In this way, we "may be filled with all the fullness of God (who is love).” God is ready to fill us with Himself abundantly above all that we ask or think, through the power of the Holy Spirit who is working within us, but He is limited by our (1) THINKING and (2) ASKING, so we need to (1) meditate on His Word and pray for more revelation of the 4 dimensions of His love, and (2) come to Him in confident faith and lay hold of His love, with which He wants to fill our hearts (Ephesians 3:20). God's ultimate purpose is that He would be glorified through His Church; that is, through our union with CHRIST, the GLORY of GOD (the manifestation of His LOVE) would shine through us by the power of the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT, to the glory of GOD, the FATHER (Ephesians 3:21).