Returning to First Love

What Would the Bride [the Church] Look Like If It Returned to Its First Love?

If the Bride truly returned to Jesus as her first love, everything would change.

Not our message — but our fire.
Not our doctrine — but our devotion.
Not our gatherings — but the glory resting on them.

Revelation 2:4 calls us back to the love we had at first — and if we respond, the result would be unmistakable.

A Church Marked by Presence

Programs would no longer replace His presence. Worship would not be performance but adoration. Prayer meetings would burn again. The focus would not be on who is seen — but on the One who is exalted.

A Church Marked by Holiness

When love for Jesus is first, compromise loses its appeal. Sin is no longer tolerated casually because intimacy matters more than indulgence. We would pursue purity not out of obligation, but out of affection.

A Church Marked by Deep Love for One Another

When we love Him rightly, we love each other rightly. Offense would lose its grip. Forgiveness would flow freely. Unity would not be forced — it would be the natural fruit of shared devotion.

John 13:35 — “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

A Church Marked by Power and Witness

Evangelism would no longer feel like pressure — it would overflow from passion. When hearts burn for Jesus, mouths cannot stay silent. The world would not just hear about Him; they would encounter Him.

Acts 4:20 — “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

A Church Where Jesus Is Truly First

Not first in slogan.
Not first in statement of faith.
But first in affection, priority, and surrender.

Schedules would bend around Him. Decisions would be filtered through Him. Ambitions would bow before Him.

And the result?

A radiant Bride.
A purified people.
A revived Church.

When the Church returns to her first love, she becomes unmistakable — not famous for influence, but known for intimacy.

May we not merely long for “revival”.

But Be revived! Love Him. Know Him. Long for Him. Adore Him. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Be in communion and unity with Him.

He Loved Us First — A Call Back to Jesus

Before you ever whispered His name, He wrote yours in His heart.

Before you ever lifted your hands in worship, His hands were stretched out on a cross.

1 John 4:19 — “We love because He first loved us.”

Jesus did not hold anything back. He stepped out of glory. He clothed Himself in flesh. He carried our shame. He bore our sin. He endured the cross. He drank the cup of wrath so we could drink the cup of salvation.

Romans 5:8 — “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We would have no hope without Him. No future. No redemption. No access to the Father. Without Jesus, we are lost — but because of Jesus, we are found.

And now His Spirit calls:

“Return to Me. Not to routine. Not to religion. Return to love.”

Revelation 2:4 — “You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

This is not a message of condemnation — it is a call to rekindled passion. A call back to the fire. A call back to wholehearted devotion.

He gave His whole heart.
He gave His whole life.
He gave it all.

And He is worthy of our all.

Matthew 22:37 — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

Half-hearted love cannot respond to a whole-hearted Savior.

Today, we return.

Prayer Guide - Let Revival start with me, O Lord

Remember — Rekindling the Flame

Revelation 2:4–5 -- “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.”

There was a time when His presence was your delight. When prayer was not a burden but a burning. When worship flowed easily and tears came quickly.

Prayer Points:

• Lord, remind me of when I first encountered You.

• Restore the joy of my salvation.

• Awaken the fire that once burned brightly.

Prayer:
Jesus, take me back to the altar where I first said yes. Let fresh oil fall. Let holy fire rise again in my heart. Keep my heart tender/

Repent — Removing What Replaced Him

Joel 2:12 — “Return to Me with all your heart.”

Some fires do not die suddenly — they fade slowly through distraction, busyness, and divided affection.

Prayer Points:

• Reveal anything that has taken Your place.

• Forgive spiritual complacency.

• Cleanse my heart from divided loyalty.

Prayer:
Lord, tear down every idol I have built knowingly and unknowingly. Be enthroned in my heart again. I choose You above all. I give you back the first place.

Return — Drawing Near Again

James 4:8 — “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Returning is intentional. It is choosing His presence over performance.

Prayer Points:

• Teach me to sit at Your feet again.

• Restore hunger for Your Word.

• Make Your presence my greatest desire.

Prayer:
I come back to You, Jesus. Not to works. Not to image. Not to reputation. I return to intimacy. Help me to cease all striving and simply fall in love you, my Savior and Bridegroom.

Rekindle — Stirring the Gift Within

2 Timothy 1:6 — “Fan into flame the gift of God.”

The embers are still there. The Spirit is still moving. The call is still active.

Prayer Points:

• Stir up what has grown dormant.

• Ignite fresh passion for worship.

• Remove dryness and restore zeal.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, breathe on these embers. Let my love for Jesus burn hotter than ever before. Let holy passion consume me. Take me deeper with You. Take me from glory to glory

Renew — Loving Him Daily and Fully

Lamentations 3:22–23 — “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Returning to our first love is not a one-time emotional moment. It is a daily surrender.

Prayer Points:

• Help me love You with my whole heart.

• Align my desires with Yours.

• Teach me to put You first in all things.

Prayer:
Jesus, You are not second. You are not an option. You are my first love, my greatest treasure, my everything. I give You my whole heart again.

A Prayer For the Church

Jesus, You did not give Your life for a system — You gave it for a Bride.

(Ephesians 5:25 — You loved the Church and gave Yourself for her.)

Forgive us where structure replaced surrender.
Where excellence replaced dependence.
Where reputation mattered more than repentance.

According to the Book of Revelation 2:4, where we have left our first love — call us back.

Strip away what You did not plant.
Shake what must be shaken.
Break our pride and restore holy hunger.

Apart from You we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Make us desperate again.
Make us prayerful again.
Make us pure again.

Let pastors tremble at Your Word.
Let leaders stand in the gap with tears, not titles.

Let congregations crave Your presence more than performance.

Jesus, take Your rightful place.

Be the center of our gatherings.
Be the fire in our worship.
Be the desire of our hearts.

We do not want to be impressive — we want to be faithful.
We do not want to be successful — we want to be surrendered.

Bring Your Church back to her First Love.

Amen.

Over the Church, We Declare:

We return to our First Love.
We lay down agendas and distractions.
We surrender our plans.
We choose passion over works.
We choose intimacy over routine.
We choose Jesus above all.

He gave it all.
We give Him our all.