Chapter 1 Loved Before I Did Anything
I didn’t come to understand God’s love through striving.
I came to understand it through stillness—through being with Him, not doing for Him.
It was only when I began to spend time with God—not rushing, not performing, not trying to impress Him—that I started to see how He truly regards me.
Not for what I do.
But for who I am.
The Bible tells us something astonishing:
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God didn’t wait for us to change before loving us.
He loved us first.
For so long, I believed—without realising it—that God’s love grew or shrank depending on my faithfulness. That His nearness depended on my consistency.
If I prayed more, He loved me more.
If I failed, He pulled away.
But Scripture tells a different story:
“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
Love doesn’t begin with us reaching God.
It begins with God reaching us.
In the secret place, I began to realise something deeply healing:
God’s love for me is not fragile.
It is not conditional.
It is not earned.
“In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:4–5
Before I prayed a prayer.
Before I opened a Bible.
Before I tried to live rightly.
I was already wanted—before I ever knew how to want Him.
This changes everything.
When you know you are loved before you do anything, you stop trying to perform for God and start resting in Him.
And it is in that place of rest that true transformation begins.
Daily Declarations — Resting in God’s Love
Each declaration is anchored in Scripture. Read the verses, speak the words aloud, and allow God’s truth to reshape your heart.
Today, I decree and declare:
• I am deeply loved by God—before I do anything, before I achieve anything. (Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 5:8)
• I am not striving for His approval; I already have it through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:6; Romans 8:1)
• God’s love for me is not earned by performance, but secured by grace. (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5)
• I am chosen, wanted, and dearly cherished by my Heavenly Father. (Ephesians 1:4–5; 1 John 3:1)
• I rest, confident and secure, in the love that has already been given to me in Christ. (John 15:9; Romans 8:38–39)
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Father, help me to receive Your love as You give it—freely, without fear, without earning. Quiet every voice that tells me I must strive for what You have already given. Teach me to live from rest, not performance, and to trust the love You poured out for me through Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
