Our most recent guest on the Ask About My Faith podcast, Nicole Milo, shares her journey to the Lord, His healing presence in the midst of hardship, and how Nicole shares her faith. We were so moved by her vulnerability, resilient joy, and humble spirit that just wants everyone she meets to know about Jesus!
An Encounter That Multiplied
Nicole was raised in a devout Catholic family submerged in the heart of Italy. Early in Nicole’s life, her mother became deathly sick. To her mother’s surprise, while in the hospital receiving treatment, her mom had a life-changing encounter with God. Toward the end of this, the Lord led her to take her children to another church and enroll them in school there.
Hesitant and afraid, a few years after this experience with God, Nicole’s mom finally obeyed and enrolled her kids in the local vacation Bible school. At this kids camp, Nicole experienced the presence of God and gave her life to the Lord! As a fiery young evangelist, she sent a ripple effect through her family and ended up bringing them all to the Lord and out of the routine of religion. She began to read the Bible regularly and was fascinated by the promises of scripture.
In her later years in school, Nicole became rebellious and started an unhealthy relationship with an older man. Nicole entered into marriage, but was surprised by the heartbreak she experienced due to infidelity and the looming threat of a sudden divorce.
Related Post: Christian’s Aren’t Perfect (And That’s a Good Thing!)
Faith in the Midst of the Fire
“In my own strength, I could not handle the weight of the circumstance.”
Tension was growing in her marriage. To make matters worse, shortly after Nicole’s first born was brought into this world, he experienced a 105° fever that caused severe brain damage and ultimately produced a form of non-verbal profound autism. Amidst this tragedy, divorce papers were officially filed and Nicole daily struggled to keep her head above water and her son alive.
Her brother witnessed Nicole’s intense pain and sorrow. He began to seek out if God was truly real, took a large leap of faith, and ended up in ministry school. When he came back from school, he began to have coffee with Nicole every day and he spoke hope, blessing, and affirmed the miraculous power of Jesus that remains effective and active today.
Wondering if what her brother had to say was true, Nicole decided to test the theory. At the height of her overwhelm, Nicole went into her room, shut the door, and cried out to God to prove Himself if He truly was real. Following her questioning, she encountered the love of God that saturated every part of her being.
Related Post: The Power of Sharing Your Faith
Living Faith in Every Circumstance
“All I want is for other people to know Him.”
Following her intense experience, she realized intimacy with Jesus is the lifeline for all who live. Heaviness, despair, and oppression are not the inheritance of God’s children and she longs to show those around her the same transformative power of God’s resurrection life that ministered to her so deeply on that day.
She often asks the Lord in day-to-day situations, “What’s a word I can give to the person in front of me?” Once while in a smoothie shop, Nicole felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit about the woman making her smoothie. While praying about this, Nicole discerned that the smoothie worker’s sister had died. Nicole summoned her courage, spoke to the worker, and the woman began to weep uncontrollably, confirming that the word was true. Nicole prayed with her, ministered to her, and showed her the powerful love of God.
Related Post: How to Walk By Faith
Words of Wisdom from Nicole
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” -Matthew 6:6
Go in Your Room + Shut The Door
Nicole leaves this biblical instruction as a piece of encouragement for learning to share your faith. Discovering the voice of God starts in private. As we read the words of Jesus, we discern how He speaks, what He sounds like, and what His intentions are towards us. And the more we receive the love of Jesus, the more eager we are to share His love with those around us!
Nicole Milo’s story shows us that no matter what season you’re in, no matter what sphere of influence you work in, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live on mission, sharing the love of Jesus wherever you go! To hear all of the profound stories she shares in the podcast, listen by clicking below!
Podcast: Stories from the Smoothie Shop
Prayers to Receive God’s Love
Have you ever felt like it was hard for you to receive God’s love? If so, you’re not alone. Receiving God’s love can feel like a challenge sometimes. Through prayers to receive God’s love and scriptures on receiving God’s love, you can experience just how much God loves you.
Scriptures on Receiving God’s Love
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, - Ephesians 3:17-18
This scripture on receiving God’s love comes from the book of Ephesians. Sometimes receiving God’s love looks like praying scriptures in the Bible until you start to believe it. While it’s impossible to fully comprehend how incredible God’s love is, scriptures on receiving God’s love encourage us to try. Jesus gave His life for you. He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of you. The height, depth, and width of God’s love for you are incomprehensible, but God is always available.
Learn more about God’s love: The Strategic Love of God
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
Scriptures on receiving God’s love are found all throughout the Old & New Testaments of the Bible. John 3:16 may be the most famous Bible verse on God’s love. God so loved the world that he died for you. This is really good news!
Curious to learn more about giving your life to Jesus? Learn about just how much God loves you: This is For You
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39
Wow. How awesome! Nothing in your future or your past can separate you from the love of God. No spiritual power can separate you from the love of God. Not even death itself can separate you from the love of God. This scripture on receiving God’s love is a great one to memorize.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. - 1 John 4:9-10
God loved us before we ever thought of loving him. God is so faithful. Use this scripture on receiving God’s love when you’re feeling overwhelmed, tired, or confused, to remember that God loves you so much!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. - Psalm 136:1
If you’re looking for a simple prayer to receive God’s love, you can say Psalm 136:1 in your own words! An example of this prayer is “I thank you, God, for being so good. Your love endures forever. Give me grace to experience your love.”
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. - Jeremiah 31:3
Receiving God’s love is for everyone. Even before you knew God, He loved you with an everlasting love. As you came to know Him, he drew you to him with his unfailing kindness. It even says in the Bible that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. (Romans 2:4)
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. - Psalm 103:11-13
God’s love is as high as the heavens. None of us could reach the Heavens if we tried. Receiving God’s love will take more than a lifetime, it will take all eternity. Reading the Psalms is a great way to receive God’s love and encounter the living God.
As you receive God’s love, you’ll want to share the love of God with those around you. Read our blog: 5 Ways to Show God’s Love to Others
Learn to Receive God’s Love
Are you wondering, “How do I receive God’s love?” If you are, you’re not alone. Through scriptures on receiving God’s love and prayers on how to receive God’s love, you’ll be on a fast track to encounter the love of God.
Here are some of our best practical tips on how to receive God’s love every day:
1. Start with Gratitude: We know what you’re probably thinking… “How do I receive God’s love with gratitude?” It might sound odd, but trust us: it works! Throughout the Bible, people give thanks to God, even in the worst of circumstances. Thankfulness provides perspective, breakthrough, and faith. Learn more about the power of thankfulness: Renew Your Mind: Benefits of Gratitude in the Bible
2. Pray Throughout the Day: Prayer is as simple as talking to God. If you’re searching for how to receive God’s love, prayer is essential. You can’t have a relationship with someone you don’t talk to. Communication is key when it comes to our friends and when it comes to God. Grow your prayer life today with our resources on prayer.
3. Listen to the Bible: Reading the Bible is key if you’re wondering how to receive God’s love. But sometimes listening is better than reading. Listening to books like the Gospel of John, the book of Ephesians, and 1 - 3 John are great ways to receive God’s love through scripture. You can download the YouVersion Bible app or the Streetlights Audio Bible to start listening today!
Learn more about apps to help you grow in your faith: 5 Apps to Help you Share the Gospel
Conclusion
Nicole Milo’s story is a beautiful reminder that God’s love is personal, powerful, and always within reach, no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve walked through. As you open your heart through prayer and scripture, just like Nicole did, you’ll begin to experience the depth of His love in a whole new way. We pray that her journey encourages you to receive God’s love daily and boldly share it with those around you. You’re not alone—His love is for you, right here and right now!
