First Peter chapter 4

^.7(b)Therefore you must soundly-think and be sober into prayers; ^.8before all-things having the stretched-out love¹ into yourselves because love¹ covers a multitude of sins; ^.9loving-strangers into one-another without murmuring;

Following-on logically…

·         you must soundly think (have thoughts in your minds that are sound, safe in God’s viewpoint, with prudence, thoughts in alignment with your salvation)

·         and be sober (literally this would refer to being free from intoxicants, but it is used figuratively here by Peter meaning: be in control of your minds and bodies so that you are alert and receptive to what God and/or the Lord Jesus Christ may want to make known to you, and that you are not in a stupor, a daze, lethargic)

o   into prayers (with a view to your communications to/with God, regarding your general speaking towards God);

·         before (in front of, ahead of) all-things having the stretched-out love¹ into yourselves (holding God’s kind of love extended fervently and earnestly directed to/for yourselves)

o   because love¹ covers a multitude of sins (God’s kind of love conceals a numerous amount of the fullness of sins which someone may have committed in the walk/behavior category);

§  [The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.]

·         loving-strangers (lovers of strangers, being hospitable towards guests, foreigners, those who are not immediate family members with the brotherly or friendly kind of love)

o   into (with a view to, directed to) one-another

o   without murmuring (apart from grumbled discontent or complaint).