the thing I love about the Lord is that his ways are not like our ways what God does how God works is beyond our understanding or comprehension the way that God chooses to answer your prayers may not always be what you expect sometimes your prayers are indeed answered by loss sometimes God answers your prayers by taking something away from you and that can hurt but after that initial sting you may start to realize that this painful experience was a blessing in disguise maybe people begin to walk out of your life maybe you start losing friends
that you care about but later on you realize that they were hurting you more than they were helping and so God was actually answering your prayer for a joyful and drama-free life maybe you lose a relationship but as a result you also lose the anxiety that came with it you begin to feel Freer and happier just like you once prayed for maybe you lose an opportunity that you were really excited about but later you find out that God was setting you up for something even greater in all these situations you might not see the positive
consequences at first but one day when you look back you will suddenly be able to connect the dots you will start to see how God was actually being gracious by removing that person that relationship or that opportunity from your life of course none of this is a surprise to God Isaiah 55:8 says for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord as much as God hates to see our pain he knows that sometimes pain is necessary for our ultimate Joy God knows exactly what we need and that what
time we need it we just have to trust him we just have to let let him work in the way only he can do because we have all the blind spots areas of our life that are unhealthy or toxic to our relationship with God and we don't even realize it but in his mercy God steps in and removes those things for us and he replaces them with something better so right now if you're going through a loss if you're going through a SE season of disappointment consider the possibility that God is answering your prayers in
an unconventional way consider the possibility that through this loss he is rearranging your life through this loss he is strengthening you through this loss he is leading you to better God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we want but he always gives us exactly what we need let me tell you something I have seen many people walk in and out of my life some came and they were a blessing some came and Lord knows they were a challenge I've met people who I thought would be in my life forever but sadly they walked away
however I've also met a handful of people who to my surprise became my encouragers they're my teammates in the things of God not however for one reason or another they came for a season they served their purpose but life careers Ambitions callings they took us in different directions however out of all the people we will ever come across in life there is only one who will never disappoint us there is only one who can satisfy our Soul's deepest needs there is only only one who has ever uttered the words I will never leave you nor
forsake you and been able to stand by it to the very end his name is Jesus Christ listen there is none like him there is no one who can rival him there is none on Earth not one person who has ever lived that can come close to Jesus Christ he loves with an unconditional love he speaks with an unmatchable wisdom he is the Good Shepherd and his presence casts out all fear all unclean things and all anxiety his presence it heals it renews it restores at the sound of his name demons tremble on this Earth
miracles happen Healing The Sick restoring sight to the blind that's all part of his resume he is the way the truth and the light and so dear friend when you open your heart and embrace all that Jesus Christ has to offer this will impact your life this decision it will radically transform your life if you really surrender and if you really embrace the Lord not only does he bring eternal life but in this present day right here on Earth if you truly surrender to Jesus Christ he can bring you Joy and how many of us
could stand a little more joy in our lives Psalm 16:11 says you make known to me the path of life in your presence there is fullness of joy at your right hand are Pleasures forever more listen when Jesus Christ comes into your heart he brings Joy you'll find that Joy is ever present even in your darkest hour that Joy is ever present even in the midst of chaos and that's simply because Jesus Christ he is the source of Joy so I ask you dear friends have you invited the Lord into your heart have you embraced
him have you met the one who can offer Amazing Grace have you met the one who can heal your deepest scars have you met the one who raised Lazarus from the dead if you haven't met him let me tell you you can you can accept him in your life today and he will come into your heart he is the one who can renew he can restore he can rejuvenate Jesus Christ the son of God he's waiting for you to seek Him dear friend won't you let him into your heart heart let him into your life
let him into your decisions this day let him into your situation this day dear Lord Jesus we invite you to come and move within our lives when you come Lord we know that you bring freedom because your word in 2 Corinthians 3: 17 it says now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom for the person who may be struggling with sin Lord set him free for the person who may be feeling trapped by addiction Lord give them Freedom father right now we invite you into our lives
into our homes because you and you alone can bring us real and Lasting peace Colossians 3:15 says Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you are called to peace and be thankful because of Jesus we can stop laboring for our Salvation we know that he has already paid the price for us all we have to do is rest in his grace and that that's what gives us peace Master we choose to fix our eyes on you we choose to give you all of the glory and the honor
you are the author of all things good wherever you are there is peace wherever you are there is Joy wherever you are oh God there is life because that's your nature that's who you are and you freely offer yourself to Those whom you love Lord all authority has been given to you you are all powerful and there is none who can stand against you you are able to accomplish all that you set out to do your power and your goodness they cannot be refuted so father come into our lives right now your presence is what
our souls long for your presence is what this world needs for so long this world may reject you turn away from you and put their faith in worthless things but as for me Lord I will worship you I will obey you only right now God I invite you in come into our lives come into our homes father come into our minds bring restoration and peace and love God bring everything that this broken World cannot give us in each of our minds Lord displace every unclean thought drive out every cloud of Darkness Ness with your radiant
light come and sweep our lives in a mighty way cast out all fear any negative patterns of thinking or evil spirits that the enemy has sent to destroy us God cast them out at your voice the demons tremble and flee because of your great power and your Holiness Jesus move into our homes bring peace and bring Unity Jesus move into our homes bring peace and unity to our families as well as to those without a family be near to every orphan every Widow all the poor and marginalized God we ask you to heal every heart
that's Longing For Love Today Jesus we need you we understand that there is power in your name when you speak chaos turns to to order darkness turns to light evil is conquered and righteousness prevails in your presence nothing Unholy can remain Lord I know you're doing a new thing I know that even now you stand at the door and knock so God help me to stop resisting your work I desire that you be able to work in my life and so God I simply invite you in wi Lord show up in a mighty way exercise
your sovereignty over every part of my life wherever you want to go help me to pave the way for you make your glory known in my family in my community God awaken us to your wonderful love and grace and make us aware of your presence every day of Our Lives it's in Jesus name I pray and I give you all the thanks and I give you all the glory [Music] amen the Apostle Paul has one of the most fascinating stories in the New Testament Paul was a highly respected Jewish leader who gave orders to persecute
and even kill Christians but everything changed when one day on the road to domes us he came face to face with the resurrected Christ Jesus blinded him and after 3 days something miraculous happened acts 9:18 says and immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight then he rose and was baptized when Jesus removed the scales from Paul's eyes Paul saw the world in a brand new way before he had seen Christianity as vile and blasphemous now he saw the gospel as the most beautiful and glorious cause on Earth reality did
not change but Paul's Outlook did he allowed God to change the way he saw the world Psalm 146 verse 8 says the Lord opens the eyes of the blind the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down the lord loves the righteous one fascinating thing about humanity is that two people can see the exact same thing and hear the exact same sound but will come up with very different interpretations we can see this in the church today though we are all children of God we interpret certain scriptures and even the commands of Jesus in different
ways differences of opinion are acceptable when it comes to some things musical preferences dress codes coffee flavors but when it comes to the gospel there is only one truth and we have to make sure that we don't miss it it is only only when we ask God to restore our vision that we are able to behold the absolute truth of Jesus Christ on a personal note one of my main prayer requests can be found in Psalm 119 Verse 18 which says open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law God's way
is wondrous when we come to Christ he makes what is ugly to seem beautiful and what is beautiful it seems ugly we begin to hate our sin and love the commands of Jesus the rest of the world scoffs at us not because they necessarily choose evil but because they simply can't see 1 Corinthians 1:18 says for the word of the Cross is folly to the those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God a correct view of God doesn't come from our own wisdom or theology it comes
only when we ask him to remove the scales from our eyes and when he does we stop seeing Christianity as a label or category and we begin to see it as a lifestyle we stop seeing Christianity through the lens of denomination or doctrine instead we focus on the Urgent Gospel of Jesus Christ the one that needs to be preached to everyone now Ephesians 4 verses 4-6 say there is one body and one Spirit just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism one God and
Father of all who is over all and through all and in all when the scales in our eyes are removed Christianity becomes more than an accessory more than a cross worn around our necks it becomes more than a tattoo on our arm it becomes about living to serve Jesus and to testify about all the wondrous things that he has done now I'd like to tell you this and I really want you to hear me clearly God wants our hearts he wants us to be completely invested in him in his word in his kingdom the Lord
wants our hearts I would go as far as even saying he demands our hearts he wants us to be all in to be radical and hungry and to have an outrageous desire for him here's what the Bible says concerning the heart Matthew 5:8 says blessed blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is near to the Brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit Hebrews 3:8 says do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness examine what you tolerate Saints because
God doesn't tolerate a dabbler or a lukewarm Christian he doesn't tolerate one who dabbles in a bit of Holiness and then in a bit of sin you can't just mix God God in with everything else in the world he is God above all Isaiah 40 vers 25 and 26 say to whom then will you compare me that I should be like him says the Holy One lift up your eyes on high and see who created these who brings out their host by number calling them all by name by the greatness of his might and because
he is strong in power power not one is missing indeed we need to reverence God and we can begin to do this by examining our lives through the standard of his word now let us pray Holy Father thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once
was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my focus is on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over my minor things I pray that you would help me to see the
greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel in which there is no room for misinterpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to Gras that reality and to stand amazed in a Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be
true help me not to let doubts creep in and clap my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves and sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are
only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual Realties that aren't apparent to me help me to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful
in my my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lenses my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray [Music] amen the Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen you see faith is necessary for every believer because
it's only when you have faith that you can please God now let me ask you do you really have faith or do you rely on your own judgment your reasoning or what your eyes can see are you living by faith are you walking by faith when you think about some of the Heroes of Faith in the Bible and all of the trials they went through you'll see that they had one thing in common they kept believing in God they had unwavering trust in the Lord and they were strong in faith and let me tell you
something it takes Faith to follow Jesus Christ it takes Faith to continue pushing and standing for the gospel by faith the walls of Jericho fell down by faith Paul and Silas were beaten chained up and imprisoned but they still praised God the three Hebrew boys refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar all because they had such strong faith these are all great examples of people who stood their ground and trusted in the Lord even when all the odds were against them their faith was not shaken their faith was not broken because they knew that the
god whom they served is bigger greater and more powerful than anything or anyone else who they could come up against we can learn a lot from the Believers in the Bible and from how they dealt with adversity because even in this present day we often find ourselves in situations where our faith is put to the test and we must decide how we will respond but here's what the Bible says in 1 Peter 1: 6-7 in all this you greatly Rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds
of Trials these have come so that the proven genuiness of your faith of Greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire may result in Praise Glory and Honor when Jesus Christ is revealed no matter what your hardship might be be strong in faith don't allow yourself to be moved because as soon as you let go of God's sure promises you are bound to get swept up into the madness of this world Jesus Christ is our only sure Foundation he is our steadfast anchor circumstances change people change but the word of God remains
true forever in the Book of Matthew Jesus says Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will not pass away that's why we can stand confidently in him that's why we can cling to him now you may be there and say my faith is not strong enough it's not big enough Lord so what should I do well let me tell you that even the smallest fragment of faith has power Matthew 17: 20 so Jesus said to them because of your unbelief for assuredly I say to you if you have faith as a mustard seed
you will say to the mountain move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you think about that Faith as a Mustard Seed Faith the size of a seed that's all we need according to the Bible so beloved I want to stand with you today and simply encourage you to keep the faith your situation may may be difficult but don't let that shake your faith you may be experiencing the pain of being abandoned or feeling isolated but friend I encourage you to have faith in the Lord he will be
your closest companion wrestling with unbelief and doubt is common to all men we will all have our faith tested by unbelief and doubt but let me tell you how you can overcome these crippling feelings you overcome unbelief and doubt by simply standing and being anchored in the word of God feed on the word of God hold on to the promises of God meditate on God's word this is how faith is nurtured developed and strengthened and let me give you a scripture that supports this Romans 10:1 17 says so then faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the word of God so whenever you find your faith being challenged lean on the word of God even more whenever you find that your faith is being shaken hold on steadfastly to the word of God even more focusing on the word of the Lord will be the best thing for you to do when it comes to strengthening your faith and with this understanding let us pray dear Lord help us to have strong faith help us to have tenacious Faith so that in the face of adversity we can still be confident that you are with
us give us the kind of faith that doesn't give up the kind of faith that is patient enough to wait on you I pray for faith that cannot be shaken by The Winds of life I pray for the kind of faith that is not broken by the weight of disappointment give us strong faith Lord faith that isn't intimidated by the giant before us faith that isn't frightened by the mountain before us I pray that you would give us faith that trusts in you completely because you are bigger you are greater and more powerful than anything
that could come up against us Mark 11 verse 22- 24 says have faith in God Jesus answered truly I tell you if anyone says to this mountain go throw yourself into the sea and is not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen it will be done for them therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you have received it and it will be yours Lord I pray for the person who is wrestling with doubt I pray for anyone wrestling with unbelief May the Holy Spirit strengthen them
may the Holy Spirit lift up their Spirits don't let them be defeated by the trials they face don't allow them to be discouraged by the devil let us not be bound by the problems of this life but may we hold on to your promises in your word you have said Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will not pass away we put our trust in your precious promises Lord we believe your word to be true because in your word we are assured of Total Restoration thank you for giving us hope and strength for
tomorrow I praise you for promising that you will keep those whose minds are stayed upon you in perfect peace keep our minds in perfect peace Lord as we fight the good fight each and every every day May the highest praise be given unto you you are a good and faithful God for each and every person listening I pray that you would Shine Your holy presence in our lives Shine Your Light Upon Us in this world of Darkness help us to be sensitive to the voice and counsel of the Holy Spirit give us hearts and ears
that listen first John 5 ver 4 says for whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith father help us to live a life that is pleasing in your sight help us to live life as you intended for us a life where we live by faith and not by sight and Lord should you find my faith to be weak may you strengthen me if my faith should be shaken may you keep me Steady I pray that you will strengthen my resolve John 7:38 says he
who believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water father May the rivers of living water flow from every part of our Lives May your Living Waters fill us with Faith Lord I look forward to a future with you I embrace a future that is in your hands one that is filled with love mercy and goodness as I reach out in faith and prayer I place my hopes my dreams and plans all in your hands for as long as you are for us Lord Jesus nothing can
stand against us we will continue to place our faith in you because you are a God who will hold us up when we don't have the strength to stand on our own you are a God who has calmed the storms in our lives and lifted us up high even though we were in a pit of despair you King Jesus are my rock in this world which is like sinking sand continue to be with us and give us the faith to stand firm day by day amen now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the
evidence of things not seen in all this you greatly Rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of Trials these have come so that the proven genuiness of your faith of Greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire may result in Praise Glory and Honor when Jesus Christ is revealed have faith in God Jesus answered truly I tell you if anyone says to this mountain go throw yourself into the sea and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will
happen it will be done for them therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you have received it and it will be [Music] yours for whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith he who believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water in today's society there is a need for everything to be comfortable and convenient we are people who like Simplicity we like certainty but every now and again in life
you will encounter something that will test you situation can arise and it will test how strong or resilient you are a certain environment or the wrong group of people can test your self-control and discipline your children may test your patience the supervisor at work May test your self-control and temperament but for many people the concept of God testing us can seem very strange to them the idea that God can allow certain things to happen in your life in order to test you can be difficult for some people to understand and so what does the Bible
say concerning this well James 1 verse 2:3 consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face Trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance this is the reality that we find in scripture our faith must be tested and perhaps Proverbs 17:3 will give us a better understanding of why the testing of our faith is necessary fire tests the purity of silver and gold but the Lord tests the heart in other words just as silver and gold are purified by fire so the Lord purifies the hearts of
men if you want to refine gold you use the furnace and if the heart of man is to be refined the Lord tests the heart meaning that my faith and your faith must stand trial at one point or another our natural tendency as humans is to to think that if something seems unpleasant then it must not be from God but we must realize that God sees things quite differently than we do the trials that God allows in our lives are meant to make us complete so that we lack nothing as Believers Trials come for our
development as Christians Trials come so that we can build on the current level of faith we have and reach Greater Heights that's why the Bible says the testing of your faith produces perseverance the testing of our faith leads to spiritual maturity this should change the way we view hardships and how we should respond to those difficult times in our lives the reality is that God is always at work in his children and the ultimate goal is that we become a reflection of Christ we are to be conformed into the image of Christ having our minds
renewed and our hearts refined not only are we to Rejoice knowing that God is testing us as a good work in our lives but the Bible goes on to tell us in James 1:12 blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him so many times we lose the beauty of a testimony in what God is doing in us because we become so focused on the trial that we take our eyes off of Christ however
the reality is that every trial gives us a testimony of God's goodness and his sovereignty every trial provides us with the working knowledge that God is still with us refining us molding us conforming us all because we are his children 1 Peter CH 4 verse 13-16 says but rejoice in as much as you participate at in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed if you are insulted because of the name of Christ you are blessed for the spirit of Glory in God rests on you if you suffer
it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal or even a meddler however if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed but praise God that you bear that name when you suffer because you are a Christian when you suffer because of your belief in the Lord be strengthened by the word of God because the Bible says you are blessed for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you so let me encourage you and tell you should you face the hardships of life because you are a
Christian you're blessed because as you partake in the suffering because of Christ you will be Overjoyed in glory when the Lord returns you will be rewarded for your faithfulness and should you face the hardships of life should you encounter the many afflictions that we all face in life then we have a promise to hold on to and that promise is that many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all regardless of the type of trouble you face or the form it comes in so long as you are in
the Lord you will overcome Lord Jesus you are full of grace and compassion you are full of mercy and kindness Lord as you test my faith I pray that you would cleanse me of all impure thoughts cleanse me of all unholiness Lord create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right Spirit within me I pray that every trial that you send my way will accomplish a purpose if it's patience that you want to develop within me then may your will be done if it's self-control or humility you want to develop within me
may your will be accomplished Lord I pray that even as my faith is under Fire let me not murmur and complain but instead may I continually be found to be looking to you Lord Jesus I pray that you would give me the strength to stand when my faith is being tested I pray that you would give me a heart filled with joy even when I am being tested 1 Corinthians 15:58 therefore for my beloved brothers be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in
vain father I pray that I would be steadfast and immovable in my faith whatever happens in this life may it not sway me from my faith in Jesus Christ should the miracle miracle I pray for come to pass or not my faith Still Remains in Jesus Christ should I be perplexed by any situation I encounter you are my rock and my faith will remain in you father when life appears to be falling apart when it is my season to be tested I pray that the Holy Spirit would help me to keep my eyes on Jesus
Christ help me Holy Ghost so that I can realize that the Troubles of this life are only temporary they are only momentary in comparison to the joy that awaits me in eternity and so Lord I pray that you would help me and strengthen my character help me not to be someone who is only strong in faith when all is well with me but may I be strong in faith always regardless of the difficulties I'm facing your word in 2 Corinthians 13:5 says examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith test yourselves or do
you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail to meet the test father open my eyes so that I can examine myself help me to examine my life against your word help me to examine my thoughts and conduct against what your word says a Believer should be help me to be full of Integrity to be prayerful and full of love I thank you for hearing my prayer I bless your Holy Name King Jesus amen consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face Trials of many kinds
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance fire tests the purity of sin silver and gold but the Lord tests the heart blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him but rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed if you are insulted because of the name of Christ you are blessed for the spirit of Glory in
God rests on you if you suffer it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal or even a medler however if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed but praise God that you bear that name therefore my beloved brothers be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in [Music] vain examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith test yourselves or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed
you fail to meet the test the Apostle Paul has one of the most fascinating stories in the New Testament Paul was a highly respected Jewish leader who gave orders to persecute and even kill Christians but everything changed when one day on the road to Damascus he came face to face with the resurrected Christ Jesus blinded him and after 3 days something miraculous happened acts 9:18 says and immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight then he rose and was baptized when Jesus removed the scales from Paul's eyes Paul saw the
world in a brand new way before he had seen Christianity as vile and blasphemous now he saw the gospel as the most beautiful and glorious cause on Earth reality did not change but Paul's Outlook did he allowed God to change the way he saw the world Psalm 146 verse 8 says the Lord opens the eyes of the blind the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down the lord loves the righteous one fascinating thing about humanity is that two people can see the exact same thing and hear the exact same sound but will come up
with very different interpretations we can see this in the church today though we are all children of God we interpret certain scriptures and even the commands of Jesus in different ways differences of opinion are acceptable when it comes to some things musical preferences dress codes coffee flavors but when a comes to the gospel there is only one truth and we have to make sure that we don't miss it it is only when we ask God to restore our vision that we are able to behold the absolute truth of Jesus Christ on a personal note one
of my main prayer requests can be found in Psalm 119 Verse 18 which says open open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law God's way is wondrous when we come to Christ he makes what is ugly to seem beautiful and what is beautiful it seems ugly we begin to hate our sin and love the commands of Jesus the rest of the world scoffs at us not because they necessarily choose evil but because they simply can't see 1 Corinthians 1:8 says for the word of the Cross is folly to those who
are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God a correct view of God doesn't come from our own wisdom or theology it comes only when we ask him to remove the scales from our eyes and when he does we stop seeing Christianity as a label or category and we begin to see it as a lifestyle we stop seeing Christianity through the lens of denomination or doctrine instead we focus on the Urgent Gospel of Jesus Christ the one that needs to be preached to everyone now Ephesians 4 verses 4-6 say
there is one body and one spirit Spirit just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all when the scales in our eyes are removed Christianity becomes more than an accessory more than a cross worn around our necks it becomes more than a tattoo on our arm it becomes about living to serve Jesus and to testify about all the wondrous things that he has done now I'd like to tell you
this and I really want you to hear me clearly God wants our hearts he wants us to be completely invested in him in his word in his kingdom the Lord wants our hearts I would go as far as even saying he demands our hearts he wants us to be all in to be radical and hungry and to have an outrageous desire for him here's what the Bible says concerning the heart Matthew 5:8 says blessed blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is near to the Brokenhearted and
saves the crushed in spirit Hebrews 3:8 says do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness examine what you tolerate Saints because God doesn't tolerate a dabbler or a lukewarm Christian he doesn't tolerate one who dabbles in a bit of Holiness and then in a bit of sin you can't just mix God in with everything else in the world he is God above all Isaiah 40: 25 and 26 say to whom then will you compare me that I should be like him says the Holy One lift up
your eyes on high and see who created these who brings out their host by number calling them all by name by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power not one is missing indeed we need to reverence God and we can begin to do this by examining our lives through the standard of his word now let us pray Holy Father thank thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes
so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my
focus is on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over minor things I pray that you would help me to see the greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel in which there is no room for misinterpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to grasp that reality and to stand amazed in a Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I
am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be true help me not to let doubts creep in and cloud my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give
me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves and sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual realities that aren't
apparent to me help me to to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful in my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lenses my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray amen the Lord opens
the eyes of the blind the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down the lord loves the righteous open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law for the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God there is one body and one Spirit just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in
all to whom then will you compare me that I should be like him says the Holy One lift up your eyes on high and see who created these who brings out their host by number calling them all by name by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power not one is [Music] missing blessed blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness
