Before we pray, let's first take a moment to listen to God's word and then we'll pray together. In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus sat with his disciples on the Mount of Olives and spoke words that still speak with urgency today. He looked ahead beyond the lives of those 12 men into a future filled with turmoil, deception, and testing.
With compassion in his voice, he warned them, "A time is coming when many will be led astray. " He didn't say, "A few would be deceived. " He said, "Many.
Many will rise up claiming to be the Messiah. Many will come with convincing words, with charisma, with promises that seem right but lead far from truth. And many will follow them.
" Jesus didn't stop there. He gave a sobering view of the world we'd be living in. He spoke of wars and rumors of wars, of nations rising against nations, kingdoms clashing and hearts growing cold.
He spoke of betrayal even among family, of hatred running rampant, of love disappearing. He said many would fall away from the faith. Not a few, many.
These aren't just warnings for another time. Look around today and you'll see the signs he described. We live in an age of spiritual confusion.
Truth is being redefined. Love is being distorted. Faith is being replaced with convenience.
Many hearts are growing weary. Many are turning inward. Many are falling asleep.
But in the middle of all this, Jesus offers more than warning. He offers hope. He gives us something to hold on to.
He promised that he will return in power and great glory. And when he comes, it will be sudden like lightning across the sky. No one will miss it and no one will predict it.
Not the angels. Only the father knows the exact time. That's why Jesus tells us to stay awake, to live ready.
Because readiness isn't something you can scramble for at the last minute. It's something you build every day. And then almost like turning the page, Jesus shares a parable.
One that takes everything he just said and makes it personal. It's the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:es 1-13. In this parable, there are 10 young women waiting to meet the bridegroom.
10, not two, not five and five in separate crowds. They all belonged to the same group. They all looked the part.
They were all invited. They all had lamps. On the outside, they were nearly identical, but only five were truly prepared.
The wise ones brought oil with them, enough for the weight. The foolish ones did not. Maybe they assumed they had time.
Maybe they thought they could borrow later. Maybe they were too distracted to take it seriously. But then the bridegroom was delayed.
Time passed. Night fell. They all grew tired.
They all fell asleep. And then at midnight, it happened. A sudden cry rang out.
Here's the bridegroom. Come out to meet him. All 10 women woke up.
All 10 scrambled to prepare their lamps. But only five had what they needed. Only five had oil.
The foolish ones turned, panicked, and asked the wise for help. But the wise knew this was something they couldn't share. Oil represents something personal.
It represents relationship, devotion, readiness, and no one else can prepare your heart for you. While the foolish were off trying to buy what they had neglected to bring, the bridegroom arrived. The doors were open to those who were ready, and then they were shut.
When the foolish returned, it was too late. They cried out, "Lord, Lord, open the door for us. " But the bridegroom replied with words that still break hearts today.
Truly, I don't know you. And Jesus ends the parable with a clear command. So stay alert because you don't know the day or the hour.
There are two kinds of people Jesus is describing. Not outsiders and insiders. Not believers and non-believers, but two kinds of believers.
Two kinds of hearts. One is wise. One is foolish.
The wise live with their eyes wide open. They aren't perfect, but they are present. They stay connected to the heart of God.
They spend time in his word. They pray not just to be heard, but to be changed. They recognize the times they're living in and walk with a sense of holy urgency.
They're not asleep to spiritual realities. They are awake, alive, and preparing for their king. But the foolish delay, they get distracted.
They think, "I'll get serious tomorrow. " They treat their walk with God like a spare tire, only useful in emergencies. They attend church, but remain unchanged.
They hear the truth, but don't let it take root. They don't recognize the season, and they don't prepare for the return. Dear friend, don't let that be you.
This is not the time to drift. Not the time to play games with God. Not the time to borrow oil from someone else's faith.
We are living in a world that is trembling. The spiritual atmosphere is charged. And Jesus is calling his people to wake up, to stay ready to fill their lamps now before the cry rings out.
Ask God for wisdom. Ask him to stir your heart again. Ask him to remove the things that make you sleepy or spiritually dull.
Ask him to help you care again, to love again. Let the Holy Spirit fill your life with fresh oil. Let him ignite something new in you.
Because only a real intimate relationship with Jesus can prepare you for the days ahead. These are not just dark times. They are holy times.
God is separating the wise from the foolish. And you have the choice to be awake or asleep, to be ready or not. So stay alert, stay in the word, stay in prayer, stay filled.
And when the midnight cry rings out, you'll be ready because the bridegroom is coming and his return will be glorious. Now let's take a moment to pray together. Lord Jesus, you are mighty beyond measure.
You are holy, full of righteousness and truth. You are the king above all kings and the name above every name. And you, Lord, are worthy of every breath, every song, every act of worship I could ever bring.
Thank you for loving me so deeply and so faithfully. Thank you for warning me. You saw what was coming.
You saw the darkness of this age. Lord, I don't want to be careless with that warning. I don't want to live distracted or half asleep while the world grows darker around me.
Please Jesus, help me to be like the wise virgins in the parable, alert, prepared, and filled with the oil of your presence. Don't let me be caught off guard when the midnight cry rings out. Give me wisdom, Lord.
A wisdom that comes from above, pure, peaceable, humble, and full of fruit. Give me discernment when I open your word. Help me not to read it as routine, but as life.
Let every page burn in my heart with truth that transforms me. Open my spiritual eyes to see what's really happening in the world. Not just what the headlines say, but what your spirit is revealing.
Teach me to walk in truth, rooted in love, never compromising, never drifting. Jesus, you said in Matthew 24:4, "See that no one leads you astray. " That was your very first instruction when speaking about the end times.
And Lord, I know that deception is everywhere. So many voices, so many opinions, so many claiming to speak for you, but not all of them lead me closer to your heart. So, Father, protect me from false teachers and empty words.
Help me not to be fooled by polished sermons or motivational messages that tickle my ears but starve my soul. Keep me from embracing a watered down gospel that makes me comfortable but doesn't make me holy. I don't want half-truths.
I want your full gospel. The one that confronts sin, calls me to repentance, and invites me into real daily surrender. In Matthew 24 11-14, you warned that many false prophets would rise and lead many astray.
That lawlessness would increase, that the love of many would grow cold. But you also gave a promise. Those who endure to the end will be saved, and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to the whole world before the end comes.
Lord, let me be among those who endure. Keep my heart soft in a world that tries to harden it. Don't let my love for you grow cold.
Don't let my passion flicker out. Instead, let it burn brighter. Even in a world that mocks my faith, even when truth feels costly.
Make me a person of love. Not love defined by culture, but love defined by you. Help me love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
And help me love others even when it's difficult, even when it means forgiving, letting go, or standing firm in grace and truth. As darkness increases, let my light shine brighter. Let my life point people to you, not just through my words, but through my example.
Keep me clean. Keep me faithful. Let the Holy Spirit fill me each day, giving me the power to say no to sin and yes to holiness.
Your word in Psalm 25 20 and 21 says, "Oh guard my soul and deliver me. Let me not be put to shame for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait for you.
" So Lord, preserve me in this hour. Help me live with integrity. Make me honest in a time of deceit.
Make me gentle in a time of rage. Make me faithful in a time of spiritual laziness. When temptation comes, and it will, be my strength.
Be the voice that whispers, "This is the way. Walk in it. Help me to walk away from what dishonors you.
Let me not be swept up by the pull of the crowd, but stay rooted in the quiet strength of your spirit. " In 1 Corinthians 10:13, you gave this beautiful promise. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.
God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.
Thank you for never letting temptation have the final say. Thank you for never abandoning me in the middle of my battles. Even when I feel weak, you are strong.
Even when I stumble, you lift me. Even when I'm surrounded by darkness, you shine light on the path before me. Please Jesus, keep my eyes fixed on you.
Help me not to fall asleep spiritually. Don't let me drift into apathy. Keep my spirit alert and my heart on fire.
Let me be like the five wise virgins, lamp burning, oil full, heart expectant. Because one day, and maybe sooner than I think, you will return. And when that day comes, when the sky splits and the trumpet sounds, I want to be ready.
I want to be found faithful, still trusting, still worshiping, still waiting with joy, still filled with your spirit and walking in your truth. So Lord, prepare me, shape me, clean me, fill me. Let my greatest joy not be in anything this world offers, but in knowing you deeply, personally, and daily.
I love you, Jesus. I long for your return, and I thank you for hearing my prayer. I pray all of this in the powerful and holy name of Jesus Christ.
Amen. If this prayer has touched your heart, please type amen as a sign of faith. I pray that every blessing in this prayer is now upon you in the name of Jesus.
And if you need a special prayer, feel free to let us know in the comments. We would be honored to pray for you. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
