Day to day, mundane tasks often take up so much of my time and mental energy. One of the biggest stressors when my kids were all still at home was "What are we going to eat for dinner?" That one question would stump or overwhelmed me time after time. Many times I would just rotate through a handful of the same meals each week because coming up with something new was so hard. We live in a physical body, and because of that we are forced to think about physical things such as food, clothing, and shelter. Jesus knew that this would be a natural source of stress and worry, and He addressed these thoughts in Matthew 6:
Matthew 6:25-33
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink;
nor about your body, what you will put on.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is,
and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you,
O you of little faith?
One of our biggest battles is keeping our focus on eternal things. This is because we are human, and we have to focus on the physical realm each day to survive. Yes, someone has to cook dinner and your family has to eat! But God is always calling us to get our eyes off of the physical and focus on the eternal.
Matthew 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Jesus is telling us in these Scriptures to stop worrying (which is using our mental energy) about temporal things that will fade away, but to focus on seeking God's Kingdom and His righteousness. Then He says, "and all these things shall be added to you." Jesus promises to meet our needs when we seek His kingdom first.
Prayer Tip #23: Focus on the Eternal
This past week I was challenged by this quote:
"If God answered all of your prayers for the last two weeks,
would eternity be any different?"
That really challenged me to think about the things that I am regularly praying for. Have I fallen into the habit of praying for temporal things, instead of asking God for eternal impact? What bold prayers are missing in my prayer life? How can I shift my perspective so that I can see eternal needs around me? Author and Speaker Lee Strobel says it this way:
“Christian, if today Jesus said to you, ‘I’m going to answer every
single prayer you prayed last week.’ If he said that to you tonight,
would there be anybody new in the Kingdom of God tomorrow?
Are we praying fervently, consistently and expectantly for lost people?”
What if we took up the challenge to focus on the eternal? What if we truly started praying Kingdom prayers? What if we fervently prayed for Lost people to come to know Jesus? Who will be in heaven because you prayed for them? Who is far from God, that needs your prayers to come home to their loving Heavenly Father?
Take some time to pray through these prayer points:
Lord, I help me to seek Your Kingdom first.
Lord, I pray for ___________________ to come to faith in You.
Lord, I ask You to strengthen the faith of ______________________.
Lord, give me eyes to see the ways that I can impact eternity around me.
Lord, forgive me for obsessing over physical things that will fade away.
Father God,
I come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, and I humbly ask You to help me seek Your Kingdom first, and Your righteousness. I confess that I focus too intensely on the physical, and disregard the spiritual. Lord, I ask for You to stir the heart of my friends and loved ones that do not know You as their Savior. Please help them to come to know You in a real and personal way. I want my prayers to make an eternal impact for You.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
In Christ Alone,
Michelle Staubs
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