Father, Your creation has unlimited visual stimuli that is seen by our eyes today, but according to Scripture even our heart and our mind can see. Many philosophies and principles come to us through our mind, but we want the eyes of our heart to embrace only that which will keep our hearts pure, that sorts truth from error, good from bad. May the eyes of our heart reject teachings that are inconsistent with our spiritual enlightenment. Help us to sharpen and narrow our heart’s vision to escape the broad way that leads to destruction. Keep our eyes open to the good things You want to reveal and shut our eyes to the “god of this age” whose goal it is to lead us to spiritual poverty and death. In Your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Father, the greatest blessing in trusting You is the confidence we walk in as we look to You for everything that we have need of. Jeremiah draws the contrast of those who depend on humans for strength and have stopped trusting in You. They don’t know about the good things that You can give because they are unwilling to surrender their all to You. But we who have walked across the bridge of salvation chose to place our trust in You. We have found You to be faithful. In place of cringing fear we walk in confident faith because it is not in ourselves that we trust but in the Living God who is trustworthy in all areas of our lives. Now, we ask for grace to trust You even more. Amen.

Father, the world often bases a person’s success on his or her wealth, prestige, power, appearance, fame, youthfulness, education, etc. But we are often at conflict with the world since we are citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Obedience to Your Word, with its principles and commands, and the seeking of Your commendation will put us at odds with the view of a successful life here on earth. We don’t seek commendations from this world where our rewards gather dust, rust, break or lose prestige. Rather we follow after Jesus who grants to us the inheritance of the kingdom You have prepared from the foundation of the world. May that future promise bring great rejoicing with overflowing thankfulness from our hearts this day. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father, there is nothing we can do or say to merit salvation. It is a gift freely extended to all who believe because Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins. He washed our sin stained garments with the blood He shed on Calvary’s tree. Thank You, Father, for accepting Christ’s blood as a complete payment for our crimson stains allowing us to stand before You in garments white as snow. What a relief and unspeakable blessing it is to know that we have a place in heaven reserved for all eternity because of Jesus. It is in His name that we give You praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

Father, help us to have the kind of faith prescribed in Hebrews 11:1 where “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” It is the kind of faith that is triumphant in the worst of circumstances because our faith in Christ is the victory that overcomes the world. We will not be overcome by life’s circumstances but we will overcome life’s circumstances by the blood of the Lamb. If we fully forsake this world, if we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, and if we saturate our hearts in prayer, I believe we can experience a faith view of heaven that is nearly as real as a physical view of our home here on earth. Help us to pursue such a spiritual goal in Jesus’ name. Amen.