Most Holy Lord, help me not allow my religion to become routine instead of real. As You once said to one of Your churches, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other. So, because You are lukewarm … neither hot nor cold … I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Lukewarm water is disgusting to drink and that’s how You are describing Your feelings about me being lukewarm … distasteful and repugnant. The term lukewarm applies to me when I cannot take a stand for the things You stand for. By neglecting what You ask of me, my heart becomes hardened and I become self-satisfied. I imagine there is nothing more disgusting to You than a half-hearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-reliant and self-sufficient. I can no longer allow myself to follow You in a half-hearted way. Instead, I must allow You to fire up my faith and help me become a doer of Your Word.
Some Believers falsely assume that their material possessions and their accomplishments are sufficient to help them through any situation they encounter. Help me never count on what I can see and can buy as becoming more valuable than what is unseen and eternal. Often my wealth and ease of life make me feel comfortable. But no matter how much I possess or what I’ve achieved, I really have nothing unless I have a real relationship with You. Instead of centering my life on my comfort and achievements, I must find true riches in You. Help me avoid enjoying earthly pleasures and not taking notice of Your efforts to take hold of my heart and mind. The pleasures of this world … money, security, position … can be dangerous because they make me indifferent to Your offer of lasting satisfaction. Becoming indifferent to my church, You or Your Word, are signs I’ve begun to shut You out of my life.
I do not want to claim to be close to You while becoming disobedient and going through the motions of maintaining a relationship. Sometimes I slip into routine patterns and neglect giving You the love and devotion You deserve. Thinking that You cannot see my actions and know my plans is becoming blind to reality. Your Word tells me that You examine me and know everything about me. When I am driven by fear and doubt, I tend to search everywhere for comfort, advice and relief hoping to find an easy way out of my situation. What I should be doing is consulting with You. Even when You allow tests and trials to come into my life, it is because You want me to follow You as my Guide. By reading Your Word and maintaining an active prayer life, I can find the strength and direction to always put me on the right path. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming alliances that are not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin.”