Developing the Eyes of Faith – Step One
By Rick Warren
“Whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever!” (John 3:36 The Message).
Living for the glory of God will require a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else.
But first, you must invite Jesus into every room of your life. Your heart is like a house with many rooms. You’ve got a bedroom. You’ve got a kitchen. You’ve got a family room. You’ve got a workroom. You’ve got all these rooms for the different areas of your life.
Any room that is filled with worry and fear is a room you have not invited Jesus into. For instance, you may not have invited Jesus into the relationship room. Or you may not have invited him into the finance room. Or you may not have invited him into the bedroom or the workroom.
Wherever you are worried, it means Jesus isn’t in that room because when Jesus walks into a room, he fills it with peace. So your worries and your fears tell you the areas of your life that are not under the control of Jesus Christ.
This is important because Jesus says you must invite him into your life — into the rooms of your heart — in order to see life as it truly is, in order to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:36). To follow Jesus, we must decide whether we will live for ourselves or for God.
You may hesitate, wondering whether you will have strength to live for God. That’s another thing not to worry about. God will give you what you need if you will just make the choice to live for him. The Bible says, “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God” (2 Peter 1:3 The Message).
Honestly, right now is the time to decide this issue. Believe God loves you and made you for his purposes. Believe you were made to last forever. Believe that no matter what you’ve done, God wants to forgive you.
Receive Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior. Receive his forgiveness for your sins. Receive his Spirit, who will give you the power to see with the eyes of faith and to fulfill your life purpose. The Bible says, “Whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever!” (John 3:36 The Message).
I invite you to bow your head and quietly whisper a prayer that will change your eternity: “Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you.”
Prayer:
“Dear God, I’m scared, but I want to get to know you. I don’t understand it all, but I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you were with me even when I didn’t recognize it. I thank you that you are for me — that you didn’t send Jesus to condemn me but to save me.
“I admit I never even realized I needed a Savior, but today I want to receive the gift of your Son. I confess that I have sinned, doing things that you don’t want me to do. I thank you for sending Jesus to save me from my sins. I know he died for me and that his blood will cleanse me of my sins. I ask you to save me from my regrets and mistakes. I need you to take away the stress and fill me with your love. I need to be at peace with you, and I need you to put your peace in my heart.
“I want to know why you put me on this planet. And I want to fulfill what you made me to do. I want to learn to love you and trust you and have a relationship with you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.”
If you prayed that prayer, please write and tell me at Rick@PastorRick.com. I’d love to send you some materials as you begin your journey with Jesus.
If you still have questions and want to learn more about becoming a follower of Christ, watch this video: What does it mean to be saved?
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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Find courage to transform yourself and impact the world around you!
“Because of our faith in him we dare to have boldness, courage, and confidence in coming to God with freedom and without fear.” (Ephesians 3:12 AP)
Everything God does in your life, He does by His grace and through your faith. So if you want God to work through you to influence those around you, start by developing a deeper trust in Him!
Pastor Rick Warren shows you how in his Daring Faith Study Kit. As you explore the 6 faith-building sessions in this DVD Bible study, you’ll learn how to:
• Find the courage to leave your comfort zone
• Make a lasting difference in the lives of others
• Use generosity to change your life
• And more!
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This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.