“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (KJV, Luke 9:23-24).
“And he said to them all”
Father, I pray that You will help me to hear Your voice today. I do not want to simply know what Your Word says, but I want You to speak to me. The Pharisees knew Your Word. The scribes knew Your Word, and even Satan knows Your Word. However, there is a significant difference between knowing Your Word and hearing Your voice.
Therefore, I pray that You will bless me with more of Your Spirit today. May the Spirit become greater, and may I become less. I pray with the Apostle Paul that You would give me the Spirit of illumination and strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being so that Christ would dwell in my heart by faith.
Jesus, I long to hear Your voice. You tell me that I am a sheep and that Your sheep hear Your voice and follow You. Unfortunately, sometimes I do not pay attention to Your voice as I ought. Please forgive me and help me to stay on the right path. I need your help as I am prone to wander like a straying sheep. I find that sin still resides in my heart, and I am far from being all You have called me to be.
I see in Your Word that the flesh profits nothing, but the Spirit gives life. Sometimes I trust in myself and my efforts to accomplish what only You can do. You must open my ears and heart so that I can hear and follow. However, You have given me Your Word and the privilege of prayer. Therefore, I must avail myself of these things and place myself on the pathway of Your grace.
“If any man will come after me”
Jesus, I desire to come after You. When You called Peter, John, Andrew, and James, they left all they had to follow You. When You called Matthew, he was sitting at his tax booth. His tax booth was his livelihood, but when You called, he dropped what he was doing, lost his job in the process, and followed You.
I know that Your Word tells me that if I follow You, my life will get harden. Nevertheless, when things get tough, I am often caught off guard and do not approach trials with a biblical mindset. Peter has told me that I must not think it is strange when trials come upon me. Instead, I must know that You are testing and refining me like silver and gold.
“let him deny himself”
To follow You, Jesus, I must learn to deny myself. This is possibly one of the most challenging elements I encounter in following You. I often have my own plans and agenda. I often have my own goals in life and things that I want to accomplish. Sometimes I can even feel You are getting in the way of those things. Please forgive me and help me to turn from my sinful thinking. Thank You for being patient with me and not giving up on me.
Jesus, I need Your help to deny myself. You did a remarkable job denying Yourself to live out the Father’s will. But I often fail and come up short. However, I want to live for You and pray that You will help me get better and be selfless. Teach me to look at the big picture and to have an eternal perspective. Give me wisdom to approach my circumstances with Your mind and eyes.
“and take up his cross daily”
Paul told me in the book of Galatians that through the law he died to the law so that he might live to You (Gal. 2:19). Then he told me that he was crucified with Christ and that he no longer lived, but Christ lived in him (Gal. 2:20). In Romans 6 Paul said that the believer is baptized into Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Thus, I am convinced that being crucified with Christ and dying with Jesus is a one-time act rather than a process.
However, here I read that I must take up my cross daily. Therefore, while I have been crucified with Christ, I must also embrace and live out that reality. Teach me to bear my cross better. So often, when You give me a cross, I want to give it back. The words of Elihu come speedily to me as I think upon what so often happens during my cross moments. Elihu told Job, “Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction” (Job 36:21). During my cross moments, help me bear the affliction and not choose to sin.
“and follow me”
Jesus, I want to follow You. I want to walk where You are going and be near Your side. You are good to me and worthy to be followed. Lead me like a faithful shepherd. Make me lay down in green pastures and lead me beside still waters. I pray that You would restore my soul this day and prepare a table for me. Please fill me with Your goodness as I open wide my mouth. Satisfy me with Your likeness as I seek Your face.
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it”
So often, I seek to save my life. So often, I take matters into my own hands and live contrary to Your will and plan for my life. Teach me to let go and lay hold of You. The rich young ruler sought to save his life. He inquired about eternity and how to inherit salvation. He believed he had been doing a lot of good. But in actuality, he was misguided. He was trusting in himself and not living by faith.
Nevertheless, You challenged him to sell all he had and give his proceeds to the poor. He would not let go of his riches to gain life. Instead, he sought to save his life but ultimately lost it. This life is passing away, and I must never assume that tomorrow is a sure thing. Jesus, You could return at any time. Father, I do not know the number of my days. Help me to lay my life down for You.
“but whosoever will lose his life for my sake”
Teach me to lose my life. I do not think that I have already obtained it or am already perfect, but I pray that You would help me to press on to make it my own because Jesus has made me His own. Please help me to forget what is behind me and press on toward what lies ahead. There is an upward calling that You have called me to. It is the upward call of Christ Jesus.
Sometimes I also believe I do not have what I need to live a godly life. But that is not true either, for Your Word has declared that I have everything I need for life and godliness. Through the work of Christ, I am a partaker of the divine nature. Therefore, help me never to forget the abiding presence of Christ and the help that He will bring me each day so that I may lose my life for Your sake.
“the same shall save it”
Finally, I will be rewarded when I truly lose my life. You tell me I will save my life when I lose it. You are a God of wonder and are mysterious in Your ways. You teach me to go against the grain and to live by faith and not by sight. You have promised that You will give me life when I lay down my life. Please help me to believe what seems odd to me. Help me understand that Your ways are not my ways and your thoughts are not mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.