April 20, 2024 - 1 John 2:15-17

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Lord, our world has so many mindsets that we hear every day that seem so normal to us. Things like, what should be important to us. What we should strive to obtain. How we should live. What we need to value. Who we should like and who we shouldn’t. What is appropriate to believe and what isn’t. The list goes on and on. Lord, we don’t want to get sucked into the world’s way of thinking. But it has infiltrated everything around us including other believers. Unless we are very vigilant to not think like the world, we will do it naturally. Please open our eyes to the thought patterns in us that reflect the world’s ways and not your ways. As we read your Word, let your truth jump out at us so clearly. Help us realign our thinking to glorify you when needed, even if it means standing out and attracting opposition.

Help us learn to hate allowing the world’s way to dictate our lives and learn to love walking in your ways in all we do. Create in us a heavenly mindset that is focused on what will really matter for all eternity and not the things that will pass away in this life. Help us align our priorities with your priorities for our lives. We want to crave living our lives to draw closer to you and bring you glory. We want to do all we can to see your dreams fulfilled here on earth. Help us live in a way that we can hear you say that our lives here on earth were pleasing to you.

In Jesus name, amen.