December 12, 2021‭‭ - Matthew‬ ‭7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!”” Matthew 7:13-14 TPT

Lord, we ask that you always help us choose the narrow road. We would much rather take the road less traveled if it leads to you. Lord, this is something that is easy to say, but when it comes down to it, how often do we side with the popular opinion? How often do we just naturally go with the flow without even realizing what we are doing? Please open our eyes to these times. Make it so clear to us what we are doing. Holy Spirit, we ask that you make the path that leads to righteousness and God so obvious. Make us so uncomfortable taking the popular path even though it is the more “comfortable” path.

We want our lives to look different from the norm. We want to stand out as going against the flow. We want our lives to catch attention and make people ask questions. Again, something easy to say and harder to walk out. Lord, please help us be ok with standing out as different, if different looks like you. Lord, we want to always choose the path to you even if it is a difficult road, even if it takes us through the wilderness or the pain and suffering. Even if we are the only person around us taking that road, we choose to stand for righteousness. If our decisions make us look like a “goodie two shoes”, cause us to lose out on something, or bring persecution, we still choose the narrow path and all you have for us.

Show us how to stand strong for righteousness in a way that is loving to others around us that are not standing for righteousness. Show us how to be humble and not use our decisions to purposefully shame others. If needed, remind us that it is your job to convict and change others behavior. It is only our job to deal with our own behavior. But if you do want us to disciple someone else’s behavior, give us your heart for that person and guide us in that process. Let us help them down the road in the same loving manner you help us. We thank you for the love and patience that you extend to us.

In Jesus name, amen.