Opening Prayer

Loving God and Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus taught His Disciples what it meant to seek the Kingdom of Heaven. Help me not to live for this earthly kingdom that is broken and fading, and which cannot give me what only Your Son can give. Help me to enthrone Jesus in my heart today. Give me a sense of His Presence and help me to magnify His Name. Amen.

Scripture

Devotion

What does the ‘good life’ look like for you? Maybe it’s the achievement of career goals, harmony in certain relationships, financial freedom, meaningful accomplishments, enjoyable travel experiences, and so on. Jesus taught about the good life. But for Him, living the good life is not about career achievements or lifestyle management. He gave a beautiful picture of what it looked like to follow Him in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7.

As you look at this sermon more closely, you may found that it confronts your expectations. More than giving us a checklist of moral conduct, it asks us to do the seemingly impossible. Jesus says things like, if you’re angry with someone, you’ll be subject to judgement; if your eye causes you to lust, gouge it out; you must love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Jesus asks us to live a life that seems to exceed the capabilities of even the best people. He isn’t just concerned with outward righteousness, but inward righteousness; right behaviour and right character. In His Kingdom, there should be no-one asking, “How close can I get to sin without sinning?” In His Kingdom, motive matters as much as action.

Jesus describes a righteousness that’s only possible by means of a changed heart. As one author puts it, “The Sermon shows us what life should look like for a heart that has been melted and transformed by the Gospel of Grace, while also making clear the true nature of God’s Standards of Righteousness—high standards, which mean that our right standing with God is ultimately dependent on the Grace of the One who tells us of them.”

Intercessory Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, today we pray for ourselves in the area of personal temptation. We recognise that we are not immune to temptations and recognise the power of the world, the flesh and the devil. Help us to take the Authority of Christ’s Blood over these areas of our lives. Help us not to become arrogant in this area, but to recognise, Jesus the Messiah, that You alone know the history in these areas. Teach us the power of fleeing from temptation and not putting ourselves in positions where we are easily tempted. Help us to share with our Christian brothers and sisters or church leaders any particular struggles we may be having repeated difficulties with. We pray that through the Power of Your Spirit, we might become an overcomer. At the same time, please use us to help others to walk in the victory that Jesus won for us on the cross. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!