“For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him” (Matthew 21:32).

Those who believe will not perish.  There are people who have gone to church their whole lives, but they do not truly believe.  It never has been only about behavior, but many make it about works.  Yes, to obey is better than sacrifice, but you first need to believe in the One whom you say is Lord, and both work and obey.  To not do this makes what you do in the name of faith nonsense.  Sadly, it seems as though there are many hypocrites in our world.

Lord, You have opened for us the way of righteousness.  It is not some fancy ritual or elusive path.  It is You who leads us in the way and truth of everlasting life.  The world looks at the outside, but You look on the inside.  The world pushes for us to conform to its ideas, but You call us to conform to You.  Those who are more honest about these things know they are searching because they are dissatisfied with how life is being lived.

Lord Jesus, You know that I fight against the demons who plague each of us.  You know that I am not comfortable in this world.  You know.  Lead me on the upward path to live a life that believes all that You have spoken is real and true.  Guide me to live into the hope and promise that You give.  Through all that comes my way Lord, help me to look to You and actually do what You instruct.  Help me overcome my unbelief to live in true faith.  Amen.

“And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:30-31).

There are those who live by pretense.  They say they will and never do, but they put on a show as if they were faithful to their obligations.  There have always been these kinds of people.  People who regularly go to church, but do not live with Jesus as the source of their daily living.  Do not be one of these.  Faithfulness is about being faithful to what you believe.  If you believe that Jesus is Lord – and He is – than live with Jesus as your Lord.

Grant, O Lord, that I would be rid of all of the pretense in my life.  Lead me out of the pit of this world’s deceptions to live into the life You grant by grace.  Guide me to the place where my yes is yes and my no is no.  With You who knows all things, I may lie to myself, but You know all truth.  Help me to walk in truth.  Keep me from deceiving myself or trying to deceive others.

Lord Jesus, You have come to save me not only from death and the devil, but from the sins that are within me.  Teach me how to live the ‘yes’ of faith.  Guide me in the upward call You have given me.  Help me to follow through with all You give me to do.  Through all things, may I be found living the life You have given me.  Inspire me to willingly follow where You lead.  Amen.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’  But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went” (Matthew 21:28).

Each of us has opportunity to live under the authority of the Lord.  We either will or we will not.  Some do so sooner and others later.  Some, no matter what they say, will not at all.  The point is that it is better to obey.  Will the knowledge of the Lord be the truth by which you live? Later is better than not at all.  Do not live by regrets, but let regrets move you from where You are to where you need to be.

Lord, I am often confused, and I am not sure in which direction to turn.  Help me to live into the life You have offered me. Lead me to the place where I look to follow You where You lead.  Where I have not felt like it, help me to not be governed by my feelings, but led by the truth of Your word.  Grant that I would begin to understand Your justice and practice what You teach me.

Thank You Lord Jesus for graciously dealing with all of us.  You meet each of us where we are but do not leave us there.  Guide me in the light of truth You have revealed to not be guided by my feelings, but by You who is the author and finisher of my faith.  Lead me in Your goodness to live out this life of faith which You have given me, doing what You give me to do.  Help me on each step of the way and save me from indifference.  Amen.

“And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things” (Matthew 21:27).

Do not put the Lord to the test.  He is under no obligation to answer your questions.  Our Lord is gracious and kind but does not owe us anything.  There are many things we do not know and many things we do not need to know.  Be guided by the goodness of the Lord and humbly walk in the way He will lead you.  All authority is from the Lord.  Walk under His authority.

Lord, this age does not respect authority.  Many assume authority but forget that we live because the You have given us life.  You are the source of all life. You are above all.  Starting from that simple understanding, we can know that everyone else has a lesser authority because You grant it.  For a time, in this age, there are those who abuse it; but that does not mean that ultimately it is still not Yours.

Lord Jesus, I see what You said as clever, but You were just telling the truth.  Many are unable to comprehend the truth.  Guide me, Lord, so that I understand that all things are in Your hands.  Lead me in this understanding always so that I humbly walk under Your authority.  Help me to look to You, the author and source of life, for all things.  Help me not to ask questions so much as live out the answers You have already given.  Amen.

“The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’  But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet” (Matthew 21:25).

The way of the world seems to always fall into the ultimate trap of believing either partial truth or perpetrated lies.  But for the wicked, there is a prejudice against the truth.  This is reinforced by peer pressure.  Fear drives in this age, but we are to fear God above all other things.  Do not fall for the trap of one-or-the-other but seek truth.  Truth is Jesus who has come to lead us into all truth.

Lord, it is no different in our time.  The talking heads waffle between two positions.  Fear of the crowds drive many in our day.  It has affected me.  Lead me to be the person You are making me to be.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy so that I may humbly hold fast to the truths which You have spoken.  Lord, You have given me hope and a future.  Help me learn how to live by hope toward the future which is in You.

Lord Jesus, You have descended from heaven so that where You are I may also be.  You have immersed me in Your love and called for me to always follow You.  You have told me that I would suffer in this world because of it.  Help me to follow You all the days of my life and to walk in humble obedience through every situation I encounter.  Guide me, Lord, in the way You know I need to go.  Amen.

“But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things” (Matthew 21:24).

Jesus was never tricked by snares of the wicked.  If we look to the Lord and listen to His counsel, we can avoid being tricked by those who are always setting traps.  We do not need to figure everything out, but we do need to stand firm against untruth.  This age is filled with the deceived and deceivers.  Jesus humbly speaks truth.  He loves us and will not stop until those called believe are in His love.

Lord, I do not like contention, but the world is contentious.  Help me to learn how to be humble but stand firm against the wicked who seek to deceive.  Let me stand up against constant questions and hold fast to the truth You have revealed.  Guide me, Lord, in the way to think and act so that when confronted, I know how to respond.  Teach me how to answer questions as You did.

Lord Jesus, You have questioned me.  Help me to answer Your questions with my life.  Take me out of the way this world thinks so that I may learn to think as You created me to think.  Guide me so that I humbly walk the path You have set before me.  Through all things, teach me how to be aware and alert.  Lord, You have given me the words of eternal life.  Help me to live them now and always.  Amen.

“When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)

We do not seem to be concerned with this question anymore.  “By what authority?”  Our culture reinforces that we are an authority unto ourselves.  I think this way and so it must be.  But Jesus was doing things with power and authority, and they were asking, “by what authority is this done?”  The truth is, by the only power there really is, the authority of God.  We pretend we have power, but God Almighty has all power and authority.

Lord, teach me what authority means.  Help me to respect authority.  All authority comes from You.  You are the source of all power.  Lead me away from this world’s self-centeredness and into the light of truth which is You.  Help me to stop questioning truth and to learn how to question all of the lies of this age.  Lead me ever more deeply into the truth of who You are and the authority in which You say and do things.

Lord Jesus, You were constantly questioned and confronted.  Help me to be unmoving in the questions and confrontations against my faith that happen in this world.  Help me to stand firm in faith knowing that all things are truly in Your hands.  Guide me, Lord, to live under Your authority.  Teach me to respect all authority knowing that it comes from You.  Teach me how to live under Your authority.  Amen.

“Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.  And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all” (Matthew 21:20-22).

The author and finisher of our faith is more than able to either wither us like the fig tree or make us able to do what He commands.  Our doubts and fears get in the way, but the One who commanded each star to stay its course will make of us what He will.  Do not tarry but look to the One who is the author of your faith and be led by Him.  He will make of You what He will, but you and I have our part in willingly receiving what He gives.

Lord, I look at these things and I think in terms of human limitations and not in terms of who You are.  Take me out of myself to be willing to receive whatever You give me.  Guide me in Your goodness so that I speak what You would have me speak and do what You would have me do.  Through all things, let me never forget that You are the One through whom all things have their being.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for not letting me rest in my own reasoning.  Help me to see Your hand upon all things and know that the Father will work all things together for good according to Your Holy and Triune purpose.  Help me to be amazed by Your love and expect that You will do good things through and around me.  Help me to keep my eyes upon You and what You are doing.  Amen.

“Now in the early morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.  And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered” (Matthew 21:18-19).

The lesson here is not the disappointment of Jesus, but the reality that a tree which does not do what it was created to do and does not serve a purpose.  We were created, and have the opportunity to become children of God.  If we will not bear fruit befitting the kingdom of God, what good are we?  This world is filled with self-centered people who act as though they are the center of all things.  It is not about you or me, but about the One who calls us to Himself.

Lord, there are many lessons You teach about how we are to live into the new life You give by grace.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to humbly submit to the life You are calling me to live.  Let me grow in You, and in that growing, bear the fruit that You will call me to bear.  Where I am unwilling, remove my unwillingness.  Where I need pruning, help me to be willing to be pruned.

Lord Jesus, with many parables You have called me to be intentional about the life You have given me by grace through faith.  Guide me to live this life no matter what it takes.  Help me to understand that I must be about the business of being what I proclaim when I say I am Christian.  It is about You and what You are doing in me.  Help me to focus upon You in thought, word, and deed.  Amen.

“And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there” (Matthew 21:17).

Even Jesus did retreats.  There are times when we just need to get away.  Some never get away and some never join.  Do not take either of these roads but seek balance in your life.  Let the Lord lead you, whether in work and at rest.  The Lord will bring balance to our lives if we follow Him.

Lord, help me to understand that I need You to lead me in every aspect of my life.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy so that I willingly work or rest according to what You give me to do.  Help me in all circumstances to become a person who is constantly in prayer.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, in the way You know I need to go in order to live the life You are creating in me, in a way that is pleasing to the Father.

Holy Spirit, do not let me make excuses, nor go away from where You are leading me.  Let me not think only in terms of all that I need to do, but instead, take time for prayer and meditation.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life.  Help me through all circumstances to work or rest as You direct me.  Help me to spend every day and night with You guiding me in all things.  Amen.