“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:” (Revelation 3:7)

he keys of the kingdom belong to the Lord.  He who promised to David that the scepter would not pass away has the keys, has opened the door for as many as believe and gives them the power to become children of God in the example of Christ.  We are to be conformed to Christ’s image.  The Lord of all has fulfilled His promise to David and will fulfill His promise to us.

Know who it is that is making this promise.  The Eternal One is speaking these words and each of us does well to pay attention.  Do not be deceived, fakers and those who inwardly mock the Lord will not walk through the door.  Be led by the Lord of all and walk humbly with Your God and Savior.  Know that in Him is life and liberty.  Apart from Him is death.  He will do as He has promised.

Lord Jesus, You have come to rescue me from the bondage of death upon my soul.  Help me hear Your word and apply it to my life.  Grant that I would live in Your power of becoming so that each day I may become a little more like You.  Guide me in Your goodness to see through the nonsense of this world and live the life You have granted me through grace.  Lead me Lord to wherever the open door You have opened takes me.  Amen.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:6).

The Lord must first heal you so that you may hear as He speaks.  Do you hear the Lord when He speaks?  He speaks through His word, in preaching and teaching, and through others.  He can use a donkey to speak His word, so He will even use pagans and unbelievers.  Do you hear the truth when it is spoken?  Listen as the Lord speaks to the churches.  He speaks to us all good instructions.

Lord, I am reading Your word and even though there are times when I do not understand, yet I know it is You who is speaking.  Lead me so that I listen and apply what You are saying to how I live.  Especially in the wilderness times, guide me to open my ears, even through the noise of this world, to hear Your still, gentle, and life-giving voice.  Attune my heart to know when Your Spirit speaks.

Lord Christ, Savior of all who will come to the Father, guide me in my hearing and in my actions.  No matter the source, when You speak, help me to hear and to understand.  You have set me upon the path of righteousness for Your sake.  Keep me upon the path of true faith to learn how to overcome that as I am with You now, I may remain forever.  Lead me Savior in the way of truth.  Amen.

“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5).

What does it mean to overcome?  We are to die to sin, death, and the devil.  The power belongs to God and we can do nothing on our own.  But, at just the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.  By grace we have been given the power to become like Christ. In the little power He gives us, we have the power to overcome.  What will you do with what you have been given?  He has given you His righteousness to walk abiding in Him.

The garment of Christ is His righteousness which He gives you vicariously.  Do you wear what He has given you?  Are you clothed in His righteousness?  Do you walk this life seeking Him and what He has given you?  If you confess Christ before others, He will confess you before the Father.  There is no more serious bargain into which you have been invited.  What will you do with this bargain?

Lord Jesus, take from me any idea that I can do this on my own.  I cannot.  Help me to understand that I am wearing Your righteousness in order to be conformed to You.  Guide me in all goodness to overcome the obstacles that come day by day so that I may persevere.  Let my life be a confession of You and the grace which You give so that in this faith You have given me I may live in You now and forever.  Amen.

“But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4).

Put on Christ.  Put on His robe of righteousness.  This is grace.  There are those who soil the grace of Christ by continuing to live as if grace is all that is needed.  On the one hand, it is.  On the other, grace is not a salve to be applied, but runs deep to kill the old Adam and raise up the new person who will become like Christ.  Live then into the new life He gives and repent of soiling the robe of righteousness that you have been given.

Lord, I do become arrogant about the faith You have given me.  I live as though my behavior does not matter.  My behavior reflects who I truly am.  Lead me away from this world of rebellion to have a heart that longs after You.  Help me to not need being cleaned up so much as direction on how You would have me proceed.  In Your goodness and by Your mercy, guide me into the life You have promised.

Lord Jesus, I often do not know where to begin.  You have cleaned me up with Your grace.  Now help me to walk the path of righteousness for Your sake.  Lead me today so that I live the life You have given me.  Keep me from those temptations where I sill give You up for something worthless.  Help me now and always to keep my eyes upon You, following You wherever You lead.  Amen.

“So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you” (Revelation 3:3).

Listen carefully to Jesus.  He says, “Repent.”  That means turn from whatever it is that has distracted you and go back to what you first received from Him.  Jesus expects you to repent.  We do fight against the old Adam.  We are asleep.  Often, we do not know what we are doing.  Pride tells us all is well.  The truth tells us to repent and come to Him.  The day will come when the time of choosing how to live will be over.

Lord, I am guilty of not taking my faith as serious as I ought.  Help me to live into the life to which You have called me through Your grace.  Guide me in Your goodness so that I live according to all that You have promised.  In Your goodness, remind me daily of what I have received.  I need Your grace to continue the process of repenting.  Help me to look forward to the day when You return.

Lord Jesus, You are my help and You keep me on the path toward righteousness.  Lead me today dear Lord and search my heart to find those places where I need to repent.  Guide me so that I may now and always walk the path Your promise has set me upon.  Help me to not be anxious, but also to look toward the day when I will see You face to face.  My life is in Your hands.  Guide me by Your Holy Spirit now and always.  Amen.

“Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God” (Revelation 3:2).

Do not settle.  Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought.  Be led by the Holy Spirit and not by the spirit of this age.  The Lord has a reason for everything.  It is not that you have an assignment to complete, as some may think.  It is that the Lord is perfecting us and you and I need to be on His time-table.  Do not let the life He has poured into you die.  Do not stop walking the path He has set before you.

Lord, I do not know, but it seems as though many just go through the motions and stop actually progressing.  I know I sometimes do this.  This life is filled with multiple lessons.  Our culture  has become lazy.  Make enough, retire, and have fun.  But living is living in You, the Giver of life.  Help me to realize this so that I continue on the path You have placed before me.  Guide me in Your goodness, grace, and mercy to do these things.

Lord Jesus, You make possible my ability to walk the path You have set before me.  Guide me by Your grace to, step by step, walk the journey You know I must walk, doing what You give me to do even if that means being still and waiting upon You.  Do not let the life You have poured into me die.  I know You are at work in me.  Let me work through my salvation with fear and trembling knowing that You will not stop until I am complete.  Amen.

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1).

The Lord knows where He is taking His church.  He created us and died so that we might become like Christ.  Do you think you are finished?  Do you think you have no more work?  Many seem to think so, but it is not true.  Jesus said, “Be perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”  Are you complete?  When you are looking Jesus in the eye, you can ask Him.  Until then, there is work to be done.

Lord, I do get lazy and settle for what is not yet complete.  Help me dear Lord to not settle, but to continue to fight the good fight and run the race.  Help me to discover true life so that I may grow in Your likeness and journey the path before me in Your light.  Night is coming when no man can work.  Let me not waste time on things that do not matter, but stay alert, watching and growing.

Lord Jesus, help me to not resist what You are saying to the churches.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that only in You, by Your grace, and with Your help can I do these things.  Until You say I am complete, guide me to run the race of faith with perseverance and do what You give me to do.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way You know I need to go and help me hold fast to You and Your promise.  Amen.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:29).

I have known deaf people who hear more clearly that those we call hearing.  Our Lord desires that we grow in wisdom and understanding.  Open your heart and let the word of our Lord dwell in you.  The world’s spirit is screaming.  The gracious voice of the Spirit is always speaking.  Listen, hear, and walk by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Be led by the Lord and not by this world.

The world raises up causes.  Which cause will be your cause?  The author of life gives life and calls us to come to Him and live with and in Him.  Which path will you walk?  Each day this dichotomy is set before us.  Each day we can walk one way or another.  The Lord desires to create in us a new and clean heart that hears the Spirit and walks anew in the truth of the ages.

Lord Jesus, I cannot do this on my own.  I need Your Spirit to guide me in and through all things.  Help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and callous to the voice of this age.  Lead me where You will and help me to always be attune to Your guidance and direction.  You have spoken and You are speaking.  Guide me in the upward heavenly call to be with You where, with the Father and the Holy Spirit You reign now and forever.  Amen.

He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star” (Revelation 3:26-28).

What is it that God is creating?  We shall see.  What are all of these promises given to those who endure?  We shall see.  Who is it that is making these promises?  The One through whom all things have their being.  What is the bottom line?  Trust the Lord and be guided by your Maker.  You are the clay and He is the potter.  He will do what He will do.  Will you praise the Lord of all creation?

Lord, my heart needs eyes to see and ears to hear.  This world is in such a fog and so full of noise that each day seems no different that any other.  Through this, You have come giving the Good News of the Gospel.  Help me to cling to You and flee from all of the foolish doubts of this age.  Let me abide in Your goodness and mercy so that You may richly abide in me.  Lead me where You will and for Your sake.

Lord Jesus, all authority has been granted You.  This world operates as if it had authority and power.  Only in You is there hope, for all authority and power belong to You.  Guide me Lord knowing these things so that I do not strive for what is not mine, nor never will be.  Teach me how to be obedient in all things.  Lead me in Your goodness to see through the fog of this age and learn how to hold fast to the hope You give me.  Amen.

“Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come” (Revelation 2:25).

Many times in Scripture it tells us to hold fast, stand firm, or be unmoved by the things of this world.  We are not to be reactive, but know that the Lord of all creation knows exactly how things are going to turn out in every situation.  Replace every moment of doubt when you say, “Where are You Lord,” with,” “Lord, you are the ever-present support in time of need.”  The Lord is faithful.

Lord, I need to learn how to be faithful as You are faithful.  So much of what I call my faith is so conditional.  Guide me to learn from You how to endure all things for the sake of the unshakable hope You have given me by grace through faith.  Lead me so that I may walk this life in faith and live according to all the You have promised.  In You is all hope.  Teach me to hold fast always.

Lord Jesus, You marched intentionally to the cross in order to free us from sin and death.  Guide me in the way of grace that You have established so that I may truly stand firm and hold fast to Your never-changing word of truth.  Lead me this day and grow me to be more like You.  Implant in me faithfulness and a stalwart spirit that is unbending no matter what hot wind of this age is blowing.  Amen.