“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.  A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep” (Matthew 8:23).

Jesus leads us even in the small things.  He leads to places we may not know, but He knows.  Let me ask you a question, “Does Jesus know when you are going to die?”  Of course.  Why then do you fear dying?  You will not change the moment; it is in the Lord’s hands.  Why do you fear anything but the LORD.  Nothing was going to happen to Jesus because it was not His time.

Lord, I do fear, but I know in faith that such fear is irrational.  It is not that I want to be callous or indifferent, but that I often do want to have faith such that I do not have that irrational fear.  I live thinking I have some power to do things, but all power is in Your hands.  Help all to look to You knowing that life and all elements that surround it are in Your hands.  I need help to be bold in faith and not live by the fear which comes from the wicked one.

Heavenly Father, You created all things, and You are my Creator.  I am to fear You above all things.  “All things” means all things.  But I do fear things.  Great storms come in my life and I become uncertain.  Guide me through this fear so that no matter what storm comes, I may live in the hope that You give.  Guide me today and each day You give in the grace Your Beloved Son purchased on the cross that I may come in prayer to Your throne of mercy.  Amen. 

“ Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:12-22).

Funerals are big business.  We want to celebrate the life of the one gone, even if they were not decent people in life.  It is much more understandable when they were decent people.  But this misses the point.  We are called to look to Jesus, and He is calling us to the eternity for which we are heading.  Yes, honor the dead, but do not let your focus remain there.  Be guided to live into the life to which you have been called.

Holy Spirit, you know how much my inner life conflicts with my life in this world.  It is not that You are calling me to go into seclusion, but that You are calling me to live a balanced life.  Guide me, Lord, so that I may always walk humbly with You.  Lead me to become the person I am being made to be by grace through faith.  Guide me to see that in You alone is my future.

Lord Jesus, You are not being harsh, but truthful.  Lead me according to Your goodness to live this day with my eyes always upon You.  No matter what I do, let it be with the heavenly kingdom in mind.  May my actions on this day be faithful.  Help me so that nothing gets in the way of me living faithfully with You.  Let me be obedient in doing what You give me to do.  Help me to always follow You.  Amen.

“And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

The truth is that this applies to all who walk with Jesus.  We may have a lovely earthly dwelling and our circumstances may be fine as far as this age goes, but there is always that unsettled feeling that we are not yet where we need to be.  The truth is that this world is not our home.  We were created to dwell with the Lord, knowing Him.  But sin has brought us to this place.  Let the unsettled part of You long for the Lord’s eternal presence.

Holy Spirit, You know me inside out.  You know where I am comfortable with things in this world that sometimes get in the way of me living by faith.  Help me to live out the faith You have given me, knowing that my true home is with You.  Do not let me settle into routine when there are things I need to be doing.  Guide me so that I may, now and always, walk with You, resting in Your goodness.

Lord Jesus, You had no place in this troubled world to rest.  Often, although my surroundings are peaceful, I too do not feel at rest.  Guide me according to Your goodness to live in the peace surpassing understanding which You give.  Help me to have that peace in my spirit most especially when chaos is all around me.  Direct me so that my eyes are always upon You and not taking comfort in things that are temporary.  Amen.

“Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.  A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (Matthew 8:18-19) .

How many times do we make a pledge and then go back on what we have just said?  The idea of intellectually acknowledging Jesus is not the same as to actually follow Him.  To follow Jesus means to go wherever He goes.  Yet, the truth is, we need to follow Jesus to wherever He will take us.  The Lord is Lord of all, and all things have their being in Him.  The question before each of us is truly a matter of life and death.

Lord, You know how weak I am and how I make quick decisions and then go back on them almost immediately.  I want to follow You, but You know how weak I am.  Guide me, Lord, so that I walk humbly with You always.  No matter where You take me, be the One who gently leads me along.  I want salvation, I just want it at no cost to me. But I know life does not work that way.  My struggle is between what I want and reality.

Lord Jesus, You have come revealing truth and life.  There is no true life apart from You.  Help me to be a willing follower, doing what You would have me do in order that I may learn how to be faithful in this call You have given me.  In Your goodness, be my guide.  In the Father’s will, take me where I need to go.  In all things, help me to look to You alone as the One who will save me.  Amen.

“This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases” (Matthew 8:17).

Our Lord took upon Himself the evil of this world on the cross.  He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf.  We are barely able to grasp this truth.  How can the perfect God take on such imperfection?  This is one of the mysteries of our age.  Scripture says that this is what He did.  Rejoice and be glad, for our Lord has done for us what we could not do for ourselves.  He understands the hardships of this world.

Lord, I know the pain in life that I have experienced.  To multiply that to all people of the whole world is more than I can understand.  Help me to step away from the place where I want to know these things into the place of faith where I trust You in all things.  Guide my new heart which You have put into me so that I live in accordance with what You know I need.  Lead me in the Father’s will.

Come, Holy Spirit, and kindle in me the desire of the Father’s heart that I would move beyond the infirmities of this world, seeking to do what is needed this day as You are directing me to act.  May my heart be ready this day to live according to Your direction.  The Word made flesh has made it possible for me to join in Your heavenly direction.  Guide me to fulfill this day what You know needs to be done.  Amen.

“That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick” (Matthew 8:16).

Our Lord is Lord of all.  Yes, even the demons are under His authority.  This exposes the lie of the devil.  Jesus is the One who has the power.  Yes, our Lord can heal, but that does not mean, in a worldly way, that He always will.  Does it fit within the will of the Father?  You and I do not know what needs to happen, but our Lord does.  Be directed by the Lord and do not attempt to direct Him.

Lord, You know that I often expect You to do what I want.  Help me to come to the place where, by faith, I trust You can do all things, but that You will do what is within the Father’s will.  Guide me to live by faith no matter the outcome of my expectations so that I may humbly walk with You and trust in all that You are doing.  You are the Master, and I am Your disciple.  Guide me in the way You guided the disciples while in Your earthly ministry.

Lord Jesus, You know the anxieties I have.  You know where I am led by my desires and where that desire contradicts what needs to happen.  Teach me to pray continuously for others while remaining humble to the truth that the Father’s will is going to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Help me to pray expectantly today, not for the outcome, but for Your action as a response to my prayers.  Amen.

“When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him” (Matthew 8:14).

All power belongs to our Lord.  From this world’s perspective, He physically heals whom He heals.  The Lord is not capricious.  Sinners want Him to do what they want Him to do.  He who knows all things is doing what is needed for the sake of all.  Do not let your faith be contingent upon what you see, know, or understand, but let it trust in the One who has all things in His hands.

Guide me away from the conditional faith I often encounter in this world, Lord.  So many accuse You of not being God because You do not do what they think You ought to do.  There has always been sickness in this age.  You heal some and not others.  You are still God.  Even if I were a leaper, dying in isolation, let me come through it like Job and never curse You for my circumstances.

Lord Jesus, You came into this world as an innocent child and when You left, it was the wickedness of this world piled upon Your shoulders.  You did not exempt Yourself from the pain of sin even though You were without sin.  Help me to follow You, taking up my cross and living as You are calling me to live.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You I have hope.  Lead me today to look to You alone as the One who most certainly can heal, but more importantly as the One who has healed my soul.  Amen.

“And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour” (Matthew 8:13).

Speaking with one who understood authority, Jesus did not need to go the centurion’s house.  Jesus did not need to do some of the things he did but did them for our sake.  If we had believed at the beginning, these instructions would already be in us.  But Jesus has come to save us, and so He walks alongside us.  “Let it be done according to Your faith” may be how He does it for all of us.

Lord, my level of trust wavers.  The centurion turned and went home.  He believed because He understood that Jesus had the power and that the petition was granted.  How often I waver, my faith weak and not believing.  Yet, You still love me, and Your grace is still there.  It is by that grace that I have this life which You have given.  Mature me in faith to believe Your promises.

Lord Jesus, kindle Your Holy Spirit in me to deepen the faith You have given me.  In those moments of doubt, guide me to understand that You have already done all that is needed.  You spoke all things into existence.  Of course, You can say the word and it is done.  Yet Lord, even if You leave me immature in faith, I will still praise You.  Help me according to the Father’s will.  Let me be content and filled with joy and faithfulness.  Amen.

“I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:11-12).

“I’ve gone to church my whole life, so there’s nothing to worry about.”  In contrast, “Those heathens who have that devil religion, they are all going to hell.”  Those who follow Jesus are saved by grace through faith.  You do not know what anyone else truly believes, so focus on what the Lord is telling you.  There are, in the end, only two positions, pretending you are a god, or standing in the love of God in Christ.

You know I want to believe, Lord, that I am a true follower, but You know the number of times I fail and set myself up as the center of everything.  Lord, I too often act in the way of the authorities of this world.  Sometimes, I’ve received horrific lessons from the so-called religious people around me.  Guide me, Lord, to look to You alone for guidance.  You have revealed truth and You have called me to look to You alone.

Lord Jesus, You are not being mean, nor angry when You tell us the truth.  You are just telling us the truth.  Guide me in the way of living the life You have given me so that I go as You lead to be rid of the constant desire to be the center.  I am not.  You are!  You need to go deep in me and rid me of all this hellish thinking so that I walk as a lamb of Your own redeeming.  Guide me by the Holy Spirit to walk with You alone.  Amen.

“When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith” (Matthew 8:10).

What is faith?  Is it not absolutely trusting without even fully understanding how or why?  Faith and authority go together.  Do you trust the Lord?  I mean, really, absolutely, trust the Lord?  We are called to trust Him above all things, including our circumstances, understanding, or ability to know.  Have faith in Jesus such that you trust Him at His word.  If He says He will do something, He will do it.  You may not see the result, but that does not matter. The Lord is absolutely trustworthy.

Lord, I want to trust, but too often I do not.  Life’s circumstances get in the way, and I let the circumstances dictate my level of trust.  Help me to have true faith, not to trust the things of this world but trusting You above all things.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You alone is my hope.  You are trustworthy.  You who spoke all things into existence will accomplish all that You have promised.

Holy Spirit, confront me in my lack of trust today.  Help me to see where I am not trusting.  Lead me away from trusting things of the world more than You.  Guide me in goodness to understand and live out the first commandment where I trust You above all things.  Lead me this day to live by the justifying faith You give by grace to do those things You give me to do.  May I be faithful to Your call this day.  Amen.