Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Jesus taught about what it meant to be a Disciple, which is a person who follows Christ. The Passage of Scripture noted above consists of four parts or phrases. Today, we will look at the first phrase.
If anyone desires to come after Me, Jesus made it clear that to be a Disciple is a desire. God will never force anyone to be saved, born again, or follow Him. This is something that each person must decide to do. We choose every day whether or not we desire to be a Disciple of Christ.
Make it a matter of prayer to ask the Lord for a greater desire to follow after Jesus. He wants us to be His Disciples, and He will grant us this request when it is made sincerely from the heart. We can (and should) also pray for others to have a greater desire to follow Christ.
Our walk with the Lord all begins with a desire NOT to lead, but to be led. Jesus began this sentence with the words, If anyone desires to come after Me, Jesus does not chase anyone. He wants us to come after Him; follow Him; listen to Him; learn from Him; trust Him; lean on Him, and understand our authority over the enemy through our faith in Him.
When Jesus called His Disciples, He said, Come, follow me. His Words have not changed to this day. He still wants us to follow after Him, seek Him with all our hearts, and be His Disciples.
Anyone who wants to have a closer relationship with God must have a strong desire to do so. We cannot simply go to church once a week and say, “Okay, God. I’m here. Now what are you going to do for me?” This is a slap in the face to God, who sent His Only Son to suffer and die a horrible death on the Cross for us. He did this out of His great love for us. Once we REALLY understand what God did and how much Jesus suffered on our behalf, I don’t understand how anyone could not have a strong desire to follow after Him.
In your time with the Lord today, ask Him for a greater desire to come after Him. He will grant you this request. Then tomorrow, ask for an even greater desire. Every day seek after Him with a greater desire than you had yesterday. This is a prayer God will never say no to.
Having an ever-growing desire to follow Him will turn the tide in your life completely. He won’t chase you. He wants you to come after Him.
Following after Jesus.........turn the tide
Desiring more every day, Doreen
