Sometimes I can see myself distracted, even sitting on the narrow road, unable to walk.
Jesus says, Come follow Me.
Take your eyes off the circumstances, the annoyances that we all encounter, that are a part of this world.
Take your eyes off of those things that befuddle you
and keep your eyes on Christ, the author and the finisher of your faith. (from Hebrews 12:2)

Keeping us wrapped up in this world happens when our flesh gets distracted.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:16

Remember when the disciples kept falling asleep? The Lord Jesus said, Can you not watch with Me one hour?
And they fell asleep again. Jesus said, Watch and Pray.

And He cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter,
What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:40-41

Solomon’s heart turned against the Lord in the end.
Samson was vexed unto death.
The little foxes can cause a lot of damage. They chip away at what is good.
The instructions remain the same.
Don’t get distracted. Don’t let the little foxes, the unimportant things, destroy your purpose.
Watch and pray.

Scriptural References:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:
and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
1 Kings 11:4

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, 
so that his soul was vexed unto death;
Judges 16:16

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon His shoulder;
so He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:22

Have you ever had a door slam in your face, then afterward, you realized it was God?
Or have you ever had a door open and you realized it was God and God alone who opened that door?
Or, if you’re trying to leave somewhere, then you feel like you are stuck and the door just isn’t opening?

We really do not run our own lives. Once we have placed our lives in the hands of Him who doeth all tings well,
we are along for the ride. It’s a submission and a trusting of God whose will we honor.

Remember when Pilate was angry at Jesus for not speaking to him and he said,
I have power to release you and power to crucify you? Pilate was afraid of what was happening.

And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou?
But Jesus gave him no answer. 
Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest Thou not unto me?
knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above:
therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin. John 19:9-11

When God opens the door, no man can shut it. This was happening because God designed it to happen.
The door could not be closed there. Jesus had submitted His will to the Father.
Peter did not like the idea and wanted to stop it. Jesus rebuked him.

Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying,
Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. 
But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me:
for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Matthew 16:23

So when the doors are open, go through them and when they are closed, submit yourself to His will.
He has His ways and His ways are higher than our ways.
Always pray for wisdom. Jesus will guide you and help you to do His will.

The Prophetic Mirror of the Last Days from The Seven Visions Project Channel on YouTube

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

When you need wisdom or discernment:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him. James 1:5

How to get more faith:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

When you don’t know which way to go:

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Humility before the Word of God, just in case you need to wonder who is right, you or God:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

Always seek and pray the Lord’s will:

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. James 4:15
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

God’s word is powerful and accomplishes whatever He sends it forth to do:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

What if we sin?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

How to be wise:

And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee,
but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love Him,
and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, Deuteronomy 10:12
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

How to find confidence in the Lord. When we obey the Lord, we know we are in His will:

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11

God is His Word. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1

Keeping in mind that God’s word accomplishes what He sends it forth to do, pray God’s word.
Praying the Lord’s prayer is always a go-to and a good example.
It has all the elements of what God is looking for in prayer: forgiveness, blessing, honoring Jesus as Lord and more. It is how the Lord told His disciples to pray.
When you speak it and pray it, you are praying God’s word,
so needless to say, The Lord’s Prayer is His word going forth.

As you read the Bible, be mindful of different verses that stand out. Remember them, write them down.
Let His word fill your prayer life. There are many that can be applicable for various situations.

Here are some examples, but they are only samples that can be used. You will see many more as you read. Memorize them and know as you pray His word, He will accomplish what you ask if you ask according to His will.

What God spoke to Paul as he went forth to preach the gospel to the Gentiles:
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me. Acts 26:18
Sample Prayer:
Thank you Lord for opening their eyes and turning them from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified in faith that is in You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
This is a very powerful prayer for the unsaved.

Here is another: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Sample Prayer:
Thank You, Lord that when I confess my sins, you are faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34
Sample Prayer:
Thank you Lord that I should not be concerned with tomorrow, because tomorrow is not to be worried about now. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Sample Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that I can cast my cares upon You for you care for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Sample Prayer:
Help me Lord not to be concerned about anything, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let my requests be known unto You and Your peace, which passes all understanding will keep my heart and mind through Your Son Christ Jesus. in Jesus’ name, Amen.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.. Romans 10:17
Since that is the case, it makes sense that praying His word will also help us remember that He really does answer prayer and He is performing His word.

These are not formulas. They are to help us remember His word and the power that is behind His word. He is faithful to hear and will honor our prayers that we pray according to His will.

When we think we know it all, there is always more to know.
We can never rest on our laurels with God. Never.
What we know can have a different angle, a different perspective.
Maybe God will take the idea, smash it and give us a new revelation,
or maybe He will add to the knowledge He gave us by giving us a new idea,
something we never thought of that compliments or expands what He has already taught us.

Each word of God is alive. The Bible is not stagnant. A bible teacher I know is really good.
He has many revelations and thoughts and understandings of the word. His are not wrong.
Neither are those who see things from a different angle or perspective.
We learn great revelations from the Word of the Lord as we study it.
There are not any that are not worthy of consideration.
As long as they do not get twisted by deception,
or are not against the truth presented in whole word of God,
we can just keep sitting at His feet to learn more.

There is more than one way to look at mercy.
There was a mercy seat even on the Ark of the Covenant.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
In Lamentations, we read: His mercies are new every morning.
He teaches us the same idea in many different ways. God does that with everything.
There are no wrong answers, really. What He teaches us is fullness and life.
The richness of how God sees mercy will take many years to fully comprehend.

God is never boring. Those who think that do not know Him and may hear those most frightening words when they meet Him face to face: Depart from Me, I never knew you!

Learning God’s ways takes much humility and yielding.
We have our own ways of thinking that can get in the way of learning God’s ways.
That is where the yielding and humility comes in.

Scriptural References:

 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him,
then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat
that was upon the ark of testimony,
from between the two cherubims: and He spake unto him.
Numbers 7:89

If you notice confusion, chaos or disorder in the mix of any given situation, seek the Lord’s peace.
Find the Prince of Peace in the situation. See what He is doing, what He is blessing, where Hs is working.

Keep seeking Jesus and keep reading His word, keep looking for the way He brings peace.
Do not focus on the enemy’s deeds, look for where Jesus is calming the sea.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.
Isaiah 26:3

If you have noticed confusion, seek the Lord and His peace.
He will make things clear to you and give you peace.

Examples fill the scriptures.
David who at the shewbread when he was hungry.
Michal who was angry that David danced before the Lord.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego choosing not to bow to the god of the King even though it was law.
The list goes on and on.
God requires obedience, which is better than sacrifice.

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

This does not mean we should not obey God’s commands.
What it means is that we cannot always do so and God does not want us caught up in legalism.
He wants us to be free to serve Christ, to carry our cross
and to disobey man’s perceptions of what it means to follow Christ.

We have no excuses to not obey the word of God. We have no excuses to sin.
Sometimes, obedience to God might be different than our interpretation of scripture.
It is important to be listening to the Holy Spirit, which can be different from what we are taught by men.

King David was a triumphant King whose life was far from perfect. He fell and he failed God.
King Saul was the first king of Israel and he ended up turning his back on God.
And King Solomon, whose riches and wealth could not buy him favor with God,
and once he refused God and lost the fear of God, there was no room for repentance.
We also see the Prodigal son who squandered all that was given to him,
only to be reconciled to his father after repentance.
Then, we cannot forget the older brother who was always faithful to his father.
That good older brother did not understand
why his father would elevate the younger brother after he walked away.
His father and God taught him that he was always a part of his father,
and we realize in that generosity, we are a part of God.
God is always teaching us how to love, how to forgive, how to show mercy.
The parables and the real stories in the Bible show a part of God’s heart each time.

When Jesus reached out to those who were hurting, none deserved healing.
Jesus showed His mercy and His love and that He understood their suffering and heartache.
He who is without sin, cast the first stone. from John 8:7

Again and again, Jesus showed His love, His forgiveness, His kindness, His mercy and His grace.
He even showed that to Cain who had killed Abel, the very first murder, the very first blood that cried from the ground.

While God has been very disappointed with humans, He also knows how they think and why they think the way they think and why they do what they do. God still looks on the heart. He is not impressed with human righteousness and He is not bound by the sin of man. He came to set us free. He came to unbind us from this fallen world. Each story, each parable, each commandment is given to lead us and guide us and to help us become more like Him.

Is there a best parable? The answer to that is, depends on the situation. A fitting parable for this writing is the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the unlikely fellow who did all the right things before God, expecting nothing in return. Jesus thought of Him as the best and after the parable, so did the lawyer who sought Jesus’ application of the law.
In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus asked him:
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? v 36
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. v 37

A very good note to end on: Go thou and do likewise.

The subject came up at Sunday School today when the disciples asked the Lord,
Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? from Matthew 18:1

Will we ride a beautifully adorned horse? Where will we be seated at the table?
Where will our mansion be and what will it look like? Are some bigger, some smaller?
All thoughts of the flesh. Jesus does not want us focused on our own greatness.
He wants us focused on Him and what He is doing in our lives and the lives of others.

Jesus said this: Verily I say unto you,
Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11

When I saw that scripture, that puzzled me.
He said there is none greater than John the Baptist.
Then, He said, but the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
How can that be?
John the Baptist was not dead yet.
He was still in the earthly realm. He hadn’t been judged and allowed to enter Heaven yet.

We do know there are degrees in Heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:
but whosoever shall do and teach them,
the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19
There is such a thing as greatest and least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
We still are not to be concentrating on such things.
That is for a later time.
For now, consider yourself least and in God’s sight, you shall be great.