Imagine a boat not tied properly to a dock. The boat will drift away with the current of the water or the force of the wind because it was not anchored to stay still. Even in a calm, still environment, the boat will drift away. This is the picture that Hebrews 2:1 paints.
As humans, isn’t this true of our lives? We do not tend to naturally drift towards God. We actually tend to drift away from God because of our sinful nature. However, this is where our faith comes in. We are able to have faith because of knowing what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard,
lest we drift away.
Hebrews 2:1
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Matthew 6:33
Prayer Tip #11 - Remain steadfast in the faith
The Lord is never changing. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. If we are not close to the Lord, it is because we are the ones moving away from Him. Below is a visual of this. The dot represents the Lord while the dash represents us.
Us close to the Lord: ●- Us drifting away from the Lord: ● -→-→-→-
Jesus remains the same. He is not the one drifting back and forth, we are. When we are not in the Word, we are the ones drifting away. When we are not praying, we are the ones drifting away. When we are sinning, we are the ones drifting away.
One might ask, “How do we remain steadfast in the faith?” First, ask the Lord to help you not drift away from Him. Second, seek out friends to hold you accountable in drawing near to the Lord. Lastly, constantly be in remembrance of what the Lord has done! He has been so faithful in our lives time and time again. From my devotion the other day, I came across this statement, “Our hope in Christ is the anchor of our faith. Our salvation is dependent on Christ: we will not drift away when we are anchored in Him.” We have a living hope because of what was done on the cross, and His name is Jesus. He is the anchor of our faith. We cannot drift away from the Lord when our faith is anchored in Him. When a boat is properly anchored, it will not be moved by changes in the current or sudden gusts of wind.
Prayer Points - Pray over these requests:
Pray to remain steadfast in the faith.
Pray to drift towards the Lord and to not drift away.
Pray for the Lord to put people in your life to keep you accountable to remain close to Him.
Pray for a daily remembrance of what He has done in our lives.
Suggested Prayer - Pray these words in your heart or out loud:
Dear Lord,
Thank You for consistently remaining faithful in my life. You have been so good to me time and time again. Even when I am not spending time with You, You are there waiting for me to come home. Even when I am not talking with You, You are there with an open ear to listen. Even when I am sinning against You, You welcome me with arms open wide and tell me I am forgiven. Oh Lord, help me to have a love for You and Your Word. Help me to have a steadfast faith in You. Lord, put people in my life to help keep me accountable to remain close to You. Help me to drift towards You daily and be anchored in my faith! I love You, Lord!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.