Originally written on October 10, 2023, a Testimony:  Matthew 7:21

God laid this on my heart just as I was reading scripture in Matthew 7. 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."

On a phone call today with a friend, she asked if she would receive eternal life.  Right when she asked me, God's Spirit confirmed, "yes."  

I've known this wonderful woman of God for the last 3 years.  She is a very faithful person, wife and mother.  She prays, reads the Bible daily, worships God, and tries to live as Godly as possible.  

Her husband, however, is not in the same boat. Perhaps this is familiar to you. Perhaps you are in a marriage where your spouse does not share the love of God as you do.  

If your spouse or significant other won't bend all you can do is pray for them. Clearly, man has a choice, and we can't force others to follow God's word.

Not everyone will enter heaven, nor will everyone receive eternal life.  

The Second Coming of Christ is the gateway for God to "make all things new." 

To receive eternal life and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you must change your ways.  You can start by taking these steps:

1. Profess your love for God & Christ; repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness and get baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at your local Christian church.
2. Pray 
3. Read the Bible. I recommend the same type of Bible that was passed to me; a Life Application Study Bible (NASB).
4. Treat others with kindness, love and respect.  
5. Do not judge anyone. 
6. Speak with love, truth and respect.
7. Develop an intimate relationship with God - talk/pray to Him daily, even if you can't discern thoughts, just know that deep down, that inner voice of reason IS the Holy Spirit if you have asked the Holy Spirit into your life.

Inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives can be done through various prayers that are deeply meaningful and widely recognized within Christian traditions. Here are a few examples of prayers that are often used to invite the Holy Spirit:

1. Traditional Prayer to the Holy Spirit

This prayer is a timeless and widely used invocation of the Holy Spirit:

"Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth."

2. Prayer of St. Augustine

St. Augustine's prayer is another profound invocation of the Holy Spirit:

"Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy."

3. Charismatic Prayer to the Holy Spirit

This prayer is often used in charismatic Christian traditions:

"Holy Spirit, I ask you to come into my heart. Fill me with your presence, your peace, and your power. Guide me, teach me, and lead me into all truth. Let your love and grace overflow in my life."

4. The Pentecost Sequence

Used particularly during Pentecost, this ancient hymn is a powerful plea for the Holy Spirit's presence:

"Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home shed a ray of light divine. Come, Father of the poor! Come, source of all our store! Come, within our bosoms shine."

It is never too late to invite the Holy Spirit into your life and to live a Godly life as intended.   

# # #