Jesus, I now see that it isn’t just a matter of me barely passing this exam. Help me receive all Your training and provisions so I can produce a hundred times what was sown in me. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me (Mat 25:35-36).’ Give me power and principles to live this life with supernatural success.

Jesus, You are telling me through Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) to take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Help me do this, by accepting Your Bible as my only source of truth. If I read or hear anything that disagrees with it, train and empower me to reject it by using my sword and shield against it with great authority.

Jesus, help me be one where seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown (Mat 13:8). But, help me be one of those who produces a crop of a hundred times what was sown. As You go on with the parable of the sower sowing his seeds in his field, explain all the meaning of other seeds that fell on good soil. Since soil represents the condition of my heart, and since a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown represents the quality of the condition of my heart, do whatever work needs to be done to improve the quality of the condition of my heart. Since it is possible for me to have a good soil heart, but, to have areas where my soil isn’t all that great, show me where they are and empower me to give them up.

Jesus, since the first three illustrations of soil were people whose hearts were so contaminated with bad material that they failed to pass Your final exam, help me be totally free from that condition. Since the fourth soil represented the only people who had hearts that weren’t so contaminated that they failed, help me be in that category. But, since two of the good-soil Christians had contaminates, but also had enough good soil to pass the final exam, help me yield my heart before You so You can cleanse me from all contaminates. Since those contaminates kept them from producing a hundred...times what was sown, that meant they didn’t conduct their lives as well as other Christians did. Help me conduct my life in such a way that I am a hundred-times-what-was-sown Christian.

Jesus, teach me that no one can lay any foundation other than the One already laid, which is You, Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11). Help me be able to put all the meaning together as I go from an illustration of planting seeds in soil to one of building the structure of my life. Keep me clear on the fact that there is one aspect of my soil material or building material that isn’t optional. If You aren’t the major part of my life, the other material or deeds of my life will cause me to fail the final exam. If my soil or foundation isn’t made out of You, Jesus, then I will fail Your final exam. But, help me understand that there are some optional materials as I go about constructing the elements of my existence. Teach me that it all has to do with the paths, careers, jobs, relationships, deeds, and educational training for myself. Teach me that the sword of the Spirit is designed to keep ANYTHING from coming into the building material or soil material of my life that isn’t good for me.

Jesus, help me look at a special exam for God’s children that takes place after Your final exam. Help me understand that it has to do with what I build on my Jesus-foundation. And it has to do with what kind of contaminates I have in the soil of my heart as a Christian.

Jesus, teach me that if I build on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, my work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of my work (1 Cor 3:12-13).

Keep it clear in my mind and heart that the final exam I have been looking at decides WHERE I will spend eternity. I believe that You are training and empowering me to hear these words said to me: Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (Mat 25:34).” You have been spending a lot of time laying out all God’s provisions for helping me be one of these people.

Then You will say to those on Your left, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Mat 25:41).” You have been spending a lot of time laying out all God’s provisions for helping me NOT be one of these people. Now that You have empowered me to do what it takes to pass Your final exam, help me start WINNING as You prepare me for Your second exam that deals with my deeds as a Christian. Keep it clear in my heart and mind that once I pass Your final exam, I am in! That will never be an issue throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. I praise You for making that possible and real for me.

A hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown: Jesus, some people will go into God’s Kingdom who really applied themselves. Others will go in who just met the basic requirements. Some will make major sacrifices now so they will be greatly rewarded later in God’s Kingdom. Others will spend most of their time getting their rewards here on earth. Help me get ready for this second exam, that is only for Christians. It will establish what rewards I will receive in eternity. Show me that all my sacrifices, commitments, suffering, and being persecuted for Your sake will NOT go unrewarded.

Jesus, reveal to me that the important thing for me to notice is that gold, silver, and costly stones are not flammable, but, wood, hay, or straw are. As You take me through the reasons for why some Christians produce a hundred...times what was sown, while others produce sixty...times what was sown and still others produce thirty times what was sown, help me see how to live the very best for You. Help me do it in such a way that nothing I think, feel, say, or do will be flammable.

Jesus, teach me that if what I have built survives, I will receive my reward (1 Cor 3:14). Keep me aware that this only has to do with rewards AFTER I AM ALL READY ACCEPTED INTO GOD’S KINGDOM. As You take me into a look at what kind of thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds are made out of gold, silver, and costly stones, help me apply these truths to my life. And, as You help me examine which ones are made out of wood, hay, or straw, help me get rid of and stay rid of all such thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds that they represent.

Jesus, as You spend plenty of time on it next week, help my heart to be ready for those truths. Teach me how to use my shield and sword of the Spirit to keep myself producing nonflammable deeds. Jesus, if it [my building material] is burned up, I WILL suffer loss; I myself WILL be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor 3:15). Thank You Jesus for showing me a way to have a secure relationship with You; but, help me be a-hundred-times-what-was-sown producer.