“And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
–Matthew 16:19 (NLT)

When I was in college, I lived for a short time with six other guys. While I saved on the rent that way, my living situation was nothing short of a zoo. I don’t remember a lot, because everyone was in their own little worlds. But one thing stuck out. I would sometimes leave the house without my keys, and then find myself looking for some other way to get in.

Isn’t that what we do in our Christian lives? Jesus said that He gave us the keys, or authority, to the kingdom. In another place He told us that He is the door to the Kingdom of eaven. But that authority often goes untapped, because the door remains locked.

Two main keys that unlock God’s power are His Word–the Bible–and fervent prayer. First we will take a look at how the Word is crucial to our spiritual development, and in order to see this, we can study Satan’s confrontation with Jesus in Matthew Chapter 4.

Jesus was tempted by physical appetite, sensationalistic PR, and the idea of obtaining kingdoms without going to the cross. Since Jesus was the living Word and He was without sin, He overcame these temptations by quoting the written Word.

Jesus declared Himself to be the bread of life. Unfortunately, most of us who call ourselves Christians don’t filter our lives through God’s Word. We think more about physical bread than we do the bread of life. Therefore, we the church are weak and ineffective in many quarters.

There are three main ways to personally fight this weakness. When we are tempted, we need to quote the Word. When we are facing problems, we need to search the Word. Finally, throughout our days we need to meditate on the Word.

In other words, God’s Word is a protective shield, but it is also sharper than any two-edged sword. Most of us are like Peter, who cut off the servant Malchus’s ear with a sword. In the same way, we lash out with the sword of the Spirit, without any direction from God. We can do real dammage if we act without God’s direction, for His Word is a very important key to His kingdom.

The Bible is filled with our Lord’s messages of hope and faith. While some of these messages are difficult to understand, God’s constant love permeates all of them. You may sometimes have trouble reading certain passages in God’s Word, but I encourage you to keep studying and learning all you can about His kingdom.

As you obey God, you will understand His Word more and more. I can tell you from personal experience that during times of trial, you will see what a loving friend he is. As you grow closer to God, He will begin to open your eyes and teach you the meaning of His messages.

Once you’ve made a good friend in God, you’ll want to start talking to Him as you go through each day. Prayer is another crucial key to God’s kingdom. It is our line of communication with God, and that line is always open to people who desire to follow and obey Him.

The Lord loves you more than you can imagine, and He truly wants to hear about every joyful day and distressing moment in your life. Nothing is too big for God to handle, or too small for Him to notice. So don’t be afraid to tell Him anything at all.

By the way, don’t think you have to speak to God formally, or say sensational or long-winded prayers. God wants to be a friend and father to you, so talk to Him as you would any close friend.
Most of us treat God like an all-powerful genie, and only cry out to Him in times of need. While God has promised to answer all of our prayers, some of those answers may not be what we expect. Prayer is not primarily a way to get your requests. It is mainly a way for God to change you.

Did you always get what you asked for on Christmas as a child? Like a loving parent, God sometimes has to say no and withhold something you want. God can see the whole picture of your life, so He knows what is best for you.

Sometimes, God has to correct or test you, but He does this out of love for you. If your child wanted to cross the street while a car was coming, I hope you would stop them. “How absurd!” you say, “Of course I would.” Well, that’s the way our loving God treats us. We often want to cross the street at the wrong time, and the God of the universe has to stop us before we get hurt.

Using these two keys of God’s kingdom will help us all follow Christ more closely. As our day-to-day lives go by, God will transform us into His perfect image. I hope you will pray and study God’s Word often. If you don’t know about Him yet, this applies to you as well. Do some reading about Jesus in the Bible, and then prayerfully ask Him to forgive your sins and start transforming you from the inside out.

There’s one more key to God’s kingdom, and that is the act of serving others. Join us next week to learn more about this final key of God’s kingdom!

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Monday night Bible study or Tuesday night prayer meeting. Both are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-775-7031, and our ID is 607518748. We hope to talk with you soon!

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.