Dear Lord,

As this Holy Week begins, it reminds us of how hard it is sometimes to get our priorities straight. The Jewish people and Pharisees were busy looking for signs. Judas Iscariot had many faults. One was his failure to see beyond his greed and expectations. He and many others wanted an earthly Messiah, not a Savior. Mary seemed to have the right priorities. Father, sometimes we struggle to decide which one of several good things should take priority.
Help us Lord, this week, this season to do a better job of identifying priorities. Jesus reminds us to set heavenly priorities and give us the strength following through on them. “25 Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life. 26 Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them. ” John 12:25-26.
Jesus also reminds us not to let others define our priorities, “42 Many rulers believed in Jesus. However, they wouldn’t admit it publicly because the Pharisees would have thrown them out of the synagogue. 43 They were more concerned about what people thought of them than about what God thought of them.” Help us, Lord, mold us Lord into the people you want us to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.