Read Matthew 14:1-36 and Hebrews 12:2

My eyes were fixed on the field. They were fixed on the scoreboard. I was at the 2016 World Series – Game 7 in Cleveland. This had never happened in Cleveland before. And I almost had to mortgage my house to get a ticket. It was a thrill and my eyes were fixed (focused) on the game for all 10 innings.

Peter had his eyes fixed on Jesus when he walked on water. In fact, that’s how he did it.

But guess what happened – Peter looked down and lost his focus and then he sunk. He lost his focus because of fear. Have you ever lost your focus because of fear?

“…Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  – Matthew 14:29-30

What does it mean to fix your eyes on Jesus?

Joel and Luke Smallbone are a Christian pop duo called FOR KING & COUNTRY. In the song “Fix My Eyes On You” the duo begins to address what it means to fix your eyes on Jesus:

“I’d love like I’m not scared,

Give when it’s not fair,

Live life for another,

Take time for a brother.

 Fight for the weak ones,

Speak out for freedom,

Find faith in the battle,

Stand tall but above it all,

Fix my eyes on you.”

The message from Matthew and the song is that I need to keep my eyes on Jesus in everything that I do. If I take my eyes off of Him, I will sink – in life.

Verse 23 shows how Jesus used solitude and praying before big events in His life and ministry. We can keep our eyes on Jesus if we do the same. We can ruthlessly work to have a quiet time in our day to pray and stay focused on God. Jesus sought solitude so He could pray.

“After he dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later, Jesus went with his disciples to Gethsemane garden, and he said to them, “’Sit here while I go over there and pray.’” –Matthew 26:36

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  – Mark 1:35

 “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  – Luke 5:16

We all need to seek solitude to pray as a way to keep our eyes fixed on the Light of the world.

What do you fix your eyes on? In what way do you need to improve in your prayer life?

Tom Weckesser