Overview of: MarkToday's Reading:
Mark 1:1 – 2:27
"Jesus and the Kingdom Mission"
Focus Verses: Mark 1:35-37
35 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. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
Insight:
The demands and distractions of life make it hard to have consistent and uninterrupted prayer times. Jesus made it his practice to pray early in the morning before most people were up. He also found a quiet and private place to pray.
Response and Action:
I will set aside time for prayer and find a place where I can be alone with God. If Jesus needed to commit himself to prayer, how much more do I!
O Lord, thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for the ways Jesus teaches me to pray and models commitment to prayer. Help me to make daily prayer a priority. Help me to be consistent and wholehearted in my prayers. Help me to find the right times and the right places for prayer. Amen.
Old Testament for Today: Psalm 5:1-3
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
In Context: Psalm 5
Proverb for Today: Prov. 3:5-6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Recommended Reading:
Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship With God
by Dallas Willard
