Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

March 19
Mark 7

Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.

INSIGHT

Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.

Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.

The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.

PRAYER

· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:

But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:14-16).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).

· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalm 32:.

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6). 

[Judy Harder]

March 20
Mark 8

Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.

INSIGHT

After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.

"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.

Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!

PRAYER

· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).

· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands
(Psalm 90:17). 

[Judy Harder]

March 21
Mark 9

Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.

INSIGHT

The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!

PRAYER

· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

[Judy Harder]

March 22
Luke 10

Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.

INSIGHT

The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when

· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself;
· and we have the ability to meet the need.

PRAYER

· We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).

· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).

· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
· reformation in America and the world at large,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:

Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14). 

[Judy Harder]

Quiet Walk

March 23
Luke 15

Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.

INSIGHT

Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home.

As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.

PRAYER

· Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods
(Psalm 95:1-3).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministry of other churches around the nation,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

[Judy Harder]

March 24
Luke 16

Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.

INSIGHT

It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.

Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.

PRAYER

· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalm 37:3-6).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:5, .

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11). 

[Judy Harder]

March 25

Luke 17

Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.

INSIGHT

Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.

Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-4).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:

Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalm 119:5-6).

· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalm 18:35-36).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17). 

[Judy Harder]

March 26
Mark 10

Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.

INSIGHT

If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.

That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.

A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.

The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.

PRAYER

· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).

· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:

You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:

I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day (2 Timothy 1:12).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11). 

[Judy Harder]

March 27
Mark 11

Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.

INSIGHT

When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"

The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?

PRAYER

· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:1-3).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting
(Psalm 139:23-24).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:

The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23). 

[Judy Harder]

March 28
Mark 12

The Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to discredit Jesus through treacherous questions.

INSIGHT

In today's passage, we see one of the most marvelous teachings in the New Testament. An attorney, intrigued by the quality of the answers Jesus gives to the Pharisees who are trying to discredit Him, asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is. He only asks for one; Jesus gives him two.

The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . [1] your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these"(Mark 12:30-31). The Christian life can be very complex, but at its heart, it is very simple: love God and others.

PRAYER

· Because the Lord has promised to care for our needs, offer Him your thanks:

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
(Psalm 33:1-5).

· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:

You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You
(Psalm 5:4).

He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· your development of a perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (based on 2 Peter 3:18).