Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

March 4
Luke 1

The births of John and Jesus are foretold.

INSIGHT

How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?

If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.

But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."

That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.

So we can approach Him with complete confidence!

PRAYER

· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalm 27:1-3).

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

Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).

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

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

[Judy Harder]

March 5
Luke 2

Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.

INSIGHT

To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!

We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.

But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:

O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalm 8:1).

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalm 9:1).

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

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).

· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

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

· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

[Judy Harder]

March 6
Luke 3

Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.

INSIGHT

The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew's gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.

From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord who is faithful to His Word:

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being
(Psalm 146:1-2).

Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful
(Psalm 147:1).

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

Forgive us Lord, when we are unmindful of the Rock who begot us, and when we forget the God who fathered us (based on Deuteronomy 32:18).

Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40).

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

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time and efforts,
· opportunities for sharing your faith in Christ with others,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
(Psalm 4:. 

[Judy Harder]

March 7
Luke 4

Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.

INSIGHT

When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.

PRAYER

· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalm 90:1-2).

O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalm 104:24, 31).

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

I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).

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

By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:21-22). 

[Judy Harder]

March 8
Mark 1

Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.

INSIGHT

Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.

The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.

Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:

Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).

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

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).

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

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

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 42:8). 

[Judy Harder]

March 9
Mark 2

Mark tells of Jesus' early ministry in Capernaum.

INSIGHT

When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" (Mark 2:9).

Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house" (Mark 2:11). Jesus' miracles are often timed strategically to demonstrate the validity of a central truth which He is teaching.

PRAYER

· Rejoice in the fact that Jesus will forgive your sins, and offer Him praise:

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).

Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).

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

Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).

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

I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free (based on John 8:32).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to walk in the ways of the Lord,
· blessings on the work of a specific Christian ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28). 

[Judy Harder]

March 10
Mark 3

Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.

INSIGHT

God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.

The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.

PRAYER

· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8).

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

My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalm 38:4-5).

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

It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).

[Judy Harder]

March 11
Matthew 5

Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.

INSIGHT

Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.

Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:

I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalm 17:6-8).

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

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend
(Psalm 15:1-3).

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

But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:.

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
(Psalm 19:14). 

[Judy Harder]

March 12
MATTHEW 6

Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.

INSIGHT

We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).

It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.

But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!

PRAYER

· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:

O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).

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

The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).

· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalm 23:6). 

[Judy Harder]

March 13
Matthew 7

Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.

INSIGHT

Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.

We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.

PRAYER

· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).

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

When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin
(Psalm 32:3, 5).

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

The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalm 28:9).