Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

March 14
Luke 7

Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.

INSIGHT

"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"

Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.

We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.

PRAYER

· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.

Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17, 19).

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

But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).

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

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

As you make your requests known to the Lord:

· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16:11). 

[Judy Harder]

March 15
Mark 4

As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.

INSIGHT

Faith does not come to us full-blown.

It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:

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).

You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).

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

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

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

For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:16-17).

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

· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.

· 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 16
Matthew 13

Jesus continues teaching with parables, then returns to His hometown of Nazareth.

INSIGHT

Throughout His ministry, there are periods during which Jesus teaches extensively in parables. Often the multitudes do not understand the meaning of the parables, but Jesus is careful to explain them to His disciples.

This pattern is illustrative of God's ways: to those who are the most receptive to truth, the Lord grants understanding.

However, for those who do not receive the truth, greater understanding is not given. Light received brings greater light; light rejected leaves darkness. If you hunger for greater spiritual understanding, it is vital that you strive for faithfulness in what you do understand. Then light received can bring more light in your life.

PRAYER

· Offer your praise to the God of light in the words of this psalm:

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).

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

"With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:.

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

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).

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

· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian educational institutions,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.

· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord

[Judy Harder]

March 17
Mark 5

Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.

INSIGHT

When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.

When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.

Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.

PRAYER

· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:

For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalm 18:28-30).

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

What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).

· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalm 30:11-12).

[Judy Harder]

March 18
Mark 6

Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.

INSIGHT

Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.

PRAYER

· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:

Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come! . . .
You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created
(Revelation 4:8, 11).

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

I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalm 119:174-176).

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

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).

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

· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.

· Offer this closing prayer:

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).  

[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]

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).