Quiet Walk

[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:.

· 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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 Psalms 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

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
(Psalms 92:1-2).

· 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
(Psalms 90:17).

[Judy Harder]

Ephesians 1

Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.

INSIGHT

Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.

PRAYER

Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
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. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and 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, include:

A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13) 

[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
( Psalms 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 63:3-4).

· 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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 . . . [and] 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
(Psalms 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
(Psalms 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).

[Judy Harder]

March 29

Mark 13

Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.

INSIGHT

To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.

"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."

Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.

PRAYER

· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalms 98:1).

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalms 95:6-7).

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

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:

This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).

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

· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.

· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:

He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).