Quiet Walk

[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).

[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
(Psalm 31:24).

[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).