Author: tanahmerah

 

The Lord Empowers & Rewards Us

As opposition to Jesus’ ministry          increases, it is no longer safe to                 move openly in Galilee. So Jesus          traverses the regions of Decapolis,    Caesarea & Perea & avoids crowds.                 In the final days of His ministry,                   Jesus begins to prepare His                     disciples for the faithful journey to. Jerusalem that will mark the end                         of His life and the beginning of                       their role as bearers of glad tidings.

Lord, You Don’t Short-Change Us:
Jesus said: How hard it is for
those who trust in riches to enter
the kingdom of God… With men
it is impossible, but not with God;
for With God all things are
Possible (Mk 10:23-27).
And I assure you that everyone
who has given up house or brothers
or sisters… or property for My sake
and for the Good News Will Receive
in return a hundred times … And in
the world to come that person will
have eternal life (Mark 10:29-30)

Lord, You are all-powerful and
nothing is really too hard for You.
And that includes changing
my most difficult circumstances.
What is impossible for me is
certainly Not Impossible for You.
So I ask that You would do the
impossible and transform me
into a God fearing person,
full of Your love, peace and joy.
Enable Lord to do great things
for Your kingdom by the power of
Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, leaving things behind for
the kingdom is painful and may
not seem to make much sense.
But to serve You Lord whole-
heartedly, we may have to give
up certain things valuable to us.
And when we give up comfort or
lifestyle to serve God, He promises
to provide rewards and blessings
100 times over for our commitment.
Grant us grace to take a leap of faith
for furtherance of Yr kingdom, Amen

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be
added unto you. Allelu Alleluia.
Man shall not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the
mouth of God. Allelu Alleluia
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be
opened unto you Allelu Alleluia!

Pray Fervently In Faith

As opposition to Jesus’ ministry
increases, it is no longer safe
to move openly in Galilee. So Jesus
traverses the regions of Decapolis,
Caesarea Philippi & Perea, thereby
avoiding the crowds and the deadly
plots of the religious leaders.
In the final days of His ministry,
Jesus begins to prepare His
disciples for the faithful journey to
Jerusalem that will mark the end
of His life and the beginning of
their role as bearers of glad tidings.

Lord, we’ll Believe & Pray Fervently:
Teacher, my son has a mute spirit.
I spoke to Your disciples that they
should cast it out but they cld not.
The evil spirit often makes him fall
into the fire or into the water, trying
to kill him. Have mercy on us and
help us. Do something if you can.
“What do you mean: If I can?”
Jesus asked Anything is possible
if a person believes. The father
instantly replied: I do believe, but
help my unbelief (Mk9:22-24).
His disciples asked Him privately:
Why could we not cast it out? So
He said: This kind can come out by
nothing but prayer & fasting (v29).

Lord, thank You for the powerful
promise that anything is possible
to anyone Who Believes. But I
realise I can’t believe a desired
outcome into being. And I can’t
manipulate You into doing anything.
Instead I believe You’re the Almighty
God and Lord of the Impossible.
Lord Jesus I trust solely In You; and
I entrust this situation to You. Amen

Lord, You know the deep thoughts
within my heart. When my faith
is weak or I struggle with Doubts
about Your care for me, enable me
to turn to You & be honest about it.
And may every step I take towards
U take away doubt and unbelief.
I believe in Your power to do any
thing; and grant me great trust
and faith in You. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we see in Your Word that
prayer is the key to being set free
and prayer together with fasting
is even more powerful. Help us
to understand the authority You
have given us in prayer to release
Your power from heaven in order
to see freedom happen in our lives.
For every time we pray, we move the hand of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Trust Christ the Bread of Life

As opposition to Jesus’ ministry         increases, it is no longer safe                       to move openly in Galilee. So                 Jesus traverses the regions of           Decapolis, Caesarea and Perea,             thereby avoiding the crowds and             deadly plots of religious leaders.                 In the concluding days of His                     earthly ministry, Jesus begins                     to prepare His disciples for the                 faithful journey to Jerusalem                         that will mark the end of His life                 and the beginning of their role.                 as bearers of the glad tidings.

Lord, You are our Bread of Life:
Another great crowd had gathered,
& the people ran out of food again.
Jesus called His disciples and told
them: I feel sorry for these people…
How many loaves of bread do
you have?..And He took the seven
loaves… gave thanks… and gave
them to His disciples…So (the pple)
ate and were filled (Mark 8:1-8).
When the Pharisees heard that
Jesus had arrived, they came to
argue with Him. Testing Him to see
if He was from God, they demanded:
Give us a miraculous sign to prove
Yourself. When He heard this, He
sighed and said: Why do you keep
demanding miraculous sign(v11-12)
Whoever desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up
his cross & follow Me… Whoever
loses his life for My sake and the
gospel’s will save it. For what will
it profit a man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his soul? (v34-36)

Lord, we are amazed by the miracle
U performed to feed the multitude.
Thank You Lord for the ways You
are still providing for our needs
even as we put our trust in You.
There are many people who are
physically and spiritually hungry.
Prepare us Lord, strengthen us
and use us to partner with You in
what You are doing on earth. Amen

Lord, forgive me when I demand
evidence of Your power instead
of thanking You for all that You do.
Open my eyes to see the works
of Your hand everywhere I go.
With all my heart I welcome
Your presence however You
choose to reveal Yourself to me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You promise that we will
find true life by denying ourselves.
Help me Lord not to be too
preoccupied with myself; and
grant me the humility to do so.
Help me instead to focus on You,
Your kingdom & Your purposes.
For as I trust and follow You Lord,
You will provide all that I need; and
let me experience You fully. Amen.

Wholly Trust the Lord’s Word

Through both His words and works, 
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At 1st even His closest companions
are perplexed by His power and 
authority, wondering: What manner
of man is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him (4:41). But
 patiently through the miracles of
 exorcism, healing and even raising
the dead the Master Servant works
to convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we’ll Wholly Trust Your Word:
Listen, a sower went out to sow…
The one sown among thorns; they
are the ones who hear the word
and the cares of this world…choke
the word and it becomes unfruitful.
But the ones sown on good ground,
those who Hear the Word, Accept
It and Bear fruit (Mark 4:3, 18-20).
Jesus said to his disciples: LET US
Cross to the east side… Now when
they had left the multitude, they
took Him along in the boat (v35-36).
Suddenly a storm struck the lake.
Waves started splashing into the
boat and it was about to sink. Jesus
was in the back of the boat asleep.
His disciples woke him and said:
 Teacher don’t You care that we’re
about to drown? Jesus got up and
ordered the wind and waves to
be quiet. The wind stopped and
everything was calm. Jesus asked
His disciples: Why are u So Fearful?
How is it you’ve No Faith?(v37-40)

Lord, worldly cares and worries
can affect us; and overcrowded
routines and material pursuits
can deafen us to God’s Word.
Help us Lord to stay free so that
we can Hear God when You speak.
Lead us not to have divided heart
but instead be Wholehearted to
You by Responding to Your Word.
And mould our hearts to see things
 from Your perspective so that we
will be ready to produce fruit. Amen

Lord, help us to Remember Clearly
Your Instructions like what You
told the disciples: “Let US Cross.”
Remind us to Rely On Your Word
and Not Focus on situation we’re in.
Remind us Lord Your Presence and
help us to stay focussed on You.
Remind us no storm can take us
off course, for You Can DO all things
and Your plan cannot be thwarted.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Mark gospel,
which captures two purposes of
Christ coming to earth: to minister
and give His life a ransom for many.
Grant us Lord the grace to be like
Jesus in having a servant mindset.
Grant us the grace to Love God’s
Word, to Respond to God’s Word,
to Accept & Trust Fully His Word.
Grant us the grace and strength
to Live By Your Word. Amen.

Hearing God thru His Word

The purpose of the Gospel of
Mark is to present the person,
work and teachings of Jesus…
For the Son of Man did not come
to be served but to serve and to
give His life as a ransom for many.
This week we see the importance
of Trusting God & Doing His Work.

On Monday, we learn from Mark 1
that God Directs & Empowers Us.
On Tues, we learn from Mark 2
to Be People of Faith In God.
On Wed, we learn from Mark 3
on Putting the Lord In Priority.
On Thursday, we learn from Mark 4
to Wholly Trust the Lord’s Word.
On Friday, we learn from Mark 5
on Don’t be Afraid, Only Believe.
On Saturday, we learn from Mark 6
on Emulating Prayer Life of Christ.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Hear You:
For God Directs & Empowers us
and we’ll Put the Lord In Priority;
For we are People of Faith In God
and we’ll Wholly Trust His Word;
For Christ urges us: Don’t be Afraid,
Only Believe; and we’ll Emulate
the Prayer Life of Christ. Amen.

Emulate Prayer Habit of Christ

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him. But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we Emulate Your Prayer Habit:
(Jesus) said to them: Come with
me by yourself to a quiet place
and get some rest. There were
many coming & going and they did
not even have time to eat (Mk6:31).
When Jesus landed and saw a large
crowd, He had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep
without a Shepherd. So he began
teaching them many things.
By this time it was late in the day,
so his disciples said: Send the pple
away so that they can buy food to
eat. But Jesus answered: You give
them something to eat. (v34-36).
Immediately He made His disciples
get into the boat and go before Him
to the other side… while He sent
the multitude away. And when He
had sent them away, He departed
to the mountain to pray (v45-46).

Lord, we see in the creation story
the work-rest rhythm drawn by God.
When we violate the natural order by
excessive work, we’ll soon burnout.
So no no wonder Jesus scheduled
retreat for Himself and His disciples.
We realise that we can’t be effective
for You if we are running on empty.
And we want the rest You offer and
the direction of Father God. Amen.

Lord, You know needs of people
and You responded accordingly.
We are to care for the weak
and to encourage the timid.
Grant us Lord wisdom to respond
correctly with the right words
and at the right time. Above all
grant us Compassion like Yours;
so that when we reach out to
others, they may see You. Amen.

Lord, You created in our soul,
mind, will and also emotion.
Let us be renewed in our mind
as we meditate on Your Word.
Let us be yielded to the Holy
Spirit as we respond to the Word.
Let our emotions be under the
control of the Holy Spirit for Lord
we want to feel Your emotions.
Lord, You’ve promised a new heart,
put also Your feeling of compassion
of Christ Jesus within us. Amen.

Don’t Be Afraid, Only Believe

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him. But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we will place our Faith In You:
Now a certain woman had a flow of
blood for 12 years, and had suffered
many things of many physicians and
was not better…. When she heard
about Jesus,she came from behind
Him in the crowd and touched His
garment. For she said: If only I may
touch His clothes, I shall be made
well. Immediately her blood was
dried up and she felt in her body
she was healed of the affliction.
And Jesus said to her: your Faith
has made you well (Mark 5:21-34).
While He was still speaking, some
came from the ruler of synagogue
said: Your daughter is dead. As
soon as Jesus heard the message,
He said to the ruler of synagogue:
Do not be afraid, only Believe.
Then He came to the house, took
the child and said: Little girl, I say
to you, arise. Immediately the girl
arose and walked (Mark 5:35-43)

Lord of Mercy and Compassion,
each of us has intense needs
and only You God can meet them.
We are inspired by the boldness
of the woman with blood issue.
And individually we shamelessly
asking You to give us what we need.
From scripture we know of Your
generous heart and we are waiting
and ready to risk everything on it.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, even today, there are cases
that doctors give up as incurable.
But You Jesus is greatest physician
and nothing is really beyond You.
Grateful that some of us have
experienced Your divine healing
bringing us even nearer to You.
Thank You Lord for experiencing
Your love and power, with renewed
faith and reverence of You. Amen.

Lord, the same power that raised
Jairus’ daughter from the dead
and raised Jesus from the dead
is available to us through the Spirit.
Just as You turned dry bones alive
in times of Ezekiel, You can also
turn dead things to life these days.
Open the eyes of our hearts to see
and know the working of Your power in and for us who believe. Teach us Have Faith In God. Amen.

Lord’s Word Is Wholly Trustworthy

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At 1st even His closest companions
are perplexed by His power and
authority, wondering: What manner
of man is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him (4:41). But
patiently through the miracles of
exorcism, healing and even raising
the dead the Master Servant works
to convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we’ll Wholly Trust Your Word:
Listen, a sower went out to sow…
The one sown among thorns; they
are the ones who hear the word
and the cares of this world…choke
the word and it becomes unfruitful.
But the ones sown on good ground,
those who Hear the Word, Accept
It and Bear fruit (Mark 4:3, 18-20).
Jesus said to his disciples: LET US
Cross to the east side… Now when
they had left the multitude, they
took Him along in the boat (v35-36).
Suddenly a storm struck the lake.
Waves started splashing into the
boat and it was about to sink. Jesus
was in the back of the boat asleep.
His disciples woke him and said:
 Teacher don’t You care that we’re
about to drown? Jesus got up and
ordered the wind and waves to
be quiet. The wind stopped and
everything was calm. Jesus asked
His disciples: Why are u So Fearful?
 How is it you’ve No Faith?(v37-40)

Lord, worldly cares and worries
can affect us; and overcrowded
routines and material pursuits
can deafen us to God’s Word.
Help us Lord to stay free so that
we can Hear God when You speak.
Lead us not to have divided heart
but instead be Wholehearted to
You by Responding to Your Word.
And mould our hearts to see things
 from Your perspective so that we
will be ready to produce fruit. Amen

Lord, help us to Remember Clearly 
 Your Instructions like what You
told the disciples: “Let US Cross.”
Remind us to Rely On Your Word
and Not Focus on situation we’re in.
Remind us Lord Your Presence and
help us to stay focussed on You.
Remind us no storm can take us
off course, for You Can DO all things
and Your plan cannot be thwarted.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Mark gospel,
which captures two purposes of
Christ coming to earth: to minister
and give His life a ransom for many.
Grant us Lord the grace to be like
Jesus in having a servant mindset. 
Grant us the grace to Love God’s
Word, to Respond to God’s Word,
to Accept & Trust Fully His Word.
Grant us the grace and strength
to Live By Your Word. Amen.

Put the Lord In Priority

Mark begins his gospel without
genealogy, birth narrative or any
prologue. He begins with the
ministry of John the Baptist, the
forerunner who would prepare
the way for Jesus’ ministry of
Servanthood. Mark’s emphasis
throughout is on Christ’s works
rather than His words, as befitting
a Servant. Numerous miracles
of healing and exorcism precede
the personal calls of five disciples
– Andrew, Peter, James, John
and Matthew – and His choosing
of the seven other disciples.

Lord, we’ll Prioritise Time with You:
And He went up on the mountain
& called to Him those He Himself
wanted. And they came to Him.
Then He appointed twelve,
that they might Be With Him and
that He might send them out
to preach, and to have power
to heal sickness and to cast
out demons (Mark 3:13-15).
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers
arrived. Standing outside they
sent someone in to call Him.
A crowd was sitting around Him
and they told Him: Your mother
and brothers are outside looking
for You… Then he looked up at
those seated in a circle and said:
Here are my mother and brothers!
Whoever does God’s will is my
brother, sister & mother (v31-35)

Lord, we note that the twelve
were chosen not because of
their abilities but their willingness
to follow Jesus and obey You.
We also note the twelve were
chosen to Be With You which
is priority and all good things
are built upon this foundation.
Thank You Lord Jesus that You
have chosen me to Be With You.
Help me to stay close to You. Amen

Lord Jesus, You did not come as
a conquering king but as a Servant.
May Your example cause us to
be willing to serve God & others.
Lord, we note worthy examples
in Mark 3 to be God Seeking
and putting You first & foremost.
Help us Prioritise Time With You;
and help us Prioritise Your Will
including helping people. Amen.

Lord, we learn that we need to
Put You God first and foremost
even before our loved ones,
including our spouse & children;
so that it will free us from
the bondage of idolising them.
Help us Lord to worship only You,
our creator; and to love our families
with Your love.In Jesus’name,Amen

Be People of Faith in God

Mark begins his gospel without
genealogy, birth narrative or any
prologue. He begins with the
ministry of John the Baptist, the
forerunner who would prepare
the way for Jesus’ ministry of
Servanthood. Mark’s emphasis
throughout is on Christ’s works
rather than His words, as befitting
a Servant. Numerous miracles
of healing and exorcism precede
the personal calls of five disciples
– Andrew, Peter, James, John
and Matthew – and His choosing
of the seven other disciples.

Lord, help us be People of Faith:
When He had come home, many
gathered that there was No Room
left, not even outside the door.
Some men bringing a paralytic
could not get him to Jesus due to
the crowd, they made an opening
in the roof above Jesus & lowered
the mat the paralysed man was
lying. When Jesus saw their Faith,
He said to the paralytic: Son your
sins are Forgiven… Take up your
mat and go home. Immediately
he arose, took up the mat and
went out in the presence of them
all, so that all were amazed and
glorified God (Mk 2:1-12). Amen.

Lord, if You were nearby in the
neighbourhood, I would also want
be in the crowd trying to see You.
For I have needs that only You
can meet; and I have desires
that only You can satisfy them.
And I want Your personal touch
that I need to experience so that
my faith be boosted more than
ever before. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we are inspired by the
act of the four faithful friends.
They had heard You healing many
in the Galilean region and they were
determined to get their friend to You
despite difficulty they were facing.
Help us Lord to be compassionate
and Trust You enough to help
others the way they do. Amen.

Lord, usually when we come to U
God with a request, it’s for some-
thing practical including a miracle.
And You tend to meet our practical
needs beside our spiritual needs.
Because as the God of compassion,
You want us to know Your heart.
So Jesus I seek Your face with all my
needs – spiritual, physical, relational.
And Thanks for Your comprehensive
touch in my total being. Amen.