Mark 1:35-45 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41 Jesus was indignant He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Art Barrett
New Life Christian Fellowship
Observation: Father I see you showing me from Jesus’ own life, that a disciple is someone who learns to listen to You before listening to others. Jesus You show me listening needs to come before doing.
Action: Today is the day I gather with other pastor from out Church Without Shoes community for prayer and planning. I will arise and spend time with You today in this text in Mark. Then I will go to prayer and listen first, before I speak, before I plan, before I rush off to do what seems so obviously needs to be done. Check me Father, I want to work from Your heart not the crowds.
OBSERVATION: I feel myself being indignant toward the leper too, for seeking the healing from Jesus but not really seeking to know and follow him. How often have I come to Jesus asking to receive what He so willingly would give, but not to simply give to him the honor, praise, devotion, and obedience that is due him? How often do I relate to others in my life that way?
ACTION: Come to God with thanksgiving, praise, and adoration. Hear from him, what he would have me do today to give testimony to him. Relate to others in a personal, caring way-not just receiving what they can do for me, but giving recognition of their great worth
beyond what they do.
Dear Father, please help me, too, to hear Your voice. That takes some slowing down and wanting to hear from you.
Today, I will respond by completing the tasks I know He wants me to work on. Also, I will keep an open ear for those who are going through a dark night of the soul. (Thank you, Jesus, for the Psalms. You prayed them, too.)Donna
Loved Dave Rhodes – listening to the Voice (not the TV show – but it ain’t bad) in the noise of the needs. Listen to the Voice in order to see the Vision.
Observations: Jesus knew His purpose, why He had come, and He focused on that. He couldn’t be distracted from it even by other good things.
Action: I will reflect on my purpose and consider what good things are distracting me from it, then eliminate them.
Spoken like the determined Celtic Clan leader you are!
😉
For most of my faith and ministry I’ve struggled with listening to God before running out and doing things on my own. Lately, God has been showing me what it means to lean into him before I make plans or before I start something. I’m still struggling with the discipline of this, but the Lord is patiently teaching me!
Observation: I don’t have trouble getting up early, but even when the house is quiet, I have trouble seeking a ‘solitary place.’ I see Jesus preparing for his time with the Father – he takes ALL the steps to ensure that he is about His Father’s business.
Action: I’m going to take that extra step and find a solitary space. For me, that means not immediately plugging in to the world via the lap top and iPad. I’ll remove myself from those distractions to hear first from God, SO THAT I can live out God’s purpose for my life each day – and not just be about *my* business.
O: Father I see you showing me that even Jesus, the one who was in tune with you the most set out time to pray, he woke up early and made prayer his first priority. Something that I know you have been prompting me to become more disciplined in.
A: Yesterday I had huddle, and I identified that I am struggling with prayer time and struggling to give you all my worries. As a child I grew up always praying at dinner, and have passed that down as well. but I know you want to hear my prayers and praises more, and this scripture fits so well with that revelation from yesterday. So Father I want to START the day in prayer, pray for my day, Jetts day, the girls day. Just be drawn to focus on you and your goodness first thing in the morning, I know that this will be something that will fuel me for the day, and something that I want to pass on to my kids. Thank you for always wanting to hear my prayers.
O: I hear so much in this passage, but one thing – the leper could not keep from telling a whole lot of people what Jesus had done for him. Jesus has more than healed me from leprosy, He has forgiven and saved me.
A: Today I will look for and listen to God, for His prompting, to tell someone about what it means in my life to know and be known by Him.