March 8

Mark 1

Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.

INSIGHT

Mark writes that after Jesus’ baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan. The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God’s will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength. Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.

PRAYER

Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the
hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us (Psalm 123:1-2).

Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me (Psalm 51:1-3).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).

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

Greater insight into the teachings of Scripture
The hungry around the world
Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 (Psalm 42:8).