Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus teaches us about the Holy Spirit that we may know His presence with us always. In John 14:16 we hear “I will ask the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever”. When He appears to the disciples after the resurrection He tells them “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5).

Jesus wanted them (and us) to know the joy of God’s eternal presence living in us and working through us. When we receive this gift of being together, one with the Father, we are energized and empowered by the Holy Spirit to go in His name to spread the Good News. Jesus taught us this that we might continue His ministry and share His love with everyone.

Even in the difficult situation we face this Christmas, there are still ways to reach out with His love. Make sure to stay in touch with those who need the joy of relationship most. While we distance ourselves physically to protect each other, we can and must continue to be connected, allowing the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives and our world.

Loving Lord, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, a guide and friend in our daily lives. Help us to know Your presence always and give Your love to the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the New King James Version (NKJV).

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism John offered was for the forgiveness of sins, what is sometimes called “an outward sign of an inward change”. While only God can forgive us, it is we that must change our lives. Having been forgiven, we enter a new relationship with Him, no longer burdened by past sin and confident of His love for us.

John taught that this was only the beginning, that the One who comes after him “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (v. 8). Jesus comes not only to show us God’s love but to teach us to use the gifts we have been given to share that love with the world. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence with us always.

Jesus has caused a change in us and we are called to help others experience that change. As we celebrate His coming this Christmas, ask Him to show you new ways to serve, new means of reaching out to those who need His love. This is the miracle of Christmas, that all are called to see Him among us and go tell that Good News to the world.

Loving Lord, we are humbled that You would come to us as a child that needed love and care. Show us how to love and care for Your people that all may know the joy of a connection with You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending My messenger before You, Who will prepare Your way; The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord , Make His paths straight!’” John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to bend down and untie the straps of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John was not your average theological scholar. He was dedicated to God before his birth and grew up in a believing home, but his ministry took him into the wilderness where he lived, ate and dressed much differently than other religious leaders. Many people of that time compared him to the prophet Elijah of old.

John had a sharp message for the people: “Prepare the way of the Lord”, calling them to repentance and a new life. He taught that turning away from sin and turning to God was the only way to be saved. He promised that “After me One is coming who is mightier than I” (v. 7), making them ready for the ministry of Jesus.

We are called to be ready for Christ’s coming in our own lives and then go help others be prepared as well. God loves us so much that He was willing to come to be with us as one of us, showing us the way to salvation. May we be ready to accept the gift He brings.

Gracious God, we don’t deserve the blessings You have given, but You call us to be part of Your kingdom work just the same. Help us to be the servants You intend, ready to share the Good News with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist is humble and truthful about his role in the kingdom, saying “I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals” (v. 8). None of us are worthy on our own, only because we are loved by God does any of this happen. God made us in His image to be in relationship with Him, in the coming of Jesus He makes a way for us to reconnect.

It isn’t possible without God’s initiative, but we are called to accept this offer of love and be an important part of His work in the world. As He did from the very beginning, God wants us to be involved in His creation, not just exist in it. God wants to work in us and through us to reach all His children everywhere.

Accepting this call and understanding how to live it out is our task. God has given us gifts to be used for the work and promised to be with us always. During this season of anticipation, let Him renew your sense of wonder and your desire to be part of the kingdom that is coming.

Heavenly Father, help us in the weariness that we feel dealing with the issues around us. Spark our energy, show us Your way and send us with new zeal to be Your people and do Your will. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist was different than most prophets that had come before. He stayed outside the populated areas and people had to come to him. They had to make a conscious decision to go into the wilderness to seek him. This tells us how it will be with Jesus as well.

While He came to seek the last, the least and the lost, we must make a personal choice to accept Christ in our lives. When we repent, we begin changing our hearts and lives. Jesus calls us to be part of His work here, sharing the love of God with all the world.

Jesus shows us the way, but it is up to us to follow Him. He leads, but He doesn’t force us. Only through Christ can we be saved, but only our own confession that He is Lord will bring that blessing.

Gracious God, thank You for prophets who prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. Help us to share that Good News with everyone, that they may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the Common English Bible (CEB).

 The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah: Look, I am sending my messenger before you. He will prepare your way, a voice shouting in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.”

John the Baptist was in the wilderness calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. Everyone in Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to the Jordan River and were being baptized by John as they confessed their sins. John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. He announced, “One stronger than I am is coming after me. I’m not even worthy to bend over and loosen the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At the start of Mark’s Gospel, we are introduced to John the Baptist who announces the coming of Jesus. People came to him to confess and be baptized for forgiveness, but he tells them one who is greater will soon appear. John knew what he was called to do and he did it faithfully.

John wants people to know that they are responsible for changing their hearts and lives and accepting God’s forgiveness (v. 4), that what he does is merely a sign of their repentance and promise. What is important comes after this symbolic act, that they live as children of God and give up their former ways. John tells them they are important to God and that it is essential that they be ready for the coming of Jesus.

We are called as John was to prepare the way of the Lord. We must let people know how imprtant they are to God and how much He loves them. Only by sharing the Good News of Christ with the world can we fulfill our task to be the messengers of Christ.

Gracious God, we are grateful to be part of Your work here on earth. Strengthen us and make us effective voices that share Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:1-8, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” — “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Each of the Gospels has a different way of introducing us to Jesus. While we tend to focus on the baby in the manger, only Luke’s account contains that familiar story. Matthew’s begins with the genealogy of Jesus and John tells of the Word made flesh.

Mark chooses still a different path, with the simple truth “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (v. 1). Each of these testimonies speak to us about the fact that Jesus came to be with us, part of humanity, that we might understand God’s everlasting love for us. They bring the same wonderful message to us in different ways.

As we remember Christ’s coming this year, may we again be caught up in the joy of His arrival, regardless of the issues we are facing. We have gotten used to saying “things aren’t normal this year”, but if we are honest there have been challenges throughout our lives and all of human history. Don’t let the current troubles prevent us from seeing the wonderful future that is promised and sharing the Good News with everyone.

Loving Lord, we are troubled by our present circumstances but we know You are still in control. Help us to see past the issues of today to the joy of eternity You have prepared. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 13:24-37, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Jesus teaches that those who have made their lives ready for His return will go with Him. He said “And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (v. 27). No one knows when this day will come and that is why He warns us never to be caught unprepared.

Jesus want us all to choose Him here that He may choose us on the last day. When He speaks of “the elect” it refers to all who proclaim Him Lord and keep His commandments. Jesus doesn’t want to lose a single one of us!

We as individuals are the only ones who can make that choice. Christ came and died for us to take away our sin. He rose again and calls us all to accept the gift of salvation God offers. Make that choice and be ready to go with Him when He returns for us.

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your many gifts to us, none more precious than Christ our Lord. Help us to follow the path He has shown us and be ready when that great day comes. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 13:24-37, taken today from the New King James Version (NKJV).

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven. “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Jesus has said many times that we must be ready for His return. In parables and conversation He tells us that He will be back and at that time God’s judgement will be rendered on us all. His point is to make sure we stay prepared for that day, not letting the world distract us from His holy purpose in our lives.

Human things are temporary, while the things Jesus offers us are everlasting. Why would we spend our gifts and our energy on things that have no eternal value? He tells us “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20).

Jesus wants us to strive for things that bring glory to God, not material possessions or power and position. He urges us to be ready when that day comes to leave this world and everything in it for a better and eternal connection. We must stay alert, remembering His promised salvation and live into that blessing.

Loving Lord, we are often distracted from Your purpose for us by the temptations of this world. Help us see the joy of life with You that lasts forever. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 13:24-37, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven. “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near. So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. Therefore, stay alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— so that he does not come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay alert!’”

Jesus tells us the signs to watch for that indicate His return. He says this that we may be aware of our personal responsibility to be ready – “What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay alert!’” (v. 37). He has given us the message, now it is up to us to act.

We are called to share the Good News with all the world, but each person must accept joy and the duty of responding. No one can do that for someone else. Each of us must answer “yes Lord!” for ourselves and follow as individuals joined in the body of Christ.

The apostle Paul writes “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). He says that while there are many to encourage us, we must accomplish the task for ourselves. Jesus Himself calls us to this work and gives us the strength to succeed.

Gracious God, thank You for sending Jesus as our example. Thank You for those of faith who encourage us. May we be strong in Your love and share that joy with all the world. Amen.