Wednesday - The Gospel According To Mark

Welcome to daily prayer. This is the opening week of an 11 week journey through Mark’s account of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today we turn our attention to John the Baptist, his message, and the kind of preparation God desires. This is a passage about repentance and readiness for the salvation of God.

As we begin our time together, let’s quiet our hearts and minds before the LORD.

Lord, thank you for this day. 

I set aside distractions. I slow down and I’m listening.

Lord, prepare me to receive what you want to give. 

I give everyone and everything to you. 

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

A Scripture Reading from Mark 1:4–8:

John appeared, baptizing in gthe 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.”

A Prayer of Adoration:

Father, you sent John the Baptist to prepare your people. He was the culminating voice in a long line of prophets leading to Jesus. He was your alarm clock to wake your people up. The time has come. His message was all about you!

Thank you for a man who helped people get ready. He was undistracted by comfort or ego.

Lord, I love what this passage reveals about you. You give your people a chance to get ready. You provide forgiveness, cleansing, and a way for hearts to be made right. Jesus is the answer. John pointed to the One who would immerse us in the Spirit, giving us new hearts and a new life. Jesus, you are the Spirit Baptizer, and I adore you.

A Prayer of Confession:

Lord, John recognized that it was all about you and that you were coming to rule. I confess that I often make things about me. He pointed to the need for forgiveness. He called for your people to get their hearts right and to make their repentance known through baptism. I confess that I am often not sensitive to your voice. I often want things to be right without acknowledging to anyone else that I have been wrong. I confess my need for you LORD. Teach me to confess quickly and trust fully.

A Prayer of Trust:

Lord, I trust that you came like you said you would and have made new life available. Water cannot change the heart but you can. You baptize with the Holy Spirit. You bring new life. You give a new heart. You put your Spirit in us. I trust that repentance leads to life and that surrender removes the obstacles to faith. 

I surrender to you. 

A Prayer of Intercession:

Lord, I pray for our church. Tenderize us. Make us quick to recognize our need for you. I love how the people responded to John’s preaching. They flocked to the wilderness to acknowledge they had been wrong and that they needed to be made right. Lord, revive your work again. Make us a people who are not afraid of repentance. Free us from pretending and performing. Awaken spiritual hunger.

May we be like John, pointing away from ourselves and toward Jesus.

As we listen to the passage again, lets listen for a word or phrase that the HS may want to say to us from todays’s verses. You may want to circle it in your Scripture journal. 

And now Our Weekly Passage to Memorize and Consider:

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.”  

Lord, thank you for your Word

Let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer together as we close:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever amen