Mark 4-6

October 22

Mark 4-6

With all the activity, with all the demands, with all the miracles, Jesus did not forget where He got His power. These three chapters are filled with activities and confrontation and miracles, but after feeding the five thousand Jesus sent His disciples across the lake while he went up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus had faced the unbelief of his own family and the people in his home town. His cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by Herod. He faced disappointment just as we face disappointment. So He got by himself and prayed.

If Jesus found it necessary to get alone and pray, how much more do we need to set aside time to pray. Through prayer we discover the will of God, we receive guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit, and we receive power to persevere in a world filled with busyness and disappointments.

As Jesus prayed He looked out on the lake and saw the disciples straining at the oars. They were struggling and I imagine Jesus interceding for them, just as He does for us while sitting at the right hand of the Father. These verses remind us that prayer is essential to our spiritual lives, but also remind us that Jesus intercedes for us. He cares about our struggles. Just as he walked out to the disciples across a terrain that seemed impassable, He comes to us in the midst of our struggles, even where there seems to be no hope.

Hear the words of Jesus; “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Mark 6:50, NIV) He walks with us on this journey of life and is waiting for us to lift our voices in prayer inviting Him to empower us to live the life God created us to live. A life shaped by our relationship with Him.