WEEK 1: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 12
SILENCE, STILLNESS, AND CENTERING BEFORE GOD:
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take some deep breaths. Spend a few minutes in silence, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
READ:
Let your mind settle. Silently read the Scripture for this week: Mark 1.
Read again the Scripture aloud. Listen for a word, phrase, or section that grabs your attention. Write down any questions about the passage that you have. When you finish, close your eyes. Recall the word or phrase, taking it in and mulling it over. Write down what comes to mind.
REFLECT: Reflect on These 3 Thoughts
Thought 1
When the Father looks at Jesus, He sees His child whom He loves and in whom He is delighted. To be a follower of Jesus means that God our Father sees us the same way He sees Jesus. You are God’s kid. You are deeply loved. You are delighted in, right now, in this very moment. What would it mean to you if you could hear God say that He loves you, and trust that it is true?
Thought 2
Jesus announces the gospel: the Kingdom of God is at hand. Then, He says that the appropriate response to the gospel is to repent and believe, or in other words, turn and trust. N.T. Wright comments that, “When people heard Jesus say this, they knew it meant to turn away from the social and political agendas that they were trusting in AND turn back to true loyalty to God”. What might it mean for you to turn away from your own agendas and trust Jesus this week?
Thought 3
Peter, Andrew, and James left family ties and vocational obligations to follow Jesus. What things in your life might you need to surrender or submit to God in order to fully follow Jesus?
PRAY:
Read Mark 1 one last time, stopping and listening to Holy Spirit. Who Jesus is inviting you to become? What is Jesus inviting you to do this week. Write down what comes to mind.
Talk and pray with Jesus about it.
PRACTICE:
Our practice for this week as a community is a prayer of surrender. A few times each day we are going to pause to be with Jesus and surrender to Him our thoughts, feelings, will, and soul through prayer. Remember, God delights to be with you and have a conversation with you. This is one amazing form of prayer. One example of how to do this, if you’re willing and able, is:
Close your eyes and open your hands in front of you palms up (rest them on your legs if you are sitting down)
Take a few deep breaths, and focus your attention on God’s presence. Breath in His peace, breath out anxiousness. Breath in His love, breath out self-criticism.
Then, for 30 seconds to 5 minutes, rest in His presence, His love, and His grace toward you as His daughter or His son. You are God’s Beloved.
Then, for 30 seconds to 5 minutes, surrender and cast your cares on Jesus. Say, “Jesus, I trust you” as many times as you need.
End your prayer and conversation with Jesus with remembering Jesus’ words to His followers, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. Whether it was 1 minute or 10 minutes does not matter, the goal is be with Jesus and surrender your day to Him daily.