WEEK 5: MONDAY OCTOBER 12
SILENCE, STILLNESS, AND CENTERING BEFORE GOD:
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take a few 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 6.
ASK:
Read the Scripture again, this time 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:
Mark shows us two interesting stories side by side. First, we see Jesus send out the twelve disciples to preach about the Kingdom and warns them about being rejected. Then right after that Mark tells us the story of John the Baptizer being beheaded for speaking about God’s law to the political and cultural powers of his day. What might Mark want us to think about with these two stories side by side?
Jesus and His disciples went for a much needed get away trip. Their intention was to get some overdue rest yet they were interrupted. In what ways do you find yourself similar to Jesus’ disciples in this story? What do you notice about how Jesus responds in this story?
After seeing Jesus walk on the water and then speak to calm the sea, Mark tells us that the disciples were completely astounded because they “because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.” What do you think Mark is trying to show us?
PRAY:
Read the Scripture one last time, then stop and listen for who Jesus is inviting you to become or what He is inviting you to do this week. Write down what comes to mind.
Talk with Jesus about it.
COMMUNITY PRACTICE:
For our practice this week we will be praying, and think about the different ways God speaks to each of us in prayer. Often, we overcomplicate how God speaks to us. Each person hears and talks with God in a primary way; some of those ways are: our thoughts, scripture, emotions, musical worship/singing, a word from a friend or pastor, images in our head, and nature, to name a few. The truth is, God will likely speak to you in all of these ways throughout your life. He longs to be in conversation with you! Discernment is a muscle that we want to strengthen as a community. Discernment is a tool and gift that God has given us to seek direction, bring clarity, and listen to what God is saying to us, and it is strengthened out of a relationship with God in prayer.
Here are practical steps to practice this:
To know God’s voice, we must be assured of God’s love. Come into the presence of the Holy One focusing your attention on His love for you and His goodness.
Take some time to reflect on how God often speaks with you.
Take some time to reflect, journal, or think through what areas/things in your life have taken priority over God’s will, and why? (This could be a job, a relationship, a passion, or sometimes our own emotions can take priority over what God is speaking to us).
With those thing(s) in mind, pray this simple prayer “Jesus, I lay these things down at your feet. Not my will but yours. Would you reveal to me what you are doing in this season, I say yes to your invitation? I am open and willing”. If this is a prayer you are unwilling to pray, then ask the Lord to give you the desire to pray it.
Leave space for God to speak to you now in this moment, and throughout your day. God may speak to you through an image that comes to your head, through the lyrics of a song, a specific word that keeps coming to your mind, an emotion, or a scripture.
Once you feel like you have heard from God, journal it, and pray through it, and continue to seek him with it. This simple discipline can make the BIGGEST difference in our prayer life with Jesus.