Today’s Bible Reading
Mark 1:32-37
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was. 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for Him, 37 and when they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for You!”
Applying God’s Word in My Life:
1. What kind of schedule, demands or pressures do you think Jesus had to cope with? (vv.32-34,37).
2. Why do you think Jesus needed to spend time with God? (v.35). Why so early in the morning? Why did He go to a solitary (quiet) place?
3. If you were Jesus, how might you be spending your time with God? What might you be praying about? (v.35).
Today’s Key Verse:
Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.
32
In The Morning
Are you so rushed during the day that you find it hard to take even a few minutes to spend with God? Many people set aside time in the early morning before they get caught up in the hectic pace of the day.
position he took up when he was 33 years old.
Here’s Carson’s testimony about the value of putting spiritual things first: “I’ve found that having a morning ritual—meditation or some quiet reading time—can set the tone for the whole day. Every morning I spend a half-hour reading the Bible, especially the book of Proverbs. There’s so much wisdom there. During the day, if I encounter a frustrating situation, I think back to one of the verses that I read that morning.”
Recently I read about a very busy man who somehow managed to find time to give each day a spiritual jump-start. Dr. Ben Carson, was the chief of paediatric neurosurgery in a children’s centre, a
Jesus faced busy days filled with demanding crowds of people. In Mark’s gospel we read, “In the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed” (1:35).
Do you take time to read God’s Word and pray? Try it in the morning. It can transform your day. —Vernon Grounds
In the stillness of the morning, Before a busy day of care, How [good] to be alone with God Through His holy Word and prayer. —Anderson
Let Christ be first in your thoughts in the morning, and last in your thoughts at night.
33
Day 15 Quiet Time
