Category: Uncategorized

Mark 7:37
   What a commentary upon the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ! He has indeed done all things well. The amazing nature of his miracles is only a fraction of the amazing wonderfulness of salvation through him. What he has done for our souls can never be over exaggerated. We will spend all of eternity realizing the greatness of the Christ.

Psalm 90:1-95:11

James 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Heavenly Father, may we thank you every day for the Lord Jesus. He is so wonderful! Thank you for sending your Son to this world to die for us. Your love for us is plain in your sending of the Lord Jesus Christ. The love of Christ is the most pure example of your compassion that could possibly be. You do all things well indeed! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for our nation.

Journal 15277

Mark 7:36
Jesus didn’t want people to believe in him as the Messiah only because he did miracles. This is an interesting commentary on our thinking today. Those who would discount miracles completely are obviously wrong. However, Christianity is not just about believing in the supernatural. Animists and idolaters of all stripes do that. Christianity is about complete trust in and surrender to the person of Jesus Christ. And Jesus makes that quite plain in his ministry.

Psalm 85:1-89:52

James 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to know you in truth and fact. Knowing you experientially is wonderful, but having the truth about you in our hands, that is a great blessing! You have all the records, and you have shared the record of your Son with us. He is not just a miracle worker, but is our true and wonderful friend. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for several people with spiritual needs.

Journal 15276

Mark 7:35
   Immediately he was healed of both his hearing disability and his speech impediment. The nature of Jesus’ miracles is quite genuine. You will not find false messiahs being able to do what he did.

Psalm 79:1-84:12

James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Heavenly Father, you can do the impossible. There is nothing too hard for you. Your limitless wisdom is priceless. All that can be desired cannot be compared with it. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your world. You are truly great! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a teacher at a difficult school.

Journal 15275

Mark 7:34
The most interesting thing in this verse is Jesus’ sigh. Why would he sigh? Though we know that sin has damaged this world, we don’t have perfect knowledge like Jesus does. He knows what this world would be like without sin. It is only because of sin that these disabilities crop up. Indeed, we are all imperfect because of it.

Psalm 75:1-78:72

James 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

Heavenly Father, you are perfect. And you are good. And that’s what is the most important thing. You are love and you really do care about your creation. That you take the time to think about this little planet is so amazing. But, it’s yours, and that makes the difference. You take care of your stuff. All praise to you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Journal 15274

Mark 7:33
There is no reason to think there is anything to the way in which Jesus healed this man. There was no prescription in how he touched him. It was the who, and not the how that has the healing power. Jesus healed others in various different ways as far as how he touched them, or spoke to them, or just referred to them.
The point here is only that he healed his ears and his tongue. What he touched tells us that. The method did not contain the power.

Psalm 71:1-74:23

James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for being the powerful Creator that you are. We don’t have to be ashamed to worship you. You are indeed all that there is when it comes to really considering reality. Anything that exists must find is source in you. Nothing can be without your permission and maintenance. Even evil must bow to you. Thank you for taking care of us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Journal 15273

Mark 7:32
   There are those who might try to point out an error here. To say that one was deaf and had difficulty speaking seems to show an ignorance of the condition of the deaf. Though to be sure this condition was not as fully understood then as it is in modern times, this wording does not necessarily betray ignorance.
   We see int he following verses that the man was healed of his deafness. But, in addition to that, he was made to speak plainly. Now, if a deaf person’s hearing were improved, they would not instantly begin to talk plainly. Some re-learning would need to take place. So, we understand the greater extent of the miracle in that this person was unable to hear, and could not speak plainly as a result, or even had a mouth or tongue malformation. In which case he was healed on both counts instantly. And the following verses are worded to indicate as much.

Psalm 68:1-70:5

James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Heavenly Father, you know us better than we know ourselves. You can see through our thoughts and actions and see to what really makes us tick. Thank you for your amazing faithfulness. You never fail! I am so glad that you know us and have made a way for us to know you. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a mother and daughter that need salvation.

Journal 15272

Mark 7:31
   Many have pointed out with great effect that Jesus never strayed far from his own hometown. Given the influence he has had upon the world, this only serves as yet another illustration of his deity. He did not need Air Force One to make a worldwide difference, but only the hearts of his disciples.

Psalm 61:1-67:7

James 4:16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

Heavenly Father, when we think of all that you would do through us, we are overwhelmed. But then we remember that it is not in our strength that we must do it, but by resting in you. Thank you for your enabling! You really do have the best plan for our lives. Guide us in your perfect way. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man with cancer.

Journal 15271

Mark 7:30
We don’t really know much about this woman’s daughter or her. But, either the girl was still young, or she had been disabled due to her possession. Otherwise, she would likely have been married, not still under her mother’s care. In either case, her mother returns to find her resting. Evidently the ordeal had taken quite a toll on the young lady and she was now able to recover because of the power of Christ.

Psalm 55:1-60:12

James 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the world-wide nature of the gospel. The gospel is true no matter where it is preached. It is not an American story. It is good for every part of this globe. The same truth that reaches my heart can save people in every corner of the world. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a family that just lost a loved one.

Journal 15270

Mark 7:29
   Because this that she had said revealed her faith, her daughter was delivered. Often as we read this story we focus very much on this woman’s faith. And that’s good, because it is indeed a remarkable story, and helps us understand that faith is important. But, I’ve also noticed another very interesting thing here, which has to do with Jesus’ power. Jesus was able to remove the demonic influence from this woman’s daughter without even being physically anywhere close to her. He did not have to speak to the demon, he did not have to command the demon anything, he simply said the demon is gone out of her.
   When it comes to demonic influence, we often think that we must do something very noticeable, something very visible in order for demons to leave someone. But I think that this mitigates against that. The Lord can deliver someone from the devil’s influence without a Christian standing right in front of them and commanding the demon to leave. Sometimes just the influence of Christians who love and care for someone can cause the devil’s hand to be removed from them. We will not know until we reach glory how many times the influence of a Christian friend has delivered someone from the power of Satan.

Psalm 49:1-54:7

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Heavenly Father, I find myself so often thanking you for telling us the truth. Our enemy, the devil, always wants to tell us a lie. Yet, so often we let him. The truth is always going to be good for us. Even if we don’t like it, or if it seems not to make sense to us, it’s what’s best. Thank you for always doing what’s best for us. Even when we don’t want it, you are faithful to us. Your mercy is great, your grace is amazing, and your love is absolute. Thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ! In the name of Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for a missionary from Togo.

Journal 15269

Mark 7:28
This has got to be one of the best comebacks of history! This woman understood what many so miss today. It’s not about us, it’s about him. She is recognizing the fact that, dog our child, all must be fed by the Master of the house. She does not question his identification of her, and illustrates her identification of him. She was saying, in essence, where else can I go for help, you are the only hope. Jesus want about to turn that kind of faith down.

Psalm 44:1-48:14

James 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

Heavenly Father, to hear your voice in the pages of your Word is a mercy to us. How can we overestimate the blessings that we experience in our lives by hearing and obeying your voice? To know you is great, but that you take interest in us and guide or lives, well that’s just so amazing! Thank you! May we always obey you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman’s unspoken request.

Journal 15268