Category: Uncategorized

Mark 7:27
The children referred to here are the Jewish nation. Jesus would not do a miracle for this woman just because he was able. He was able to heal anyone at any time. But faith was required. He wasn’t going to just pass out miracles.

Psalm 38:1-43:5

James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Heavenly Father, we know that we can’t understand you by our means. You are high above us in every way. But I am so glad that you have made yourself known to us. We can interact with you and follow your leading. What a blessing! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Journal 15267

Mark 7:26
This woman would be much like the Gentiles helped by the prophets in the Old Testament, like Naaman the Syrian and others.

Psalm 35:1-37:40

James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for us. You know how to take care of us no matter what. You always desire or best. Thank you for caring for us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man needing surgery.

Journal 15266

Mark 7:25
This woman did some traveling to get to Jesus. She had come for a specific purpose and was not ready to go back empty handed. The genuine nature of her faith was about to become clear.

Psalm 31:1-34:22

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Heavenly Father, often we have not the earnestness to truly believe that you will provide our needs. We know, though, that you have a limitless store to draw from. We will trust your bountiful supply. You are able, and we will surrender to your dictates rather than ours. We will work out schedule to fit your timetable rather than expecting you to bless to our whims. Thank you for your patience with us! You are so gracious! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman who is not able to be home due to health concerns.

Journal 15265

Mark 7:24
   Jesus’ motives are often difficult for us to accept. He had nothing against Gentiles. He ministered to the Gentiles on many occasions. But, the fact is that he had come to the Jews. He wanted his target audience to be clear. This was not a slight to the Gentiles because it was the Jew’s general rejection of him that ‘opened the door’ to the Gentiles.

Psalm 25:1-30:12

James 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

Heavenly Father, thank you for always having the best plans! You always know what is best, and why. We never have to wonder if you are going to come through, if you’re going to get it right. You have the whole thing mapped out from begging to end. What we must do is trust you. We do trust you for you are faithful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman’s unspoken requests.

Journal 15264

Mark 7:23
   Jesus paints a very interesting picture here. We often say that there is something wrong with this world. But, we must remember that we should be talking about people. We are the source of evil in this world. We are the ones that need to be fixed. Sin, evil, wickedness is in the heart of man.
   So, man is not an innocent angel that is simply the victim of a cruel trick. We are ourselves evil and twisted. This is why salvation is so important. Only through Christ can we escape our fate. Only by him may our evil be purged.

Psalm 19:1-24:10

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Heavenly Father, how can we ever thank you enough for all that you have done? The life we have in Christ is eternal. The love you have given us is absolute. The joy we can have from you is wonderful. The security we have in Christ is so reassuring. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man who is in rehab.

Journal 15263

Mark 7:22
   When we consider carefully the list we see here we realize that it is not this material world that is evil. Yes, it is damaged, but it was perfect, and has the potential to be perfect again. It is in the heart of man, however, that we find the source of evil in the world. And, only by the power of the shed blood of Christ may we be redeemed from our fallen state.

Psalm 11:1-18:50

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Heavenly Father, your gospel is offensive to the natural man. Yet it is the source of great comfort to mankind. Knowing you is a great and wonderful privilege. May we never cease to edify others, and to be edified ourselves. Knowing you and your people is the blessing of our lives. Your goodness knows no bounds! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman in poor health.

Journal 15262

Mark 7:21
   The influence of the heart upon the mind, that is where the problem lies. The heart is directly tied to the mind. Our physical brains are the interface for our mindful selves. Our heart is in direct control of that self-consciousness. Evil thinking is really the essence of our problem, but that originates in the heart. The heart houses our desires, which are often based on our flesh.

Psalm 5:1-10:18

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Heavenly Father, thank you for identifying the source of our dilemma. Your Word helps us understand how we are wired. We cannot hope to manage our members without the power of the Holy Spirit enabling us. You must give us the reasons and abilities to do as we should. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be saved! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man who is not feeling well.

Journal 15261

Mark 7:20
   The things which originate in our sinful soul are what gets us in trouble. The evil that proceeds from us is the real issue.

Job 41:1-Psalm 4:8

James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

Heavenly Father, thank you for the peace that you bring into our lives! You can bring settled contentment to our hearts. You can cause us to be unruffled in this rough and tumble world. You can bring us true joy and security in spite of fears and limitations. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman who is lost.

Journal 15260

Mark 7:19
   Here we see the contrast between the material and immaterial parts of man. When Jesus speaks of the heart here he is not referring to the organ that pumps blood. So the physical digestive process is not the source of sin, though it is affected by sin as part of our flesh.
   Instead, it is in the immaterial part that we find sinful defilement. What we eat, or take, or partake of, is not in itself sin. Sin is what is in our heart when we perform the act. For example, illegal acts committed unwittingly generally carry a lesser punishment because culpability is often tied to motive. In the same way, sin in our hearts is the reason for evil, not the substances or objects which we might abuse. Firing a weapon, for instance, is not evil. But, when one person fires it at another, well that’s altogether different.

Job 38:1-40:24

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Heavenly Father, I am so glad that no obstacle is too big for you! You don’t see giants like I do. There is no difficulty on the horizon as far as you are concerned. I can know that your ability far surpasses my wildest fears. You can outdo any problem I might face. Thank you for your awesome power and your love for us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man who needs to be in church. Pray for a man who is having brain surgery.

Journal 15259

Mark 7:18
   Jesus asks them why they still didn’t get it. The confusion was in part due to their misunderstanding of the issue. The Jewish leaders spoke of defilement. They had carried this idea over from the laws ‘unclean’ laws. They had taken this concept in a direction not intended by the law.
   Some have said that Jesus rewrote the law. Though Jesus has the authority to do whatever he wants, rewriting the law is not necessary. It may stand just as it is. The law is, however, fulfilled in Christ. All of it’s just demands are found perfected in him. Thus, our daily practice is based upon him, and not upon it.

Job 35:1-37:24

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Heavenly Father, we see things only from our side of heaven. May we look more with the eyes of faith and see that the patience that we must have is really not that much of a difficulty. You do all things in the right time. And you know exactly how to lead us. You are not some out-of-touch God who has no concept of what we are or how we operate. You wrote the book on us and you know what we need. Thank you for taking care of us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman’s unspoken request. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one.

Journal 15258