Mark’s Gospel
This daily devotional is designed to help you grow in reading and praying Scripture so that Jesus becomes more precious to you.
Each day has different components. The point is to give fresh ways of engaging with God in prayer and Scripture. It is NOT necessary to do every element but only what time allows.
Prepare. Find a quiet place with an upright chair. Put both feet on the ground and relax. Quieten your heart. Open your hands as a sign of inviting Jesus to be present with you through his Spirit. Give him any worries or burdens that are on your mind. Confess any sins that you are immediately aware of. Thank him for his forgiveness and presence with you.
Pray with the church. It is easy to pray in a rut. Prayers of believers from history give new ways of praising or praying.
Ask: Bible reading is not primarily an intellectual exercise. We want Jesus to speak to us. So ask him to.
Read: Read through the passage twice. Once for overview and once more slowly. Dwell on any phrases or words that jump out to you. Use the questions to help you.
Meditate (optional): To meditate means to ‘chew.’ In meditating we take a short verse from the reading and slowly chew it over and over again. Each time emphasise a different word. E.g. OUR Father in heaven, Our FATHER in heaven, Our Father IN HEAVEN. You may even personalise the verse. “Chris, your sins are forgiven.”
Questions: These are to help you reflect on the passage. Each series of questions finishes with a call to respond. This might be in Praise & thanks, Confession or Petition (PCP). There might be a specific action God calls you to take.
Write: your reflections down.
Pray the Word. Use your reflections to pray in concentric circles. One way to do this is PCP – Praise, Confession, Petition. Start with yourself. Move on to friends & family. Then use the prayer points in the Prayer diary to pray for the church members and prayer requests given.
Mark’s gospel
The book of Mark is all about “Who is Jesus?” Chapters 1-8:30 show him as the Messiah, God’s promised King which culminates in Peter’s confession “You are the Christ.” Chapters 8:31-16:20 are how Jesus is not the king we expect but a suffering, crucified and resurrected King.
As you read through, Mark deliberately designs his gospel to highlight responses to Jesus so that we, the readers, ask ourselves “how am I responding to Jesus today?”
All Bible readings are from the NIVUK.
Chris’s introductory video