Mark Reading Plan – W6D5
Week 6 | Day 5 | Mark 6:45-56
Pray
Pause and breathe for a minute. Then ask God to open your eyes and your ears to his Word
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Reflection & Questions
Does life ever feel like you’re rowing a boat, straining at the oars with the wind constantly against you?
As he saw the disciples struggling in the middle of the lake, Jesus couldn’t miss an opportunity to give them a visual lesson. He strolled across the water toward them, making their frantic rowing look ridiculous! They freaked out at the site of a “ghost”. But then Jesus climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down.
How often are we straining at the oars against life’s problems and we just need Jesus in the boat with us! Truth is, Jesus is always in the boat with us (Hebrews 13:5). So often though we’d rather just get on with the straining rather than stop to sense His presence. But when we do, we can hear Him say to us “Take Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Like in today’s reading, Jesus constantly modeled to his disciples the habit of getting away to pray. He wanted them (and us) to know that that was a critical practice in knowing God is with us in the boat we call life.
- What winds of life are you straining against right now?
- Have you forgotten that Jesus is with you? If so, why?
Pray
Thank Jesus that he is in the boat with you and invite Him to speak to you. Pause and listen to what He has to say.
Worship Song
In response to today’s reading, you could use this song to worship Jesus:
Bible Reading
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Reflection and Questions
Does life ever feel like you’re rowing a boat, pulling and pushing at the oars with the wind constantly against you? Basically like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t do it?
As Jesus saw the disciples struggling in the middle of the lake, He couldn’t miss an opportunity to teach them a visual lesson. He WALKED across the water toward them, making their non-stop rowing look ridiculous! They freaked out at the site of a “ghost”. But then Jesus climbed into the boat with them and the wind calmed down.
How often are we stuck in life, when really we just need Jesus in the boat with us! Well, the truth is that Jesus is ALWAYS in the boat with us, because He is always there for us. But when we focus on Jesus, we can hear Him say to us “Take Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Like in today’s reading, Jesus was always teaching his disciples the habit of taking time to pray. He wanted them (and us) to know that that it is an incredibly important part of knowing God! When life is at it’s hardest, make sure you take a second to step back and pray, because God is with you, and He loves you.
- What hard thing is going on in your life right now?
- Do you believe that God is always with you?
Prayer
Thank Jesus that He is always with you, and ask for help to remember that more often!
Bible Reading
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Devo Focus
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.Vss. 50-51
Devo
Does life ever feel like you’re rowing a boat, straining at the oars with the wind constantly against you? Maybe you just can’t pass your chemistry class or you and your parents are constantly arguing. It can be frustrating and overwhelming, right? As he saw the disciples struggling in the middle of the lake, Jesus couldn’t miss an opportunity to give them a visual lesson. He strolled across the water toward them, making their frantic rowing look ridiculous! They freaked out at the site of a “ghost”. But then Jesus climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down. How often are we straining at the oars against life’s problems and we just need Jesus in the boat with us! Truth is, Jesus is always in the boat with us (Hebrews 13:5). So often though we’d rather just get on with the straining rather than stop to sense His presence. But when we do, we can hear Him say to us “Take Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Like in today’s reading, Jesus constantly modeled to his disciples the habit of getting away to pray. He wanted them (and us) to know that that was a critical practice in knowing God is with us in the boat we call life.
- What winds of life are you straining against right now?
- Have you forgotten that Jesus is with you? If so, why?
Prayer
Thank Jesus that he is in the boat with you and invite Him to speak to you. Pause and listen to what He has to say.
