A Message from Pastor Jamey
Hey Everybody,
We've been in the Gospel of Mark since the beginning of the year in our church-wide reading plan, "The Year with Jesus." I hope you have been tracking along with us. If you haven't, I will give you instructions at the end of this email so you can find it and begin reading Scripture with the rest of us. My thinking behind choosing this reading plan was that if we could all spend a year listening to and observing Jesus while he walked this earth, He might rub off on us. I say it all the time, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. My goal with this plan is to move Jesus closer to that circle of 5 in your life and our collective life as a church family.
As you follow Jesus, a certain theme jumps off the pages. In fact, in the very first chapter of Mark, we read:
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35
This verse indicates that Jesus prioritized time spent with His Father in prayer. Why would Jesus feel the need to pray? After all, He is the second person of the trinity; no one knew the Father's will or heart better than He did. He wasn't praying to get anything from God. He wasn't praying because he had messed up somehow and needed His Father to bail Him out. Why would He spend time praying in the early morning? If you look at the context of this verse, you will also see that Jesus carved out this time amid a VERY busy schedule. Jesus didn't pray because He was bored. He had things to do, and that was why He prayed. That reminds me of the classic book on prayer by Bill Hybels, "Too Busy Not to Pray." This book is still available in paperback. While it has been around for a long time, it is still relevant. It would be helpful if you want to grow your understanding and prayer capacity.
Jesus does the same thing in Mark chapter 6. After a busy day of teaching and performing miracles, we're told that:
Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Mark 6:45-46
Jesus sends the crowds away and pushes the disciples to head out so that He can get some time and space to connect with His Father in prayer. On another occasion in Mark chapter 9, the disciples desperately tried to cast a demon out of a young guy. They had seen Jesus do this a bunch of times before, and I can almost imagine them trying to do it over and over, arguing with one another about why nothing was happening. Jesus shows up, sees them struggling, and quickly dispatches the demon. When the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't do that, we read:
Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer. Mark 9:29
There was a connection between the amazingness of Jesus and His connection with His Father through prayer. In fact, just a couple of chapters later, Jesus tells the disciples:
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." Mark 11:22-26
Have you seen power like that through your prayers? Why not? This Sunday, we are starting a new series called "Pray." Throughout this series, we will explore the mystery, the power, and the importance of prayer in the life of the Believer. According to Jesus, we NEED this connection, and many of us are missing it. Please join me at 9 or 10:45, and be sure to invite a friend to sit with you!
Blessings,
Pastor Jamey
PS What questions do you have about prayer? Reply to this email and let me know, and I will try to respond to them in the coming weeks through the Outlet.
PPS The Year with Jesus reading plan. To access this plan, go to the Believers Church App. At the bottom of the screen, touch "Reading Plan." The Bible will open to Genesis 1; at the bottom, you will see "Plan." Touch that, and it will take you to today's reading. Are you way behind? It doesn't matter; the goal of our church-wide reading plans is to read the Bible together. Just start today.
