MON, JAN 20
Psalm 119:10–18 (ESV)10 With our whole heart we seek you; let us not wander from your commandments! 11 We have stored up your word in our hearts, that we might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach us your statutes! 13 With our lips we declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies we delight as much as in all riches. 15 We will meditate on your precepts and fix our eyes on your ways. 16 We will delight in your statutes; we will not forget your word. 17 Deal bountifully with your servants, that we may live and keep your word. 18 Open our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading):
1. Read (1st Reading) - just listen
2. Reflect (2nd Reading) - think about words/phrases that stand out to you
3. Respond (3rd Reading) - pray back to God where/what you think He is leading you to, or even Who He is wanting you to believe and trust that He is
4. Rest
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:1-9 (English Standard Version)
1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Reflect
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:1-9 (New Jerusalem Bible)
1 Again he began to teach them by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the water and sat there. The whole crowd were at the lakeside on land. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them, 3 ‘Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow. 4 Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and at once sprang up, because there was no depth of earth; 6 and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away. 7 Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. 8 And some seeds fell into rich soil, grew tall and strong, and produced a good crop; the yield was thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.’ 9 And he said, ‘Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!’
Reflect
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:1-9 (New Living Translation)
1 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2 He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
Respond
Devotional Thoughts
Mark 4:1-9
Intercessory Prayer
Lord’s Prayer (Pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen.