“And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:37-38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.14.37-38.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus says, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I can try to “correct” my flesh, but the only genuine way I can do anything is to chose to live in the Spirit and deny the flesh. Please pray that we and our friends chose to live by the Spirit today. Please pray for Paul and Ken’s group. 

“And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:12-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.14.12-16.esv
All,
This stands out because the disciples “found it just as He told them”. How often do we doubt God? Especially when it seems far fetched to obey? There are so many blessings that I am sure I leave on the table because I am not willing to obey in the simplest of ways. If we will only obey, we will be a part of so many blessings that are part of God’s purpose. Please pray that we and our friends obey God’s nudges today. Please pray for Cedric, Jonnell and Devon’s group. 

““But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:9-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.13.9-13.esv
All,
There is a lot that sticks out here, but the part that sticks out the most is when Jesus says, “do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit”. When we are in difficult situations, God is with us and using us for His purpose. We can silently say a prayer to Him asking Him to give us the words to say and He does. Please pray that we and our friends obey God’s nudges today and trust He will give us the words to say in love. Please pray for T.C. and Bradley’s group. 

“And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:32-34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.12.32-34.esv
All,
This sticks out because Jesus says, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” In believing the two great commandments, Jesus says he is close. Everyone “knows” the commandments, but do they “believe” them? I would think that if the majority of Christians “believe” these commandments, the U.S. wouldn’t have the issues it has today. Please pray that we and our friends “love him with ALL the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself”. Please pray for Christian’s group. 

“Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.””‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:24-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.12.24-27.esv
All,
This sticks out because Jesus says, “because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God”. Jesus is talking to the Sadducees who ruled with the Pharisees in the Temple. They were the ones who took a lot of pride in knowing God and His Word, but yet Jesus calls them out on both. As Christians today, do we know the Scriptures and the power of God? Please pray that we and our friends encourage one another to know the Scriptures and witness the power of God through our faith in Him. Please pray for Chris and Ryan’s group. 

“As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:20-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.11.20-24.esv
All,
This sticks out because Jesus adds, “and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him”. I doubt God will do a certain outcome often, but in prayer He reveals to me that He has a plan and to trust Him in His plan and His outcome. I feel comfortable “not doubting” that He has a plan and His plan is best. Please pray that when we and our friends are tempted to doubt God that we go to Him in prayer and give Him our doubts and ask Him to enable us to trust. Please pray for Steven and Cheever’s group. 

“On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:12-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.11.12-14.esv
All,
This sticks out because it seems harsh to “punish” a fig tree for having no fruit, but it was “in leaf”. It had the appearance like it should produce fruit, but it wasn’t the season. Jesus then walked into the Temple, which had the appearance to produce fruit in people lives, but it wasn’t and he “punished” them also. Jesus loves to see the fruit of the Spirit grow in us. He doesn’t want us to just look like fruit producing trees, but to actually have fruit. Please pray that we and our friends step out in faith today as He fills us with the fruit of the Spirit. Please pray for Jeremy and Gary’s group. 

“And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,”‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.10.32.esv
All,
This sticks out because Mark says, “And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid”. Why “afraid”? The sentence seems to come out of nowhere in the context. However, if we are truly following Jesus, I think we are constantly amazed and afraid because we are not in control. He is pushing our envelope to trust Him a little more each step. Please pray that we and our friends take the next step behind Him in trust and prepare to be amazed. Please pray for T.C. and Bradley’s group. 

“And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.””‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:33-37‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.9.33-37.esv
All,
This sticks out because Jesus says, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Is that our constant thought? Are we looking how we can serve everyone? When we see someone in sin, do we condemn them or have compassion for them? If we feel compelled to point the spot in someone’s eye, are we doing it from compassion or condemnation? Please pray that we seek Christ and lead our community to seek Christ so they can experience the joy we have. Please pray for Robert and Jim’s group. 

“And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.””‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:25-29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mrk.9.25-29.esv
All,
This sticks out because Jesus says, “anything but prayer”. How powerful do we see prayer? I know we ask for prayers of people when they are sick, but do we pray WITH friends when they are in despair? Anxiety? Worried? Prayer acknowledges the exchanged life and we get to see the Holy Spirit’s power. Please pray that we and our friends go to God in prayer today at troubling moments(and good moments) and trust His outcome. Please pray for Ken and Paul’s group.