“But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-44).

I believe that God made me.  This is what Luther gave in the explanation of the meaning of the first article of the creed.  God made you and me to be where we are, as we are, who we are, and will make us to be whom we will be.  We are in God’s hands.  We are servants of the Lord.  Whatever you do, do it as serving the Lord.  Our Lord came to serve, and we too should serve when and where He calls us to serve.

Lord, this world promotes getting ahead, being on top, accumulating, and sees leadership as belonging to the one on top.  Teach me to serve You.  You served me first and You have called me to be like You.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to live into the life You have given me so that I may humbly walk in Your ways.  Let me not worry about position but be humbly  thankful for the life You have given me.

Lord Jesus, You have served us all.  You, through whom all things were made, have come into the world bringing life and hope.  Teach me what it means to serve You by serving others.  Lead me to not be concerned with where I am or what position I hold, but serve with all that I am.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy so that others may accept the opportunity of coming into Your kingdom of love.  Amen.

“Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.  Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them” (Mark 10:41-42).

This world has the habit of encouraging us to crawl over each other to get ahead and be on the top of the heap.  Some want to be number one and when they get there, others become indignant.  Jesus strips the nonsense of this world away to reveal that we are not to exercise our authority unjustly, one over the other.  Yes, Jesus gives authority, but it is for His purpose and not for our own.  We are called to serve both the Lord, and our neighbor.

Lord, the infection of self-centeredness runs deep in me.  I want to get ahead and I am jealous of others who have more authority than me.  You have come to redeem me from the pit of this wickedness.  There is only One who is Lord and that is You.  Come into my heart and clean out all the false things that are in there.  Let me understand that You appoint whom You appoint to all positions.

Lord Jesus, You have come to redeem all who believe.  You are the Lord of my life.  You have appointed me to the place where I am to do what You give me to do.  Lead me in the way of everlasting life so that I may humbly walk in the way You are leading me.  Guide me according to Your goodness and mercy to know that in You alone will I be led in the right direction to do what is right according to the Father.  Amen.

“They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.  But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared” (Mark 10:39-40)

We will drink the cup of suffering and taste death.  Salvation is not being saved from the circumstances of this world but being made into the image of Christ and being prepared for eternity with the Lord.  Do not worry about position.  That is a worldly concern.  Be thankful that you have heard the voice of our Lord and have been invited into His eternal presence.  Live for the Lord who is saving you.

Lord, You know what goes on in my mind.  You know the things that I seek, both that which is right and that which is wrong.  Lead me to abandon all that is wrong in my thinking so that I may learn to humbly accept from You what is best.  You know.  Guide me into all truth and create in me a right heart which seeks for Your will and not my own.  Guide me in order that I may willingly accept the cup and baptism that You give knowing that You are completing me in faith.

Come, Lord Jesus, and minister to my heart so that I seek what is right at all times.  Guide me in the Father’s will that I may live in the circumstances You give and seek to do the Father’s will.  I am confident at times when I should not be.  Lead me to be confident in Your grace always, seeking the Father’s will at all times.  Stop me when I am wrong and be the One who is leading me in and through all circumstances.  Amen.

“They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”  But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:37-38)

Do you know what you are asking the Lord?  Is it driven by pride or one of the vices like greed or envy?  I suspect we often do not know what we are asking.  We think that if the Lord loves us, He will give us what the world calls good things.  The Lord does love us, and He will give what is good; but do we even know what is good for us?  Ask, but trust the Lord in and through all things.

Lord, You drank from the cup of suffering and were immersed in death.  This world is filled with suffering, and everyone dies the mortal death.  I sometimes ask for what can never be.  I sometimes want what never should be.  Help me even in my asking so that I seek Your will, and not my own.  I do not even know what is truly good, right, or even fitting.  Help me, Lord, through all that this life brings.

Dear Lord Jesus, I often do not know what I am asking.  I ask from a selfish motive, and You have told me that I do not receive because I ask with the wrong motive.  Lead me so that I ask with the right motive.  Help me to understand that what will come will come in my life, but that You are with me always no matter what comes.  Lead me to live humbly with what You give me.  Amen.

“James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”  And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mark 10:35-36)

How often do we go to the Lord expectantly and ask for something?  Listen to Jesus as He receives the request.  He asks what they want.  Our Lord knows what we will ask even before we ask it.  Why ask then?  For our sake He teaches us through everything we say and do.  Yes, approach the Lord with all requests, but learn to come humbly seeking the Lord’s will in all things.

Lord, I often do not even know what to ask.  There are also times when I ask for the wrong things.  How much do I come to You in the wrong way because of my attitude and level of expectation?  Help me, Lord, to ask for right things.  Guide me to know that in You alone can I have confidence.  Lead me even in the things I ask so that I may humbly walk in Your will, doing what is pleasing in Your sight.

Lord Jesus, I often ponder the depth of the salvation that is needed for my own soul.  Help me understand with the things I ask and see whether it is right and fitting for me in accordance with the Father’s will.  Teach me the questions to ask.  Teach me to discern more clearly those things I need to know.  Lord, teach me to seek the Father’s will and what that means.  Amen.

“They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again” (Mark (10:34).

The world is still trying to do this.  Jesus is mocked and scourged in public forums.  Everywhere the attempt is made to kill Jesus again, but He keeps rising.  It is not the idea of Jesus, but the reality of God showing up and walking with us that introduces us to reality.  God created all of what you see, hear, smell, feel, and comprehend.  He even invented your ability to do this.  Will you see the God who loves you?

Lord God, Creator of all things, You made me.  You made me to be who I am and placed me in the circumstances in which I find myself.  I can live trying to deny You, or else fall at Your feet and worship You.  Lead me in the way of real life.  Help me to see the reality of this age which does not just try to kill You, but it seeks to kill me as well.  You come giving life.  Help me to live the life You give.

Lord Jesus, You did all of this for the sake of everyone who would walk in the life you give.  I may not know all that this means, but I have come to the place where I understand that Your word is the word of life.  Help me to walk through all that may come my way knowing that in You alone is there hope and life.  Lead me while I die to sin, death, and the devil in order to be raised into the life which You give.  Amen.

“They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles” (Mark 10:32-33).

Jesus knows what is coming.  He and the Father are One.  Although He limited Himself to time, He knew that He was going to the cross for our sake.  It is a fearful thing in this world.  It is an even more fearful thing to know you are in the Lord’s hands.  We will make the choices we make, but the Lord knows the outcome of all things.  This world betrays and our Lord has come to save us from all betrayals.

I see the world around me which I can touch, see, hear, and smell.  I become afraid with the thoughts of this world which I see is being shaken.  Maybe that is why so many do not like history.  The world is constantly shaken.  Then I hear of Jesus being crucified and I wonder, “How can salvation come by defeat?”  But what was defeated?  Death was defeated because Jesus rose from the dead.  Death does not win, life does.

Lord Jesus, You have spoken the words that lead to eternal life.  You have told us of things that would happen and they did.  You have come to save us.  I may have fear and not understand, but You have come bringing life to light.  Help me to stand in Your light trusting that You have come to reveal all things according to the Father’s purpose.  Help me to humbly walk with You wherever You lead.  Amen.

“But many who are first will be last, and the last, first” (Mark 10:31).

In this world we are told to do whatever it takes to get ahead.  There is so much selfishness, which shows up in shoddy work and indifference.  The is much hostility on the streets of our towns and cities.  Jesus tells us to place ourselves behind and under others, seeing them as more important than ourselves.  When we get out of ourselves we begin to see that we are a part of and not the center of the world.  We begin to see the Lord for who He is.

Lord, only one can be first and only one the last.  Being with You in eternity, does it really matter who is last?  From my perspective of time, the first joined You long ago.  Help me to understand the nonsense of position that creates all kinds of devilishness.  You are the Lord and You have created me.  Help me to look to You and to be content with whom You are making me to be.

Lord Jesus, these are such simple words that have so much weight.  Guide me so that I may humbly fall into place wherever You place me.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to know more fully the truth of what You are teaching me.  Then, help me to truly live into the truth that You have revealed.  I am Yours because You have redeemed me.  Lead me on the path You have chosen and with the place which You have determined for me.  Amen.   

“Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

To what can we compare the gift of the life we have been given in Christ?  What has more value than being whom we were created to be?  The world scrambles to gain and in the end gives it all away.  Those who come into salvation are given life with true meaning.  How can these things be compared.  They cannot, for this is the road of salvation and those who listen to Jesus are taken down the eternal road.

Lord, help me to comprehend what has true and lasting value.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to understand that in You alone is there hope and a future.  The things of this world shall pass away, but what You give is forever.  Lead me in the way of true living so that I may grow into the likeness of a child of the Heavenly Father.  You know what that means.  Help me to not stop nor be hindered by anything in this world to become what You are making of me.

My Lord and Savior, You must lead me.  You will add what needs to be added and You will take away what must be taken away.  Guide me in Your goodness to humbly submit and follow where You lead.  You alone are the One who knows all that is needed.  Help me to trust You above all things.  Guide me today dear Lord and help me to live with the right choices You set before me.  Amen.

“Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You” (Mark 10:28).

What was the everything they were talking about?  Often it is not the outward things, but the inward things that need to be left behind.  As the story of the disciples unfolded, they would, in fact, shed even more and last of all their lives for the sake of the Gospel.  Jesus is the author of our faith and it comes one day at a time.  Walk in the way of Jesus and He will do all that is needed for your sake.

Lord, I often think I know all that is going on.  I do not.  There is a reason we call it being saved.  The one being saved does not know anything other than that the impossible situation is resolved by another.  You are the One who must save.  You know all that I need to be saved from.  Save me Lord and help me when I think that I have gone the distance I need to go.  Lead me all the way in salvation.

Lord Jesus, there are days when I wonder if anyone can be saved.  There are other days when I think many if not most will make it.  Lord, take me out of my own thinking.  You alone know who are Yours.  Lead me in the way of the new life You have given me so that I may humbly walk according to Your leading.  You alone know all that is needed for my life.  Guide me in Your grace and mercy to humbly follow where You lead.  Amen.