“So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed” (Mark 16:19-20).

The truth changes all our wrong thinking.  Those who fear what this life may bring and live without grace are subject to the winds of the day.  Those who know that the Lord is watching over us all trust that, live or die, we belong to Him and that in Him, though we die, yet shall we live.  Faith brings us into right relationship with our God.  Live the life You have been given and in living, you will be His witness.

Lord, help my unbelief.  You have given me the gift of faith, and in that faith, You have told me that You have a purpose for my life.  I am often circumstantial and want what I want in the moment, and the truth is, I do not really know what I want.  Take me out of the crazy circles of uncertainty in this life in order to live into the life You have set before me.  You have given us the words of eternal life.

Lord Jesus, where I doubt, remind me that You are leading the way.  Where I become conditional, remove the obstacles so that I will trust You above all things, especially my circumstances.  When I fear, grant me knowledge of Your love, knowing that perfect love casts out all fear.  Be the One who is leading me through all of the circumstances that will come before me.  Amen.

“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

Trusting in the Lord is a matter of looking to Him for all things.  He will guide and protect you when you walk in His ways.  Those who believe will do amazing things, but that does not mean that all will.  Some faithful have never cast out demons or have been bitten by serpents and been poisoned.  The point is, in the Lord He will cause all things to work together.  Trust Him and the gifts He gives you.

Lord, the sinner in me says, “Give me the magic.”  Rebuke that, gracious Lord, so that I may trust that as I live and then die in this age, it fulfills Your purpose.  Lead me to know that if You do want a special gift in me, I will know it and it shall be used for the Father’s glory.  Guide me out of worldly thinking in its terms of greed and jealousy to have a new mind that seeks what is right and fitting for every situation.

Lord Jesus, You were crucified. and rose from the dead, preparing the way for all who follow You.  Let me not test You but believe that the Father is always watching over me.  No matter the circumstances, help me to hold fast to the faith You have given me.  Guide me in the way You set before me knowing that all things will work together for good for Your bride, the church.  Amen.

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

The good news of the Gospel is not something we just sit on and think about.  We are to live it.  Wherever we go, we are an ambassador for our Risen Lord.  We are to grow in the faith we have been given and be a living witness at all times and in all places.  No matter our circumstance, we are to affirm the truth that Christ has risen from the dead and that all who believe will be united with Him eternally.  Walk as one who has been redeemed.

Lord, this is of Your doing and not mine.  All I can do is reflect the light which You have caused to illumine my heart and mind.  Help me to learn that this gift of faith You have given me is not something private, but it is now who I am.  I am Yours.  You have redeemed me at the cost of Your body given for me and Your own shed blood.  You have redeemed me for purpose in Your kingdom.  Help me to learn what it means to be Your witness.

Lord Jesus, You are my teacher.  Coming to faith and knowing that You have been raised from the dead is the narrow gate to the journey of faith.  Help me to embark on this journey following You as You lead me.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to understand that only in You is there a true life.  Help me to be a consistent witness of Your grace and mercy so that others may come to You in faith.  Amen.

“Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen” (Mark 16:14).

Does the Lord need to reproach you for your unbelieving hardness of heart?  Do not test the Lord.  He has spoken the words of eternal life, and You have received them.  Be not unbelieving, but believing, and live in the faith which You have been given.  Trust the Holy Spirit to awaken your heart if another gives you a witness of the Risen Lord, knowing that you have received the truth when the Risen Lord is proclaimed.

Lord, living in a skeptical and unbelieving generation I am hammered all day long by those who are hostile to the faith.  Sadly, it too often influences me and doubts arise.  To go to unbelief, I have to deny what I already believe is true.  Help me to learn how to hold fast to the truth that I first received.  Let the truth of Your resurrection dwell richly in my heart, soul, and mind.

Lord Jesus, You have come to save us; and we all need saving.  You have come so that we may have true life and not live in the doubts of this foolish world.  Lead me to live in the faith You have given me.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to humbly walk with You no matter what those around me say or do.  Teach me how to be a faithful witness of Your resurrection as You conform me to Your image.  Amen.   

“After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country.  They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:12-13).

Since that day, witnesses have gone out and proclaimed that Christ is risen, but many who hear the report will not believe.  Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of the blind.  The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not comprehend it. No matter how many witnesses come, for some it takes a long time and for others, they stubbornly will not believe.  You have heard the witnesses.  Believe, and know that Christ is raised from the dead.

Lord, help my unbelief.  In a skeptical world, there are those who will not believe.  You have opened the eyes of my heart to see and believe.  Help me to not fall back into unbelief, but know that You are the Alpha and Omega, and You have chosen to do things the way You have done them.  Although I may not understand many of these things, I do understand that the grave could not contain you.

Lord Jesus, in the mystery of faith You have opened my eyes to see and believe.  Help my belief so that I too may be a witness of Your resurrection.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to live in the truth, that because You live, I too shall live.  Lead me in the truth of faith to live amidst those who cannot or will not see and continue being be a witness of Your resurrection.  Aid me to live in the true faith.  Amen. 

“When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it” (Mark 16:11).

They refused to believe it.  The greatest miracle of our age and they would not believe.  Is that not the case in our generation?  Many refuse to believe.  The most unreasonable thing is to become one who does not believe simply because others will not believe it.  Refuse the wickedness of this world, and be not unbelieving, but believing.  Christ has risen and because He has risen, we too shall rise.

Lord God, how often do I believe the pablum of this world but reject the truth which witnesses have spoken to me.  Break my unbelieving heart so that I may believe the truth which You have revealed.  Lead me through every temptation to not reject what You have spoken so that I may live the life of faith which You have granted me.  Guide me by Your Holy Spirit to believe, speak, and do what is right in Your sight.

Lord Jesus, risen from the dead, You have sent witnesses out in every time and place.  Often, their witness is not received, but Your word never comes back void.  Send me out into the world as Your witness that whether or not that witness is received, I faithfully proclaim it anyway.  Guide me in the way of living this life You have given me.  Help me to be bold in witness, always relying upon You, the One of whom I witness.  Amen.

“Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.  She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping” (Mark 16:9-10).

The one who has been forgiven much loves much.  Perhaps Jesus went to the one who was most ready to receive.  He chose Mary (as far as we know) to be the first witness of His resurrection.  Our Lord does things very intentionally.  At that time, in a world that did not accept the testimony of a woman, He chose a woman to be His first witness.  We are to believe the veracity of the report regardless of who speaks it.

Lord, in many and various ways You speak to us.  Should it really matter if it comes from a small child or anyone else?  Of course not.  Truth is truth; but the ideological pollution of this world trains my mind to accept only what the world deems acceptable.  Guide me so that I am willing to hear Your voice wherever and whenever You will speak.  Help me to seek after the wisdom You grant to Your faithful.

Savior of our souls, You have revealed the truth to those who believe.  The unbelieving will not receive the report.  Lead my life such that I become Your witness at all times.  Regardless of how the world presses in on me, guide me to believe in You and act according to the Father’s will.  Help me in those times where I speak what is true, though not received, so that I may humbly proclaim a good testimony, and see to it that I leave to You what You will do with my testimony.  Amen.

“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”  They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:7-8).

They were afraid.  The Lord has done something not expected and they did not know how to react.  How often is this pattern of this world so ingrained in us that we will not believe what we have been told by the Lord?  Fear shuts our mouths and we do not speak.  The joy of the resurrection is so great that we should be shouting about it.  Instead. we flee, trembling and afraid.

Lord, what seems impossible to us is the very thing which gives us hope.  I would like to think that I would not have reacted that way, but I probably would have.  Teach me, so that when You do what seems impossible to me, I react with faith and not fear.  There is much to fear in this world and my mind races to those fear places.  Help me to abide in Your peace which surpasses all understanding.

Lord Jesus, You did exactly what You said You would do.  On the third day You, the true temple, were raised.  What the world means to destroy, You resurrect, making all things new.  Help me to learn how to trust You above all things.  Guide me in Your goodness and grace so that I live into the life You have set before me.  Lead me to react with faith and not fear.  Grant that I become calm and accepting of Your continual presence.  Amen.

“Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.  And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him” (Mark 16:5-6).

The Lord sends His messengers.  Things are not what we often imagine.  The Lord is not in the grave.  Our faith is built upon the fact that Christ has been raised from the dead.  If He lives, then we too shall live.  This singular truth is the hope we all have in Christ.  We were created to live in the Father’s presence forever.  Let this simple truth be the foundation of your trust and hope.

Holy Lord and God of salvation, the way of the world sneaks in and makes things so difficult.  In the utter simplicity of the truth of the resurrection, help me to build my faith upon the fact of the resurrection.  Guide me to do what You would have me do.  There are many ways in which this truth has been expressed, so help me to express this through my daily living.  You have revealed the truth of the ages through Your resurrection from the dead.  Help me to abide in the truth.

Lord Jesus, You are not some antiquated idea, long dead in the grave, but alive and active in our world.  You have called me to You and given me the hope and promise of the resurrection.  Lead me ever deeper into the mystery of all that this means.  Help me to form my life around You, the One who has redeemed me and called me to follow You in the grand adventure of faith.  Guide me now and always in the truth You have revealed.  Amen.

“They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”  Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large” (Mark 16:3-4).

If you are going about your daily business and something is not as you expect, look for the hand of the Lord.  He shows up in our daily life.  He is interested in your day.  Do not ignore the signs He gives.  Yes, things can be amiss, but also the Lord does show up, so do not be deceived.  Go about your day, but trust that the Lord will be with You, preparing the way before you.

Lord, I often do not think in these terms.  I think of magnificent things happening when You are present, not just the ordinary things.  Yet, You have told me that You are with me always and will prepare the way before me.  Lead me so that I trust the truth that You are always with me.  Guide me to live into the life You have given me knowing that all things will work together for good because of Your love.

Lord Jesus, You were not in the tomb, and accomplished what the Father intended.  Let me not be swayed by momentary circumstances but know that You are always with me.  Guide me in the way of Your goodness and mercy so that I live in the Christ-life to which You have called me.  Lead me in this new life and help me to see those places You show me where You have prepared the way before me.  Amen.