Mark 11-12, Psalm 100
Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)
“Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’’”
In Mark 12:29–30, a teacher of religious law asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Christ told him that the most important commandment was to love the Lord with everything you have and are—with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love for the Lord is the foundation from which obedience to His other commandments flows.
When I read these verses, what stood out to me was the phrase “love the Lord with all your strength.” One Bible commentary I read noted that Jesus perfectly fulfilled this commandment through His obedient life and His willingness to accept death on the cross. I know I love Father-God with all my heart, soul, and mind. But I had never really thought about what it means to love Father-God with all my strength, which can include how I use my physical energy, abilities, and resources.
I always thought of most of my actions as my own, with the Lord being given the actions that related specifically to church. But with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am learning that loving Father-God also means that what I do with my body and my strength should glorify Him. When I serve others, I need to think of myself as working for the Lord. And I need to use my strength to persevere when I am tired or face opposition. When I do these things, I am learning what it means to love the Lord with all my strength and to give Him the energy and abilities He has given me.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who teaches us what it means to love Father-God with all that we are—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Monday, September 14, 2026
Day 254 Bible Readings for September 13 - Mark 9:23-24 (NLT)
Mark 9-10, Psalm 99
Mark 9:23-24 (NLT)
“‘What do you mean, ‘If I can?’’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes. The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!’”
In Mark 9:23–24, a man brought his son to see Jesus so He could heal him from an evil spirit because the disciples had been unable to do it. The man asked Jesus to help his son if He could. Christ responded that everything is possible for one who believes. The man immediately said that he did believe, but he also acknowledged his struggle to believe and asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief.
In these verses, the man who wanted Jesus to perform a miracle confessed his unbelief and wasn't ashamed to ask Jesus for help with it. When I read these verses, I thought about all the times I was ashamed to admit to myself and to the Lord that I had unbelief in my heart and mind. I wanted to hold on to the belief that my faith was stronger than it actually was.
The Holy Spirit is now teaching and guiding me to ask the Lord for help and to give up the belief and illusion that I still have strength in myself—that I don't have to be one hundred percent dependent on Father-God. These verses remind me that I don't have to hide the areas where my faith is still developing. I can believe in Father-God and still ask Him to help me with the places where I struggle to believe. I have surrendered, but the Holy Spirit keeps showing me that there is more to surrender. I believe, but there is still unbelief that I need Jesus to help me overcome. My daily prayer is now: Father-God, I believe You. Now help me with the parts of me that still struggle to believe.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who meets us even in our struggle to believe and helps our faith grow—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Mark 9:23-24 (NLT)
“‘What do you mean, ‘If I can?’’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes. The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!’”
In Mark 9:23–24, a man brought his son to see Jesus so He could heal him from an evil spirit because the disciples had been unable to do it. The man asked Jesus to help his son if He could. Christ responded that everything is possible for one who believes. The man immediately said that he did believe, but he also acknowledged his struggle to believe and asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief.
In these verses, the man who wanted Jesus to perform a miracle confessed his unbelief and wasn't ashamed to ask Jesus for help with it. When I read these verses, I thought about all the times I was ashamed to admit to myself and to the Lord that I had unbelief in my heart and mind. I wanted to hold on to the belief that my faith was stronger than it actually was.
The Holy Spirit is now teaching and guiding me to ask the Lord for help and to give up the belief and illusion that I still have strength in myself—that I don't have to be one hundred percent dependent on Father-God. These verses remind me that I don't have to hide the areas where my faith is still developing. I can believe in Father-God and still ask Him to help me with the places where I struggle to believe. I have surrendered, but the Holy Spirit keeps showing me that there is more to surrender. I believe, but there is still unbelief that I need Jesus to help me overcome. My daily prayer is now: Father-God, I believe You. Now help me with the parts of me that still struggle to believe.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who meets us even in our struggle to believe and helps our faith grow—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Day 253 Bible Readings for September 12 - Mark 8:34-35 (NLT)
Mark 7-8, Psalm 98
Mark 8:34-35 (NLT)
“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.’”
In Mark 8:34–35, after Jesus told His disciples about His death and resurrection, He said that if anyone wants to follow Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. Following Christ means renouncing self-rule and surrendering personal desires and ambitions when they conflict with the Lord's will. Then Christ said that whoever tries to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Him and for the gospel will save it. Loyalty to Jesus may require surrender and sacrifice, but through Him we ultimately find true and eternal life with Father-God.
When I read these verses, I thought about how much of my life I am willing to surrender to the Lord. I thought I had surrendered everything, but the guidance of the Holy Spirit keeps reminding me that surrender to Father-God is like peeling back the layers of an onion. There is always more to surrender to the Lord. There are surface things, like giving up alcohol, but there are also deeper things, like giving up family traditions and beliefs and even society's beliefs and traditions when they conflict with the Lord's will.
While I love the image of Jesus as the shepherd, I still have a hard time thinking of myself as a sheep because society has given sheep such a negative image of blind obedience, low intelligence, and lack of individuality. But when I researched sheep and their behavior, I learned that they are remarkably intelligent animals. Studies have shown that they can recognize human faces, remember paths, and navigate complex social relationships. They also flock together as a strategy for survival because there is greater protection in staying together. I pray daily and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance to help me surrender more to the Lord so I can follow His will for my life.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who calls us to surrender our lives to Him so that we may find true life in Him—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Mark 8:34-35 (NLT)
“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.’”
In Mark 8:34–35, after Jesus told His disciples about His death and resurrection, He said that if anyone wants to follow Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. Following Christ means renouncing self-rule and surrendering personal desires and ambitions when they conflict with the Lord's will. Then Christ said that whoever tries to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Him and for the gospel will save it. Loyalty to Jesus may require surrender and sacrifice, but through Him we ultimately find true and eternal life with Father-God.
When I read these verses, I thought about how much of my life I am willing to surrender to the Lord. I thought I had surrendered everything, but the guidance of the Holy Spirit keeps reminding me that surrender to Father-God is like peeling back the layers of an onion. There is always more to surrender to the Lord. There are surface things, like giving up alcohol, but there are also deeper things, like giving up family traditions and beliefs and even society's beliefs and traditions when they conflict with the Lord's will.
While I love the image of Jesus as the shepherd, I still have a hard time thinking of myself as a sheep because society has given sheep such a negative image of blind obedience, low intelligence, and lack of individuality. But when I researched sheep and their behavior, I learned that they are remarkably intelligent animals. Studies have shown that they can recognize human faces, remember paths, and navigate complex social relationships. They also flock together as a strategy for survival because there is greater protection in staying together. I pray daily and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance to help me surrender more to the Lord so I can follow His will for my life.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who calls us to surrender our lives to Him so that we may find true life in Him—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Friday, September 11, 2026
Day 252 Bible Readings - Mark 5:35-36 (NLT)
Mark 5-6, Psalm 97
Mark 5:35-36 (NLT)
“While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, ‘Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.’ But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.’”
In Mark 5:35–36, while Jairus was listening to Jesus speak to the woman He had healed, messengers arrived and told him that his daughter was dead. Jesus overheard them and told Jairus not to be afraid, but to have faith.
These verses show what can happen when you've prayed or believed Father-God for something and circumstances appear to get worse rather than better. Jairus had already demonstrated his faith by coming to Jesus and falling at His feet, despite being a leader of the synagogue. But then he heard the news that his daughter had died, and Jesus told him not to be afraid. Christ told Jairus to have faith instead of giving in to fear. Jairus kept walking with Christ to see his daughter, demonstrating that he continued to trust Him even after receiving devastating news.
When I read these verses, I asked myself, what would my trust look like if the news I received told me there was no longer any reason to hope? Could I continue trusting Father-God when what I see seems to contradict what I'm believing? Would I have the faith of Jairus and keep walking with and believing in the Lord? I know my faith has increased with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and I continue to pray that my trust in Father-God will increase over the years.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who encourages us to trust Him rather than give in to fear—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Mark 5:35-36 (NLT)
“While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, ‘Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.’ But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.’”
In Mark 5:35–36, while Jairus was listening to Jesus speak to the woman He had healed, messengers arrived and told him that his daughter was dead. Jesus overheard them and told Jairus not to be afraid, but to have faith.
These verses show what can happen when you've prayed or believed Father-God for something and circumstances appear to get worse rather than better. Jairus had already demonstrated his faith by coming to Jesus and falling at His feet, despite being a leader of the synagogue. But then he heard the news that his daughter had died, and Jesus told him not to be afraid. Christ told Jairus to have faith instead of giving in to fear. Jairus kept walking with Christ to see his daughter, demonstrating that he continued to trust Him even after receiving devastating news.
When I read these verses, I asked myself, what would my trust look like if the news I received told me there was no longer any reason to hope? Could I continue trusting Father-God when what I see seems to contradict what I'm believing? Would I have the faith of Jairus and keep walking with and believing in the Lord? I know my faith has increased with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and I continue to pray that my trust in Father-God will increase over the years.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who encourages us to trust Him rather than give in to fear—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
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