The Color of Worship - Orange

 

Ligure, or Jacinth, is the ninth stone used on the breastplate of the high priest. On this stone is engraved the tribe of Issachar. It is mainly of an orange to orange-red shade, a brilliant bold orange. This gemstone is the eleventh foundation in the wall of the new Jerusalem. 

    The color of this stone is associated with warfare, though Issachar's name means, "God has rewarded me" or God Rewards". His blessing from Jacob states that he would choose to farm the land given him, have a desire to settle down and work hard to achieve stability, and have a willingness to serve others. In Judges 5:15, Issachar follows on the heels of Barak, as they both run together into the fray, into the battle. His lack of selflessness (desire to serve others and not himself) and determination to overcome Israel's enemies were a result of his blessing from Jacob. 

    1 Chronicles 12:32 tells us that 200 men of the tribe of Issachar were politically savvy: "they understood the times". They were aware of their enemies and prepared in advance how to defend Israel and how to attack Israel's enemies. They paid attention to the moral, political and cultural changes and challenges around them. These men of Issachar are men of spiritual discernment and godly wisdom. They are men of strategic thinking, always alert and watchful. They are the example of how the Christian should be prepared for spiritual warfare. 

Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the armament of the Spiritual Warrior in the order in which it is applied to us.  

1.  Be Strong in The Lord {Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 28:7; Isaiah 41:10} and in the power of His might {Ephesians 1:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Isaiah 40:29-31}, the tunic under our armor [vs 10]

2. Put on The Full Armor of God, which enables us to stand against the wiles (the deceptions and calculated treachery) of the devil. [vs 11-13]

3. Girdle ( belt, sash) of Truth around our waist, preparing ourselves for action[vs 14]

4. Breastplate of Righteousness, akin to the breastplate of the high priest, which for the believer symbolizes the righteousness of Christ over our hearts, making it possible for enter into God's holy presence [vs 14]

5. Shoes of the preparation of the gospel of Peace on our feet, showing our preparedness {1 Peter 3:15, 16} in obeying Christ's command in Mark 16:15 to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every living creature." 

6. Shield of Faith which quenches fiery darts [vs 16] 

7. Helmet of Salvation [vs 17] {1 Thessalonians 5:8}

8. Sword of The Spirit, which is The Word of God [vs 17]

9. Praying always in The Spirit, Watching with perseverance [vs 18]

10. Speak the words which tell of the mystery (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) of the gospel in boldness, [vs 19]

~birth of Christ foretold-Isaiah 9:6, 

~Jesus is born - Matthew 2:1, 2. 

~Crucifixion foretold - Isaiah 52:14-Isaiah 53:9

~Jesus' trial and crucifixion - Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John Luke 18:28-19:30

~Resurrection foretold - Isaiah 27:19, Matthew 16:21;26:32, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, John 5:24-29

~Jesus walks out of the grave - Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-9, Luke 24:1-12, John 20

11. Preach freely and boldly,  fearlessly and without care for one's self, but with the goal to share Jesus with as many people as we can before our days end [vs 20] 

             

Prayer Cards - Watch and Pray

 Matthew 26:41

“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in The Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

GOD IS FAITHFUL

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:2-4

For in Christ Jesus the law of The Spirit of Life set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    Sin is sneaky. It whispers. It tantalizes. It questions. It distracts. It is deceitful. It is cunning. It lies. It is everything The Word of God is not, so it tries to draw us away from the Truth of God's Word. 

    We have to be alert to sin's tactics, its delusions, its falsehoods. We need to know The Truth of The Word of God for ourselves that we may be able to judge right from wrong, fact from fiction, truth from lies.

    So we pray to the God of the Holy Bible, the Holy Scriptures: The Living God Who hears the prayers of the righteous and answers according to His Word and His perfect Will for His people. And when we pray for God's perfect will to be done, we are surrendering our will--what we want as the desired outcome--for what God wants as His desired outcome.

    We submit to God's Authority for He is our heavenly Father and wants only the best for His people, His children. So He gives us the Best when He gives us His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit: Jesus for our Salvation & Deliverance and The Spirit for Empowerment to Witness and Transform our Souls.

    This is our PEACE in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8, 9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The Color of Worship - Dark Green, Emerald

 

    Revelation 4:3 The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne. 

    The darker the shade of green in an emerald, the more valuable it is. Shaded or lighter colored emeralds are usually referred to as beryl, not emerald.  

We are used to seeing cut emeralds,

 but imagine, if you will, an emerald rainbow. Many Christian artists have attempted this, some known (Botticelli, Dore, Chagall), most unknown. 

Ezekiel 1:28

The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of The LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking. 

    The closer we get to the living presence of God, the deeper our walk, the stronger our covenanted relationship is with Him. The emerald rainbow surrounding God's throne is reminiscent of the covenant He instituted in Genesis 9:12-16, in which He created a rainbow and set it in the first heaven: the sky and the clouds. 

    The emerald is the fourth stone in the ephod of the priestly garment. While there is much conjecture as to which tribe it represents, the Bible states that the names of the sons of Jacob are engraved on each in the order of their birth, read from right to left. Therefore, emerald represents the tribe of Naphtali, Jacob's fourth son. Also, in Revelation 21:19, the fourth foundation of the new Jerusalem's walls is covered in emeralds. 

    Psalm 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. Here emerald green testifies of trust in God's mercy because I have made God my Refuge, not material wealth and possessions (verse 7). Emerald green here is Abundant Living through Faith in God; a deep, expansive life in The Tree of Life: Jesus Christ. 

    

    

Prayer Cards - Devoted Prayer

 

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

    Be constantly diligent; be aware and alert to the need for constant communication with our heavenly Father, especially on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are out on the mission field. As Paul states in the next verse, "as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for The Word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."

    Devote also means, 'to persevere', which in turn means we are to move forward despite setbacks and obstacles. Keep on praying regardless of who tells you not to. We can pray silently when we are surrounded by people who are offended by our prayers. When we live in a state of prayer, it is just as important to us as the air we breathe.

    Here Paul is writing to a group of Christians, so he addresses all to continue in prayer together, not just one-on-one prayer with God, but praying in the unity of The Spirit, under His lead and in His power.

    Be alert to the needs of the church as a whole. Be alert to the individual needs of each of us who makeup the church. Be alert to the approach of the enemy at the gate. Be alert to the wolves in sheep's clothing who have infiltrated the church's doors, whose words and actions do not align themselves with the whole Word of God.

    Thank God for the integrity and honest principles of the faithful leaderships which God has placed within your local church and all over the world. Thank God for your salvation and for keeping you. Thank God for Who He Is: for loving us, saving us, protecting us, leading us: "For His mercy endures forever." 

Prayer Cards - Pray For My Boldness

 Ephesians 6:19

Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, 

words may be given me 

so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel.

BOLDLY GO

Matthew 10:19, 20

But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. For it will not be you speaking, but The Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH

Acts 4:29-31

"And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your Word with complete boldness, as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke The Word of God boldly.

STRONG IN THE LORD

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in The Lord and in the power of His might.

Colossians 3:1, 2

Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

    The Holy Spirit of God can only draw out of God's people what we have placed in our hearts and minds. Our human bodies are frail, and while we remember but a part of what we read and study in the Scriptures, The Holy Spirit remembers everything.

    There are no good reasons or excuses for not reading our Bibles. The Word of God is precious, whether we hold the written Word in our hands or the spoken Word in our mouths. But even more so, The Word of God in our hearts is the most valuable to the believer, the faithful child of God.

    We are wells of Living Water, cisterns filled with The Living Word of God, if we have The Word of God in us. Now is not the time to back down, nor cease from, devouring as much of God's Word as we can take in. In the morning when we rise and awaken, The Word should be read or heard. In the evening as we prepare to rest, The Word should be taken in by eye or by ear. The Spirit will do the rest.

    The day is coming, and even now is at our doorstep, and near our families and friends, when owning a Bible will be against the law, even here in America. In-home prayer groups are being fought against by local governments in American cities and towns. Are you ready to stand up and be counted for your faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ? 

GIVE ME JESUS - Fernando Ortega
STAND UP FOR JESUS - classic hymn sung by Fountain View Christian Academy

THE LORD WEIGHETH - Evermore Collective (my newest fave group)

Made By The Word of The Lord

 

Hebrews 11:3

 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Psalm 33:6

By The Word of The LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.

     Even with today's technology and our knowledge of particles, ions and atoms, what we see is not what each of these is made of. That black hole out in space is not a black hole. The Milky Way, comets, asteroids, planets, moons and suns are made by God's Word. 

    Anatomical knowledge of any living organism is a knowledge of what is seen, not what is unseen. The unseen is seen by faith. The universe includes our planet, Earth. [Why aren't we called Dirt, which is what earth is? See, even in my studies, random questions/thoughts cross my mind.]

     From the smallest particle of creation to the largest, from the thinnest to the widest part of creation, all is created by The Word of God. Kings are set on thrones and removed from them. Oceans rise and coastlines change. Babes are formed in the womb and the old die and are forgotten. 

Colossians 1:16

For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. 

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

Revelation 4:11

 "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created."

Nehemiah 9:6

You alone are The LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.

Prayer Cards - Sin Has No Dominion Over Me

 

Psalm 19:12, 13

Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Keep Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression.

None of us can discern our own errors, for we are no better a saint than David was. We, too, must come to God and asked to be forgiven, to be cleansed, from our hidden faults. And to be kept from presumptuous sins.

What is a presumptuous sin? Arrogance and pride, self-righteousness, against God and God's people. Deliberate, willful disobedience to God's Word. Speaking against God's people, including gossip and slander. Saying unkind, unwise words to people we think we love, but in reality we struggle to love. Is that Christlike? No. So, O Lord, keep me from presumptuous sins. Cleanse me from ALL unrighteousness. Make me holy. Keep me near You.

Presumptuous sin is the great transgression. It is this transgression that caused Lucifer to rise up against God. He took his eyes off of God and turned to look at himself. The creation rose up against The Creator. This is self-love, self-righteousness, self-serving sin. It is pridefulness and vanity turned against God and His Word, His Son.

In order for presumptuous sins to not have dominion over us, we need to pray first thing in the morning. When I awake I greet The Lord with, "Good Morning, Lord." And I greet The Spirit with, "Good morning, Holy Spirit. Help me to accomplish what You have prepared for me today." We are in constant communication throughout the day. I am kept by His love.

When I was a new Christian, I would pray for a Holy Spirit muzzle, because I have a sharp wit and a sassy mouth, both of which seemed to get me into trouble. But as I grew in The Lord, He grew in me, and instead of a muzzle, I got wisdom. And grace. 

SATISFIED SOUL - Evermore Collective

Lord of The Sabbath-Sabaton Kurios

 

SABATON KURIOS

(pronounced sab'-bat-on koo'-ree-os)

LORD OF THE SABBATH

Luke 6:5

Then Jesus declared, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Kurios: Supreme Authority, Master, Absolute Ownership, Covenant Lordship, Sovereign

Sabbath: Day of rest in The Lord, Day set apart to cease from work/labors and spend all that Day with God

    Genesis 2:2-3

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all his work which God created and made. 

Sanctified: Consecrated, dedicated, set apart from

    Here in Luke 6:5 Jesus is responding to the hypercritical comments of the Pharisees, who were religious but unbelieving. They did not practice what they preached. Here, the disciples were hungry enough to break off ears of corn and eat them raw. This was seen by the Pharisees as 'work', and therefore was illegal, unlawful.

    But Jesus tells them that not only is He The Son of Man, but He is The Lord of The Sabbath as well. He is The Rest into which we enter. When we hunger, He feeds us. When we thirst, He gives us drink. Here, He gives them corn. And grace. 

    Such a rebuke the Pharisees heard, but did not receive; for at that time they began meet and talk about how to get rid of this Teacher, this Prophet. For He spoke against their hypocritic ways with authority they refused to accept. 

    Jesus Christ is still Lord of The Sabbath. How are we resting in Him? How are we honoring Him on His Day? Are we spending the Day with Him? Or are we wasting our Days in idle play and relaxation? Have we considered the consequences of not resting in God on His Day? 

    O be careful little eyes what you see, little ears what you hear, little tongues what you speak, little feet where you walk, little hands what you do, little heart what you feel, little mind what you think. 

    CHRISTIAN INDIE FOLK MORNING WORSHIP

Prayer Cards - Cry Out to The Lord

 

Psalm 142:1-2

I cry aloud to The LORD; 

I lift my voice to The LORD for mercy. 

I pour out my complaint before Him; 

I reveal my trouble to Him.

        Cry Aloud: Call out, announce audibly

        Lift My Voice: Wail, speak in anguish

        Pour Out My Complaint: Weeping, crying out to God in sorrow and lament

    Here the psalmist is unburdening himself to His God knowing that God will receive His prayer and act on the display of faith given to Him.

    The Lord is our Comforter in times of trouble, our Healer and Mender of brokenness. Whether our hearts are breaking from within (our own self-inflicted sorrow) or without (other people afflicting us). Broken hearts, broken homes, broken relationships: The Lord can heal the broken and the one who broke the broken.

    Are we fully unburdening ourselves to our heavenly Father? Are we emptying ourselves at the throne of grace and glory? Are we coming to God in humility and weakness, acknowledging Who He Is and knowing what He can do? Do we speak prayers everyone can hear or speaking what only God can hear?

    Are we the psalmist (Psalm 1), the Pharisee or the tax collector {Luke 18:9-14) when we pray? It is a question we must ask ourselves and allow the answer to be given and acted upon.

     Who is voicing the words of my heart? I am. You are. No one else can speak the anguish that is in the heart but the one who feels the pain and suffering of the heart. And to Whom are we speaking? To God, to our heavenly Father. No one else can help us. No one else can hear our hearts. No man, no woman, no idol, no icon, no saint. 

    No person on earth can forgive sins against God: only God can forgive the sins we have committed against Him. Only God can forgive us and wash us clean through the blood of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. There's no other way to be forgiven by God. We must come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord to receive forgiveness for our sins. 

    Can I forgive you when you have wronged another person? No. Only that person can forgive you. Can I answer the deep cries of your heart, the unspoken cries? No. Only God can do that. Only God knows our hearts. Only God sees what is inside our hearts. Only God knows our thoughts, too. 

    We must be the psalmist and the tax collector when we pray. Knowing there is not only a God, but one GOD, one Father, we can come to with our hopes and dreams, heartaches and sorrows, questions and ponderings. Cry out to The LORD and He will hear you. Cry out to Jesus. Don't wait. 

CRY OUT TO JESUS - Third Day

CALL ON JESUS - Nicole C. Mullens 

TALKING TO JESUS - Elevation Worship & Maverick City

JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS - Redeemed Quartet

Prayer Cards - All Night Prayer

 

Luke 6:12

And it came to pass in those days 

that He went out to the mountain to pray, 

and He was spending the night in prayer to God.

    Have you ever found yourself among people who want to hurt you or destroy your ministry? You're not alone. Jesus was healing people and feeding His disciples on the Sabbath, during a time when it was forbidden to do such things on the Sabbath. Thus began the determination by those who hated Him and what He was doing to get rid of Him.

    Knowing this, and knowing why He came to us in the first place, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer with His heavenly Father. Pouring into and being poured into. He didn't sleep, but He didn't need to. Spending hours in prayer with God is restful in itself, for we are with our heavenly Father and He is our Rest. 

    Look at what Jesus accomplished after one night spent in prayer:

~Luke 6:13-16 He assigned twelve of His disciples to be apostles (church builders)

~Luke 6:17-19 He was surrounded by a 'large crowd of His disciples', by people from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon: they had come to hear Him, be healed by Him and receive deliverance from Him 

~Luke 6:20-23 He gave His disciples a personal message: what we call The Beatitudes 

~Luke 6:24-26 He spoke a warning to the hearers that had grown comfortable in their lifestyles, to the satisfied, to the mockers and the flatterers

~Luke 6:27-26 He spoke of loving our enemies, sharing what we have with those who have nothing, giving more than, treating other people the way we want to be treated; love our enemies unconditionally, without putting demands upon them; showing mercy where none is expected because God has shown us mercy

~Luke 6:37-42 He spoke of not having a judgmental attitude towards people; to not condemn anyone for their sins but to help them 

~Luke 6:43-45 He spoke of knowing our hearts, that what is in a person's heart is shown by a person's actions and words

~Luke 6:46-49 He speaks of building our lives on the Rock solid foundation, that anything less will surely fall, fail

    All of this Jesus spake after one whole night in prayer with His Father. The boldness of The Word of God is always graced with Mercy and woven in Love. 

    Let us, too, be faithful in our communications with our heavenly Father. Let us come to Him with our problems, our struggles, our desire to spend time with Him. As Paul writes, "Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we might obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Maranatha Praise 1

Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name of The Lord

 

John 12:13

They took branches and went out to meet Him, shouting:
"Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in The Name of The LORD!"
"Blessed is The King of Israel!"

Psalm 118:26
Blessed is He who comes in The Name of The LORD. 

From the house of The LORD we bless You.

Isaiah 52:13-15

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him.

 For they will see what they have not been told,

 and they will understand what they have not heard.

Philippians 5:2-11

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him The Name Above All Names, that at The Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God The Father.

Hosanna: O Lord, save us, we pray (a cry for deliverance) and an acknowledgement of answer to this prayer

Blessed is He: give/giving praise to God our heavenly Father, adoration, worship

The Name of The Lord: JESUS CHRIST

Jesus was sent to us:

• Isaiah 42:1

“Behold! My Servant Whom I uphold, My Elect One in Whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."

• John 3:16, 17

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

• Galatians 4:4, 5

But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

Many refused to see Him for Who He Is:

• John 10:25

“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s Name testify on My behalf."

• Matthew 26:63, 64

But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by The Living God: Tell us if You are The Christ, The Son of God.”

“You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

• Acts 26:28

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

Yet many of us do see Jesus and we believe. You can, too.

• Romans 10:9-10, 13

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.

"For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved."

• Acts 16:31

“Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ, and you shalt be saved, and your household."

• John 1:12, 13

But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God--children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

• John 20:31

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of God, and that in believing you may have life through His Name.

• John 6:29

Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in The One He has sent.” 

Blessed is The King of Israel:

• Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

• Zephaniah 3:15

The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, The LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.

• John 1:49

 "Rabbi, You are The Son of God; You are The King of Israel." 

• John 19:19

Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

• Matthew 2:1, 2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD

Prayer Cards: In A Solitary Place

 

Mark 1:35

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day,

He went out, and departed into a solitary place,

and there prayed.

    There are times when we need to pray together as God's people and collectively seek out God together and He meets us in prayer together. Yet, there are many more times when we should seek out God on our own, alone, waiting to hear Him speak to us, strengthening us with Himself that we might do His will.

    Here in Mark 1:35 Jesus is doing just that. If we're going to preach The Word of God faithfully, then we need The Word of God to be placed within us. Jesus Is The Word of God (John 1:1-3, 14) in the flesh and needed to spend time with His Father in order to receive encouragement to go on with the task at hand.

    And the task at His hand was preaching the gospel of salvation through repentance (Matthew 4:17), obedience {follow Me} and discipleship {I will make you} (Matthew 4:19). The Gospel of God: Luke 24:47-48 And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and in His Name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem."

    Our ability to preach the gospel well relies on our commitment to spend time with God in prayer, alone. Away from distractions, away from other people, away and apart.