“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Mark 14:36

It’s day fourteen of “Mark, one chapter a day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!

Today we are reading in chapter fourteen and I was mostly drawn to verses 32-36. I’m sharing today following the quiet time pattern below. Try it in your own personal study and see if it helps you find focus and structure to help His Word come alive in your life! See the image here:

My verse: “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Mark 14:36

Application: Take time right now to worship Jesus for his deep obedience through suffering. As we come before him on Good Friday, let us just sit in awe of him for taking the pain and torture he went through that day in history. Don’t try and make yourself better. Don’t try and think of ways to apply this verse and want his will in your life instead of your own. Just sit. close your eyes, and think about what he really endured for you.

This is what I heard in my spirit today as I read: Forgive yourself and others.  Don’t just say you’re forgiven and that you forgive. LIVE IN FORGIVENESS.  Think all day about how he took the punishment for every sin I have ever committed or will commit. Further, to meditate on and search my heart for any feelings of contempt I may have for anyone else. The blows he took were for their forgiveness, too. I can’t hold anything against myself or anyone else, or Jesus took all of that in vain.

Spend some quiet moments right now worshipping Jesus for the  moment in history- where he fell face down in anguish in the garden.

Review: Though Jesus knew the Father had power to do anything, he accepted the Father’s plan and chose to follow it through to suffering and death.  Thank you, Jesus.

Kneel in prayer: Lord Jesus, we sit in awe of you. They blindfolded you, hit you in the face with their fists, and then continued to attack you, and you took it all for us. Please help us all to walk in the freedom of forgiveness for ourselves and all others, remembering Good Friday as a day that wasn’t good for you at all. Today, it is good. We can see your smile as we remember you today. We can see your smile as we walk in the freedom of forgiveness today. As we sing and dance and have new beginnings because you became our Passover Lamb. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

What’s next at Refocused Bible Study for the month of April?!

Spring has sprung, and not only are there bunnies hopping around in the green grass, there are dust bunnies on my furniture. The animals are popping their heads back up from their underground burrows and living life again, but the piles of stuff under the beds in my house haven’t seen the light of day since long before winter started. My heart sinks when I think about all that needs to get done in my house. It’s time for a

~~Spring Cleaning!~~

But why spend so many hours mindlessly going through our houses when we can pray scripture that will bring a powerful cleansing of our Spirit and our family’s spirits as we bag up, scrub, and shine our way to a clean house and clean hearts!

Here at Refocused Bible Study, starting April 9th, I will be blogging through this journey to a clean heart and home!  I wrote a 4 week bible study available HERE, titled, “Spring Cleaning for your heart and home: Praying your way to a clean house.” Get it here and let’s get ready for a heart & home cleansing!