Prayer Root Ministries -> Praying through Scripture -> The Gospel of Mark -> Mark 9
Scripture (ESV)
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Prayer Root: Word to Prayer
Heavenly Father,
It is beautiful how Jesus reflects the heart of the Father. When You asked Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” it was not because You lacked knowledge, but because You desired them to recognize their sin and their distance from You. I see the same loving confrontation in Jesus’ question to the disciples. He did not ask because He was unaware, but because He wanted them to see their hearts clearly.
Lord, I pray that You direct my paths and shape my thoughts so that I may never stand before You in embarrassment or self-deception. Guard my heart from pride and self-exaltation. Bless me with true humbleness and humility—the kind that willingly chooses to stand last and to serve all. For You Yourself, O God, declared that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. May this truth remain continually in my mind, and may I be mindful of my words, my actions, and my attitudes.
I pray, Lord, that like the child Jesus placed among them—one with no power, nothing to offer in return, and no status to claim—I may learn to love without condition. Teach me to serve the poor, whether through provision or presence; to serve the mournful with compassion; to serve the meek with gentleness; to serve the merciful with faithfulness; and to serve the pure in heart with sincerity.
Make me an instrument in Your hands—the hands and feet of Jesus Christ—through whom You choose to bless others. Let my life quietly receive Christ by receiving those whom the world overlooks, so that in serving them, I may truly serve You.
Rooted in prayer, rejoicing in Christ.