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Sound & Season is a daily audio devotional designed to connect the routine moments of life to the rhythms of the Church seasons.
This is Sound in Season. It's Saturday, 28th day of Lent. Our passage today comes from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 11, verses 20 through 33. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots, and Peter remembered and said to Him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered. And Jesus answered them, have faith in God.
Lauren Starnes:Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. And they came again to Jerusalem, And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him, and they said to him, by what authority are you doing these things, Who gave you this authority to do them? Jesus said to them, I will ask you one question.
Lauren Starnes:Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me. And they discussed it with one another, saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why then did you not believe him? But shall we say from man?
Lauren Starnes:They were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered, Jesus, we do not know. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Jeffrey Heine:The 3rd century church father, Chrysostom, wrote, prayer is an all efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a 1,000 blessings. It exceeds a monarch's power. I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of care. I speak of that which proceeds from the mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted.
Jeffrey Heine:This is the prayer which mounts to heaven. The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum, prayer has the power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good. I speak not of the prayer of the lips, but of the prayer that ascends from the inmost recesses of the heart.
Lauren Starnes:Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come to you. Let us pray. Blessed Jesus, by whom we are given access to the throne of the Lord our God, We pray for boldness through the covenant of your blood as we petition our request before you. Grant us the faith needed to confidently intercede, for you are our great high priest. Oh, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lauren Starnes:Glory to the father, and to the son, and to the holy spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.