The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'” Mark 1:3 (ESV)
I read (I think in one of my study Bibles) that in the Book of Mark, he uses the word “IMMEDIATELY” or “AT ONCE” 41 times in this book, showing a sense of SPEED and URGENCY often introducing a new incident, or turn of event. The first is in Mark 1:10: “And when He came up out of the water, IMMEDIATELY he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.”
Something stirred me to read it again, and as I went back to read this, I felt the Lord pressing on me to share this, not only for a sense of urgency in our lives and the lives of others and throughout the world, but in our prayer lives. Are we IMMEDIATELY praying (for ourselves and others), bringing our struggles to Him or are we spending time “wallowing” first in them, allowing them to build up and become greater than what they really are? In doing that, are we losing sight of how big God is in comparison to our struggle…magnifying our circumstance and minimizing our God? As I read that Mark used IMMEDIATELY at turns of events, I thought of how quickly God can change our direction, our thoughts, our hearts when we bring everything to him IMMEDIATELY. I know His timing is different, and we don’t always know how or when He will change our circumstances, but I felt Him saying to bring them to Him IMMEDIATELY. I thought of all the prayer requests I have from all areas…for so many reasons. And I’m only one person.
My eyes went back to Mark 1:3 and my word for HEARTstrong…PREPARE: “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: PREPARE the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” This word came to me before HEARTstrong was announced; it keeps coming up from others and His Word. And I feel He is speaking a great URGENCY for us to be PREPARED and PREPARE others and come IMMEDIATELY before His throne with our requests. I felt He is also reminding us that Jesus died and was risen to PREPARE a place for us (John 14:3). How we should not take that lightly and that His death was an act of URGENCY (we didn’t listen or obey) and it was IMMEDIATELY (although many generations later), at just the right time…God’s timing.
So I’m praying without ceasing, in all matters, knowing that God is filling us with a sense of URGENCY to act IMMEDIATELY knowing He has PREPARED a way for us, and we are to PREPARE a way for Him. In this world, we will have trouble, but our God is greater than anything in or of this world.
As I type this, I’m teary for the many who do not know our Big God’s greatness, goodness, kindness, sacrifice, and love. I think of the URGENCY to pray for them IMMEDIATELY and ALWAYS.
