Week 5 : God’s Compassion
Saturday
Call to Prayer
God’s desire is for all of humanity to have an intimate relationship with Him. We are able to know God through his Son, Jesus Christ. We engage in a relationship with God through studying the Scriptures and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s love, truth and compassion, which are found in Christ Jesus.
Spend a few moments in prayer and silence preparing your heart to receive from the Holy Spirit.
Psalm & Scripture
Psalm 123 (NLT)
I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.
Mark 1:40-45 (NLT)
A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.
Time of Reflection
Thank God that he is merciful and compassionate.
If you are in need of healing, ask Christ, who is full of compassion, to reach out and heal you.
Ask God to give you the power of the Holy Spirit, so that you may bring healing and compassion into the lives of others.
Missional Moment
Stop speaking ill about others. You never know if God desires to bring someone your way for healing that will never receive it because they look too different from you. Grab some friends and go hang out with the people Jesus would hang out with.
Community Prayer
Lord, take us out of our comfort zone. Nudge us to build relationships with those that are different from us. Challenge us to bring them in our communities and treat them no different than we would our own families.