Great Prayers

While Christians confront many challenges to their faith, they can still say with the Apostle Paul that they can overcome through Christ who gives them strength. The devotions in this audiobook encourage looking in fresh ways at the resources described by biblical writers and practiced by believers throughout generations. The Gospel of Mark is the most practical of the four gospels. The ordinary people Mark described faced common problems, and the lessons they learned are timeless.

While the Apostle Paul was in prison facing his second trial, he wrote to his disciple Timothy and asked him to bring Mark with him and come to Rome. Mark, he said, was useful to him for the ministry. Most scholars think this is the same Mark who wrote the gospel. It seems that Luke, Timothy, Mark, and probably others were with Paul until his execution about AD 67. Mark stayed in Rome where there was a growing number of believers - some in Caesar’s own household. To help instruct the new believers, Mark wrote about what he learned from Peter, Barnabas, and Paul.

Why are we feeling so depleted when God has promised us strength equal to our days? Pastor Robert Morgan leads a busy life as a pastor and is also a multitasking caregiver to his disabled wife. Most days he feels exhausted, yet over time God has shown him how to build himself up when he's worn himself out. He has learned to fully embrace Psalm 84, as he moves from strength to strength. The valleys and the weaknesses are inevitable. Our task is to embrace these as we wait for God to take us to our next time of strength.

One of the things that make the Gospel of Mark so appealing is the ordinary people the writer describes. They faced issues like those many face today: a man with a debilitating physical condition, someone making a major vocational change, critics and faultfinders, a person with a damaged arm, the pressure of work and time, selecting helpers, and being misunderstood. Each of Mark’s stories contains lessons for the listeners.

Which year of your life was the most impactful so far? One year of my life, God spoke to me in a way I would never experience again. The things I heard and see manifest would forever change my life.

En el mundo actual, lleno de incertidumbre y desafíos, la fe y la esperanza son dos pilares fundamentales que nos mantienen firmes y nos ayudan a superar las adversidades. Es en momentos de dificultad cuando buscamos refugio en la espiritualidad y en figuras de luz que nos guíen en el camino de la vida. Es por eso que hoy quiero invitarte a descubrir el maravilloso mundo de San Chárbel, un santo de grandes milagros y patrono de los que sufren en cuerpo y alma.