Who is Mark? 1. Peter’s spiritual son 1 Peter 5:13 2. John Mark 3. Mark 14:51 Naked Boy A. Lazarus B. Rich Young Man C. 4. Born 10 years after Jesus Shortest gospel Fast moving- immediately, quickly, and now over 1000 references John Mark moms house is where Peter was being prayed for Acts 12 Just about the time Jesus was finished healing the ear of the servant of the high priest named Malchus, the Gospel of Mark tells us a naked young man was found in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:51,52 says, “And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.” Who was this young man? Why was he following Jesus? Why was he naked? Why was he draped in a linen cloth instead of wearing normal clothes? And why was the Holy Spirit so careful to include this unique story in Mark’s account of the Gospel? What is the significance of this event? The key to identifying this young man lies in the “linen cloth” he had lightly draped about his body. The particular Greek word that is used for this “linen cloth” is used in only one other event in the New Testament — to depict the “linen cloth” in which the body of Jesus was wrapped for burial Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, and Luke 23:53). Thus, the only reference we have for this kind of cloth in the New Testament is that of a burial shroud used for covering a dead body in the grave. Some scholars have tried to say this naked young man was Mark himself. They assume that when Mark heard about Jesus’ arrest, he quickly jumped out of bed and dashed to the Garden of Gethsemane. But the Garden was remotely located, and no one could have run there so quickly. It is simply a physical impossibility. Others have speculated that Mark threw off his clothes in an attempt to shock and distract the soldiers so Jesus could escape. This idea is preposterous. Others have tried with similar vain attempts to assert that this naked young man was the apostle John. But why would John be walking naked in the Garden of Gethsemane? As I said, the answer to this naked young man’s identity lies in the cloth he had wrapped around his body. You see, when a body was prepared for burial, it was washed, ceremonially cleaned, and buried naked in a linen cloth exactly like the one described here in the Gospel of Mark. Furthermore, the Garden of Gethsemane was situated on the side of the Mount of Olives. Toward the base of that mount is a heavily populated cemetery, with many of its graves going back to the time of Jesus. When Jesus said, “I AM,” the power that was released was so tremendous that it knocked the soldiers backward. But evidently it also caused a rumbling in the local cemetery! When that blast of power was released, a young boy, draped in a linen burial cloth in accordance with the tradition of that time, crawled out from his tomb — raised from the dead! The reason he “followed” Jesus was to get a glimpse of the One who had resurrected him. The word “followed” here means to continuously follow. This tells us that this resurrected young man trailed the soldiers as they took Jesus through the Garden on the way to His trial. When the soldiers discovered the young man who was following Jesus, they tried to apprehend him. But when they reached out to grab him, he broke free from their grip and fled, leaving the linen cloth in their possession.

Praying Effectively Does it matter if we pray? Does it matter how long we pray? Does it matter what we say in prayer? Isaiah knew how to pray & get his prayers answered. Ch. 62-63 Isaiah 62:1; 62:6-7 Isaiah 62:1 KJV For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. Isaiah 62:6-7 KJV I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, [7] And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. —NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS -The tradition with some people at the end of the old year and the beginning of the New Year is to make some effort at changing their life. -Here are some of the top things that have been identified as New Year’s Resolutions: • Lose Weight • Volunteer to Help Others • Quit Smoking • Get a Better Education • Get a Better Job • Save Money • Get Fit • Eat Healthy Food • Manage Stress • Manage Debt • Take a Trip • Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle • Drink Less Alcohol -Many do their best but often fail at making the necessary changes to be successful at them. In fact some researchers have pointed out that within less than 20 days most of the resolutions have fallen by the wayside. -It takes great effort to change! -The greatest need for change is that which is in the spiritual life of people. TO PREVAIL IN PRAYER REQUIRES TIME -The passage in Isaiah serves as a leaping off point for us as we lead up to our prayer revival. -There may be times that prevailing prayer is a fierce but brief battle but normally the type of prayer that will be effective is going to take time. There are few instant answers that we find in prayer. Certainly there are moments when God has performed instant miracles in prayer but those are few and far between. -Prevailing prayer will require a commitment of time. It is important to understand that we are not speaking of a commitment to the clock but a commitment to purpose in prayer. Those who are immature in their prayer life will watch the clock but those who are mature in prayer find that they are more concerned with a purpose in their prayer. Find purpose in your praying and the time will take care of itself. -Listen to Isaiah’s testimony: • I will not keep silent! • For Jerusalem’s sake, I will not remain quiet! • The purpose in the prayer was for righteousness to shine like the rising sun and salvation to be a brilliant blazing torch! • Purpose in prayer will put a watchman on his wall! • Purpose in prayer will keep that watchman from silence in prayer! -You who call on the Lord. . . give yourselves no rest. Furthermore by your commitment to prayer, the Lord will never cease to listen to you. -That means that a man ought to be a praying man and that a church should be a praying church. -Nehemiah prevailed in his praying: Nehemiah 1:6 KJV Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. -The record of Scripture tells us that Daniel set aside a routine in prayer. . . Three times a day with his windows opened toward heaven. . . But there came a time when he spent as much as three weeks prevailing in a time of special need. Daniel 10:2-3 KJV In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. [3] I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. -Paul also found a commitment to time in his prayers. He was prevailing for new converts and for the new churches that he had established. 1 Thessalonians 3:10 KJV Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? -We live in a generation that implies that pastors, ministers, and preachers should be doing everything but prevailing in prayer for their congregations. . . Organize. . . Administrate. . . Plan. . . Manage. . . Design. . . Have staff meetings. . . Figure out widgets. . . Do everything but pray and preach! -Jesus gave himself to this when he prayed all night! Luke 6:12 KJV And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. -We learn how to pray by praying. . . • A singer will spend hours practicing to sing. • An athlete will spend hours in training to play the game. • A soldier will spend hours in drill to work at his discipline. -There is only one way to learn how to pray and that is to spend time in prayer! -By the very nature of things, prayer victories will require a sacrifice of time. When I am willing to invest myself in a time of prayer, it literally changes my will. -A commitment to specific and regular times of prayer builds up a spiritual force within a man that literally will sweep away the attack of worldliness, apathy, and lukewarmness. -We prevail in prayer by spending time with it. The most unanswered prayers are those that are never prayed! TO PREVAIL IN PRAYER REQUIRES PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT -If prevailing prayer requires time, it also requires praying in the Spirit. E. M. Bounds—The secret of feeble praying everywhere is the lack of God’s Spirit in His mightiness. -You must be filled with the Spirit to pray effectively. But you also have to live in the Spirit. Feeble and ineffective praying is caused by a shallow experience in the Holy Ghost. If you are filled with the Spirit, you are controlled by the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18 KJV Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Romans 8:26-27 KJV Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. [27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Ephesians 2:18 KJV For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. -The Holy Ghost: • Enables us to pray. • Creates a partnership in prayer. • Helps us to be sensitive to prayer needs. • Causes us to feel the checks, the promptings, and the moods of the Spirit. • Keeps us awake and aware of the spiritual battle we are in. • Helps us to walk in the Spirit. -Prevailing prayer has a requirement that we pray in the Spirit. TO PREVAIL IN PRAYER REQUIRES URGENT PERSISTENCE -Prevailing in prayer requires time. . . Requires praying in the Spirit. . . Requires an urgent persistence. -The Bible uses a word that describes great need. It is called: importunity Luke 11:18 It is an old word that means insistence, begging, clamoring, and pleading for a specific need. All throughout the Bible there is a repeated pattern that shows the importance of holding on in urgent prayer and not fainting or giving up even when the answer seems to be a million miles away. -Jesus told his disciples a parable to illustrate that truth: Luke 18:1-8 KJV And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; [2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: [3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. [4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; [5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. [6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. [7] And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? [8] I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? E. M. Bounds—Few things give such quickened and permanent vigor to the soul as long, exhaustive seasons of importunate prayer. -These seasons of praying when it seems like nothing is occurring, trains men and women in the life of prayer. It will add grace and spiritual maturity to your life. -The reason it adds to our walk is because it involves everything in your soul and being. It is literally a might movement toward God. Jeremiah 29:12-14 KJV Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. [13] And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. [14] And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. E. M. Bounds—Heaven is too busy to listen to half-hearted prayers. -God cannot tolerate lukewarmness and the greatest prayers are those that feed off of the flames of the Spirit. It is the fiery intercessors who will conquer in their praying. That burning desire in prayer makes intercessory prayer literally invincible. -This kind of praying. . . urgent. . . persistent prayer will set the soul on fire! This kind of prayer will burn through the obstacles without to gain the throne of God within. -If there ever was a time that the church and the world needed saints to prevail in urgent prayer it is now

1. Acknowledge your inability (Phil. 4:13)

When self-reliance dies, faith is birthed.

Faith is a gift from God.

Repeating a mantra will not impart faith. You cannot control God.

2. Press in (James 4:8)

Call on God. Don’t wait for God to visit you.

Only God can impart faith, and then only to the man and woman who knows God.

Discover what God’s plan is, and do it.

Cleanse your heart, get serious.

3. Get hold of a promise

Whatever your situation, there is a promise in the Word to meet it.

Grow your faith like a muscle—little by little.

Walk in all the faith you have today, and you will have more tomorrow.

If God immediately answered every prayer, how would your faith grow?

I. Sam 17:36 David’s answer was based on past hard evidence of God’s deliverance. (the lion and the bear)

Sis. Christina Mercer talked about an experience that she had a week ago….she stated that she/we need to pray and ask God for us to…
1. See God for who He is….
2. See ourselves as God sees us – no condemnation – Romans 8:1
3. Seeing others as God sees them
……these three things boil down to having the right perspectives.

What is perspective- simply a point of view…a particular way of thinking about something.

1. See God for who He is….Psalms 18:30
How do I see God for who He is? I must know him personally. I must begin a relationship with Him.
Personally ways I’ve learned who God is on my journey so far:
God is faithful – “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago” Isaiah 25:1 Because God is faithful, we can always rely on Him and trust Him. His faithfulness means He will never leave us, even if we walk away from Him.
He is a loving Father – one of my favorite scriptures is in Lamentations 3:32-33, I believe it shows how He is our Father – “Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return. If He works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.”

2. See ourselves as God sees us – no condemnation – Romans 8:1 NIV(“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”)
Personally, ways I’ve learned how God sees me on my journey so far, and I’ll be honest I struggle remembering these things, but it’s a journey:

We are a Daughter or son of God, joint heirs with Jesus, we share the inheritance (Romans 8:17 NIV “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,..”)
Psalms 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well” – God made all the delicate, inner parts of my body. He knew everything about me as He was painstakingly designing me with such care. We were created with great reverence, with respect, we were made unique, there is only one of you uniquely designed by the Creator of all things. Each of us were created and designed with a purpose.
Remember when putting ourselves down, and women are especially experts on this: We are enough in God – Because He is enough, He created us in His image, so we are enough
God sees us through the blood of Jesus, isn’t that so beautiful. When God looks at me, he isn’t seeing all my mistakes and failures, Jesus covers all of that with his blood. God is looking at me as his child, whom he loves so much. When I look at my daughters, I don’t see their failures, or remember times they may have disappointed me, I look at them and think, “Wow, look at these beautiful, strong and confident women, who have so much love in their hearts for others, who love me and their father, I’m so proud of the women they have become.
When God looks at me he sees me for who I am:
• First and foremost, I am his beloved child
• I am chosen, adopted into His family through Jesus
• I am valuable, He calls me his workmanship
• I am redeemed, I’m so valuable to God, he purchased me with the precious blood of his only son
• I am a new person in Jesus Christ, because of salvation, I gain a new identity and a whole new life
• I am a friend of God, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business, Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

3. Seeing others as God sees them. -Psalms 86:5
The Power of Understanding others
When you are willing to understand others a new vision and hope will emerge.
For example, when you are in a relationship or friendships; there can be moments where you are hurt, offended, or betrayed. You may even take the point of view “they are my enemy.” However, if we are seeing others as God sees them, they are not God’s enemy, they are God’s son or daughter, and this in my opinion is not an easy perspective to have. Often times when someone we love hurts us, it isn’t coming from a place of malice or with intent to cause harm, this isn’t always easy to understand. In my own life, I know my husband and I have talked about this, that usually when we are upset about something, we are upset at ourselves, but unfortunately the person we love, is the one we are expressing our frustration towards. In these moments, if you can take the time to step back and observe the situation, the points of view shared, etc., you may have a realization of what led you to the place you find yourself in –
If God looks at me through the blood of Jesus, and that is His perspective, then my goal on this journey is to look at others as God sees them, just like he sees me, which is through the blood of Jesus. Man o man, Lord help me!
Once we understand why that person acts that way, nothing has changed.
Compassion shows up with perseverance to understand someone.
We look around, and this couple or this person seems to have it all together, and some people do. People will grab a book, go to a seminar, or listen to a podcast in hopes of learning a new method to achieve what they perceive someone else to have. You should always want a relationship to grow. But it will not be a quick fix; this works like a Goody or BC powder. It works very quickly, but the real solution may be changing our diet and exercising more so that headaches or back stop hurting because of our extra weight. So many times, our perspective of a relationship is the thing that hurts the relationship.

What is going on between our ears lies the problem. Wrong thinking always produces bad results. Whenever your expectation takes you one place and your experience takes you somewhere else you experience a “meltdown”

Genesis 3:12 - The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” 13The LORD God then asked the woman: What is this you have done? The woman answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate it.” – what should everyone’s perspective have been?
You must change your perspective of people and look in the mirror of Jesus. We should have the perspective of working on ourselves, relationships, and marriages because they hold/have value.
Have you ever walked by a mirror and seen that your hair is out of place or salad stuck in between your teeth or your slip hanging.? Mirrors can be real lifesavers. Jesus is the mirror I want to reflect; I want people to see Jesus.
II Corinthians 3:18 TPT, “We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.”
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Have you ever planned to meet someone and arrive early? You are waiting and waiting. The person you are meeting calls and says, ‘where are you? In that second, you realize that you are in the wrong place. Many are in the wrong place mentally regarding themselves or their relationships. That’s what this lesson is all about having the God Perspective of God, ourself and others.
Learning about Forgiveness and redemption!!

One of my favorite passages that teaches me about forgiveness and redemption, and how God has given so much to me, I must learn from this passage and apply it to my own life: Psalms 103:1- “O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins – every one. He heals your diseases – every one. He redeems you from hell – saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy – a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness – beauty eternal. He renews your youth – You’re always young in his presence. God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. ……God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as the heave is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. As far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him.


Last story: Young boy lived with his mother and grandfather. His grandfather was not old but was confined to a wheelchair. The grandfathers face was badly scared and had a difficult time swallowing food. Each day the young boy was assigned to feed his grandfather, he did it faithfully but not joyously. He became a teenage and announced to his mother that he is done with feeding his grandfather. The mother turned from doing her chores and said have a seat. Your grandfather was once an athlete at one time. The mother stated their was a fire; your father thought you were upstairs with me, I thought you were downstairs with him; we both rushed out of the house. Your grandfather realizes the error and returns to the house to get you. The young turned took the food tray and feed his grandfather with no further complaints.

Once we understand why that person acts that way.
Compassion shows up with perseverance to understand someone.