February 20, 2026

Today's Reading: Mark 1:29-45

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 2:4-25; Mark 1:29-45

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Healings and more healings. This is what Jesus is doing. But amidst the healings is prayer. Jesus prays. We see this quite often with Jesus, that He goes off alone to pray. Sometimes it’s to present specific requests to God and we get to hear them (like the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, or Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane), but sometimes we don’t get to hear the conversation He has alone with the Father. We do see that once He finishes praying, He’s ready for what comes next. It’s almost as if spending time alone with His Father in prayer refreshes, renews, and energizes Him. In Mark 1, after Jesus prays, He sets off for what’s next: more healings.

Life can be exhausting sometimes. I don’t know if you would describe yourself as an introvert or an extrovert. All of us can get tired, exhausted, and worn down from something, whether it’s the stresses we face, the pressures of school, family, work, or something else, like just living life. Some introverts are refreshed by being alone, spending time with themselves. I am not one of those people. I get refreshed and energized by being with people.

Spending time in prayer can refresh us because we get to be with the One who created us, we get to cast all of our cares, concerns, worries, issues, and burdens on the One who is able to not only handle all of our stuff, but the One who can actually do something about our stuff. This doesn’t mean that all of our prayers will be answered. Jesus knew what God’s will was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He prayed for His will to be done. He also asked that the cup would be removed from Him, even though He knew it wouldn’t be.

Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who brought peace between us and God through His death and resurrection, gives us peace no matter what God’s answer to our prayers is. In Him we can have peace knowing that He is always with us when He says no, and when He says yes.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Amen, that is, so shall it be. Make strong our faith in You, that we May doubt not but with trust believe That what we ask we shall receive. Thus in Your name and at Your Word We say, “Amen, O hear us, Lord! (LSB 766:9)

Rev. Glenn Worcester, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.