Prayer Works Morning Devotion February 19, 2026

A Chapter By Chapter Study Of The Gospels To Know And Teach Who Jesus Is And What Is Required Of The Sons And Daughters Of The Most High God

Mark Chapter 1

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.

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A very good morning to you, everybody. I pray you had a wonderful and restful night and that you are well rested and you are ready for an incredible, phenomenal Thursday. Let us go to the Lord in prayer.  

Father, we come before you this morning. We thank you for your grace. We thank you for your love. We thank you for all that you are doing in our lives. We thank you, Lord, for the things that you have set in motion for this particular day.  

As we devote this time to you, our prayer is that, Lord, you meet us where we are. We pray that as we commune with the Holy Spirit that you give us insight to the things that we ought to do.  

And Father, our goal really is to just fellowship with one another and to enjoy your companion as you meet us every morning. So we thank you for your everlasting presence. And we are very aware that our efforts have no meaning if your presence is not here.  

So Father, bless our time, bless our fellowship. Thank you for wisdom and vision and understanding and insight. And may you inspire us as we go out through this day and we thank you for scripture.  

It's the way that you have revealed yourself to us. So Father, as we devote and as we read these scriptures, we pray, Lord, that they are food to our spirit and our souls.  

So bless us this morning in our gathering and may you do all that you desire to do in us through the aid of the Holy Spirit. And we pray this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen.  

Brothers and sisters, we are studying a new book today, which is Mark. We've been in Matthew since the beginning of the year and if you're joining us for the first time, we're just going through a chapter a day. 

As we devote these mornings around one particular chapter and see what the Lord wants us to glean from and to learn and understand as we continue to move to walk in this in this kingdom.  

So the book of Mark was written to the Romans and because Mark undercuts the centurions a lot in his book, so which means that this was kind of written towards the church, the Romans.  

And the opening half of this first book is really centered around who Jesus is, John the Baptist, and who Jesus is, and the early ministry of Jesus. And as you read it, you're going to realize that Mark goes straight to the point.  

He's not writing stories, he's just telling this is what happened, when it happened, how it happened, and he's going straight into it. And it's one of the shortest of the Gospels because of that particular reason.  

So we're going to start in chapter number one. The beginning of good news about Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet. I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice, one calling in the wilderness.  

This is about John. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight parts of him. And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, confessing their sins. They were baptized by him in the river Jordan. John wore cloth and made of camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  

And this was his message. After he comes out, after me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I'm not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with the water, but you baptize you with the Holy Spirit.  

And this is for us Jesus, as much as we get baptized in water, he also baptized us with the Holy Spirit. And at that time, Jesus came out from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven open, the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And the voice came from heaven, you are my Son whom I love, with you I am well pleased.  

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals and angels attended to him. Brothers and sisters, testing can come in two ways. The devil can throw stuff at you.  

Then God can also throw stuff at you. Usually, when God sends you testing, it is to equip you, not to destroy you. It is to teach you something, and in fact, to elevate you.  

Jesus was tested in all points, and he was found to be with no sin and then he became that's why he was Jesus. If he wasn't tested on all points, then there was no way we could have found to be with no sin.  

So testing most times comes to check our temperature. When it comes from God, it elevates us. I always say the quickest way to holiness is through temptation. The Holy Spirit comes and sends Jesus into the wilderness so that he can be tested.  

The Holy Spirit, for 40 days and 40 nights. And when God sends something to elevate you, usually right after that, there's always something to buff off whatever it is that is happening. In this case, angels came to attend to Jesus.  

Abraham was tested, and as soon as he went through the testing, right after that, God provided for him a ram in the bush. So, when we go through testing, or when we go through things in life, we want to make sure that we are not always pointing out to the devil that yeah, this is the devil testing me, right?  

Devil does not test, devil sends temptations. So in this case, Jesus goes through this and as soon as he gets out of the wilderness, He calls his disciples to start this ministry, but the very thing, very first thing that Jesus addresses, he drives out in pure spirit.  

The Holy Spirit sends him into the desert, he comes out, he drives out in pure spirit. There is a correlation between these two. When you get elevated in the Spirit, you are equipped now to go and deal with what? The spiritual world.  

In as much as if you get elevated in finance, you are now equipped to go and deal with financial issues. Or in economics, you are now equipped to go and deal with economic issues.  

But as soon as Jesus comes out, the spirits, the Holy Spirit send him into the desert. He's tested by the devil. He comes out and the very first thing that he does in his public ministry, according to Mark, is that he addresses impure spirits.  

So let's go to verse number 21. They went out to Capernaum when the Sabbath came. Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teacher of the law.  

Just then, a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit. Now, brothers and sisters, this is not somebody outside somewhere. This is a man in the church, in the synagogue, who is possessed by impure spirits.  

He's in the church, which meant that they hadn't dealt with this spirit. So he cries out and asks a question, what do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? If you come to destroy us, I know who you are, the Holy One of God.  

This is an impure spirit. Be quiet, said Jesus sternly. Come out of him and the impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, what is this? A new teaching? And with authority?  

He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him? News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. Brothers and sisters, for this community, this is the first time they are experiencing this.  

They had lived with this man amongst them with his impure spirit in the church. When Jesus comes, the first thing that he addresses is to make the place holy. Get all the rubbish out so that we can get to where we need to get to.  

That's when He starts healing. As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her, so He went to her, took her hand and helped her out, and the fever left, and she began to wait on them.  

The evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all who were ill and demon possessed. The whole town gathered at the door and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.  

And he also drove out many demons. But he would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was. One of the greatest One of the greatest victories of believers is that the longer we walk with God, the longer we walk with God. 

The longer you carry His Spirit, the longer you overcome some things, the greater the level of test, but also the victories become much easier because the enemy knows who you are. And there are times when you don't have to speak, because he knows you are here.  

You are walking with the Holy Spirit with you. It's an incredible thing when the enemy sees you. And now have to respect the fact that you are present, I'm sure some of us, you have gone back and met friends from the past, or visited uncles or family members that you haven't seen for a while. 

And they have no idea that you've been on a course and on a journey of walking with God and dealing with the Holy Spirit. And you show up in the place, and all of a sudden they know that something is different here.  

We can talk to you like we used to talk to you. Neither can we speak to you the way we used to speak to you, because there is a presence that comes when you walk with the Spirit, where you can address issues and things, because you have gone through testings and you are now on the other side.  

So as we continue to study scripture and to pray and to do all these things. One of the things that I know God is doing in us and through us is that He is enhancing our spiritual walk. You are not the same person that you were yesterday.  

Because after yesterday's teaching and after yesterday's study, you grow, you grew. Something happened to you where the Spirit of the Lord came over you. And today, after this morning devotion, you will not be the same person.  

Jesus went into the desert one different person, and when he came back, he was different. He was thoroughly equipped. That's why the Bible says he spoke as one who has authority.  

But even when he went into the desert, he had some authority, but when he get out, something had been added to him. And as you saw yesterday, when we go to Matthew 28, he had more authority after he came back from the dead.  

So, as we worship and as we pray, as we come together, as we fellowship with one another, I want you to know this, that you are not the same person that you were yesterday. 

And you will not be the same person that you were 30 minutes ago when we started this morning devotion. The longer you walk with God, the greater the level of spirituality that will be in you.  

The greater the level of spirituality that's in you, the greater the level of things that you will have to face. And the greater the level of victories that God will give you. There are things that comes to check your temperature, to check where you are.  

And brothers and sisters, the only way sometimes that you would know that God has added something in you, is when you have to deal with something that you have never dealt with.  

Something comes that you have never dealt with, and usually it comes right after a season of growth, a season of holiness and testing and something comes and you realize now I have to rise up. 

So I can grow and broaden these shoulders that God has given us, so I want us that every time we see challenges or we see testing, I want us to see an opportunity to grow, I want us to see an opportunity to grow.  

Because when you see this little journey of Jesus going into the wilderness, coming back, the first thing he addresses is in pure spirits. And right after that, he just goes on the rampage of healing and casting out devils in people.  

And the scripture says and word got out. And who he was as a man automatically shifted, because now everybody's talking about it. And the Bible says right here, he would not let the impure spirits talk anymore, silence them.  

That's how much authority he now has. The first meeting, the spirit talked. But right after that, it's like, not anymore. You ain't talking anymore. Just going to deal with you quietly. And the Bible says the demonic spirit knew who he was.  

It's one thing to know God, but I'm telling you, it's another thing when the enemy now knows you and he's aware of who you are. It starts taking your existence because of the threat that you are.  

Now, once we start going this route, we should never ever turn back. We should always strive to get more, for God to use you, to gain more of His Spirit in us so that we can continue to provide services that are needed in this kingdom.  

So brothers and sisters, count it all joy when you face trials and tribulations. Because the testing of your faith will produce something in you, character. And let know that character who lets you down but it will continue to enhance the person that you are.  

Yesterday, you know, in my family, we went through something that is extremely horrible. I've never experienced something like this before. This has never, ever, ever happened in our family before.  

But yesterday was an incredibly difficult, challenging day. That you never think this could happen. You've heard of it, but you never thought it could happen to you.  

And then when it does, It checks every core of your resistance, the things that you've been praying for, the things that you've been asking the Lord, and you think I'm growing, you think we are going a different direction, and he says, let's see, let's see how that is going. 

Only to realize that, yeah, the Lord has been equipping you, getting you ready, because this was on the way. And when you overcome this stuff, you get elevated to deal with usually the same thing that has been thrown to you.  

Jesus deals with spirits as soon as it comes out. You are ascended together by the Holy Spirit, as soon as it comes out, boom! It's to deal with spiritual folk who are dealing with issues, demonic spirits.  

So, I want to encourage you, hold on to the confession of your faith. Continue to grow, do not stall, continue to thrive, continue to ask God for more, because He's getting you ready.  

In as much as He was getting Jesus ready when He said in the Spirit, immediately after, the Father says, I'm so pleased with you, the Holy Spirit was like all right get up let's go straight into the desert 40 days fasting and testing. 

So brothers and sisters count it all joy count it all joy, count it all joy when you face trials and tribulations because it's going to produce something in you that wouldn't have been produced if life was all rosy and if we were just chilling and having a good time, Amen. Let us pray.  

Heavenly Father, we are grateful. We thank you for who you are in us, for always being constant, never late, always in time. You know and you see it all. There is nothing we can tell you that you don't see.  

So we stand in faith knowing that you have us in your corner and that you're guiding and shepherding us towards victory always. We thank you for guiding and protecting us, for shedding light to the darkness. 

And I pray, Lord, that as we continue to be the agents of change and light, as we continue to be the salt in the earth, I pray, Lord, for the many blessings that you have in store for us. Pray for these, your people.  

Bless every single one of them, equip us continually. Grow us every time that we get together. And I pray in as much as Jesus on this particular day healed many, that you heal every single one of us and those that are extended, extended family that needs healing.  

We pray for mothers and fathers that we are taking care of, that God may you heal and bless them. We continue to lift up Mother Russell, Sarge, and continued healing in the name of Jesus.  

Father, I pray for grace to abound and peace to abound. And we are asking, Lord, that as we go through this day, continue to reveal yourself so strong in us. And we bless you for the many things that you have in store for us.  

We stand encouraged knowing that we are near to our victory, especially when we see the heaps rise up. So I pray for every single one of us, that God, you bless them as we go throughout this day.  

Continue to provide healing, continue to protect our children. Through the dangers and toils of life, we send angels on assignment to guide them in everything they do. Now lead us not into temptation.  

Continue to deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever, Amen and Amen. Brothers and sisters, may the Lord bless you so much this day, and may He equip you, may He walk with you. 

May He continue to encourage you in everything holy and pure, so that we can stand as believers in victory, and that our faith will never fail us. We'll see you tomorrow.  

It's Friday 7 a.m. Central, 8 a.m. Eastern and do not forget send in your prayer request I'm sure we all have things that we are praying for and it doesn't matter how little or you're thinking significant it is or you can do it by yourself. 

One can chase a thousand, two can chase ten thousand, send in your prayer request and we will see you tomorrow and we pray for one another. Have an incredible, phenomenal Thursday, and may the Lord bless you.