Silence: Find a quiet place, remove potential distractions, clear your mind of other thoughts, and ask God to speak to you as you read and contemplate this passage:

Reflective Reading: Read Mark 1:16-20 thoughtfully:

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Meditation: Reflect on this exchange between Jesus and four of His first disciples. What is God speaking to you through this exchange? What was the response of these working-class fishermen to Jesus’ call?

Oration: From your reading and prayer, verbalize or write in the space below your response to what God is speaking to you from this passage:

Contemplation: Over the next day, contemplate this passage and what God is saying to you. Think on these topics:

• When God leads you to do something – through prayer response or a sermon or Bible Study or through empathy/emotion, what percentage of the time do you respond “at once” or “without delay”?
• Have you ever felt that an opportunity to minister or witness was lost because you were slow to react?
• If your love of Jesus were measured by your commitment to immediate action to follow His call, how do you measure?
• What actions or attitudes might this passage be directing you to begin?