30 Days of Prayer for the Harvest
Day 19 – Friday, January 30, 2026
Read Mark 8:34-38
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
We want to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus (Matt. 28:19-20). This week, we have been seeing that a crucified Savior can only be proclaimed with divine power by a crucified people. As followers of Christ must be people of the cross. We saw yesterday from Mark 8:34 that disciples of Jesus are those who deny themselves, take up their cross, and keep following Him.
You might say, “Wow! Those are some pretty strong demands of discipleship.” And you’re right, they are. Jesus knew that this was a hard saying, so he followed up the demands of discipleship with some reasons for discipleship. That is what Jesus goes on to say in Mark 8:35-38. Notice that Jesus gives three “for” statements or questions: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it …” (Mark 8:35); “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36); and “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed …” (Mark 8:38).
The first reason to be followers of Jesus, people of the cross, is that your life depends on it. Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35).
The second reason is that nothing is more valuable than your soul. Jesus asked, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?“(Mark 8:36-37).
The third reason is that Jesus is coming back to judge the world. He says, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). When Christ returns, there will be a judgment. We each will have to give an account of our lives. Did we live for self, or did we live for God? If we were ashamed of Christ and His words, then Christ will be ashamed of us when He returns.
This is why it is so important that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and keep following Jesus. And this is why we must call others to do the same, because their lives depend on it, because their souls are more valuable than anything else in this world, and because Jesus is coming again to judge all people.
“Take up your cross,” the Savior said,
“If you would My disciple be;
Deny yourself, the world forsake,
and humbly follow after Me.”
Take up your cross; let not its weight
Fill your weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear your spirit up,
And brace your heart and nerve your arm.
Take up your cross, heed not the shame;
Let not your foolish pride rebel;
The Lord for us the cross endured,
To save our souls from death and hell.
Take up your cross and follow Christ;
Think not till death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.[i]
Today’s Prayer (This prayer is a model, please make the prayer your own from the heart).
Father, thank You for the cross on which our Savior died. Thank You for the forgiveness He purchased for us with His blood. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at Your right hand.
Father, let me also take up my cross, reminded of the joy that is set before us at our Lord’s coming. Remind me daily of the value of human souls. Remind me that the lives of people depend on Christ and being saved by Him.
Lord, I can think of people—family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers—who are seeking to save their life by living for themselves. Lord, bring them to see that everything in this life is a loss without Christ.
Use me to plant the seeds of the gospel, water with Your love and truth, and show them the joy and peace Christ has given me.
Amen.
Today’s Action
Remember to pray for someone to come to church with you on February 15. Write down their names. Keep bringing them to the Lord.
Please take time to share with me who you have invited that I can be praying for you and them also. Post a comment here.
[i] Charles W. Everest, Take Up Thy Cross, the Savior Said, Public Domain (1833) Baptist Hymnal 1991 #494
