WEEK 2: THE COMPASSIONATE GOD
February 23-28
SCRIPTURE
A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean.”
Mark 1:14–15
DEVOTIONAL
The man kneels before Jesus and says, “If You are willing…”
He does not doubt that Jesus can heal him. He doubts whether Jesus wants to.
Perhaps you understand that hesitation. It is one thing to believe that God is powerful. It is another to believe that He is tender
toward you.
Jesus answers the man not with a lecture, but with touch. He reaches toward what others avoid. He places His hand where
shame has lingered. And in that moment, we see the heart of God.
Compassion is not distance. It is nearness. The holiness of Jesus does not recoil from brokenness. It restores it. The presence of Christ
does not shrink from what is unclean. It cleanses.
This week, consider the places in your life where you still whisper, “If You are willing.” The wounds you carry quietly. The failures you assume disqualify you. Let this scene reshape your imagination. The God who comes near is also the God who reaches out.
To receive compassion is to be changed by it. To follow Christ is to learn how to move toward
others the way He moves toward us.
FASTING PRACTICE
Fast: Sweets, Desserts, & Comfort Foods
Comfort often becomes our substitute for compassion.
When we feel stressed, lonely, disappointed, or overwhelmed, we instinctively reach for something to soothe ourselves. There is nothing inherently wrong with enjoyment. But when comfort becomes our primary refuge, it quietly replaces dependence on God.
For this week, refrain from sweets, desserts, and foods you associate with comfort.
When cravings surface, pause and ask:
“What am I trying to comfort right now?”
Is it anxiety? Fatigue? Disappointment? Restlessness?
Bring that need directly to God in prayer. Do not rush to fix it. Sit with it.
Let hunger teach you something about dependence. Let discomfort expose what you rely on. Let it train you to seek mercy rather than escape.
Fasting is not about proving discipline. It is about revealing dependence.
REFLECTION PROMPTS
PRAYER
Merciful Father,
You are not distant from my weakness. You are not reluctant in Your love. Forgive me for believing You tolerate me instead of delighting in mercy. Heal the places where shame has shaped how I see myself. Where I feel unclean, speak cleansing. Where I feel disqualified, speak grace. Where I hide, draw me out.
As I fast this week, reveal what I turn to for comfort instead of You. Teach me to bring my need directly into Your presence. And make me compassionate. Interrupt my indifference. Move me toward those who are hurting. Give me courage to touch what feels inconvenient or
uncomfortable. Let the mercy I receive become mercy I extend. Form in me the heart of Christ.
Amen
A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean.”
Mark 1:14–15
DEVOTIONAL
The man kneels before Jesus and says, “If You are willing…”
He does not doubt that Jesus can heal him. He doubts whether Jesus wants to.
Perhaps you understand that hesitation. It is one thing to believe that God is powerful. It is another to believe that He is tender
toward you.
Jesus answers the man not with a lecture, but with touch. He reaches toward what others avoid. He places His hand where
shame has lingered. And in that moment, we see the heart of God.
Compassion is not distance. It is nearness. The holiness of Jesus does not recoil from brokenness. It restores it. The presence of Christ
does not shrink from what is unclean. It cleanses.
This week, consider the places in your life where you still whisper, “If You are willing.” The wounds you carry quietly. The failures you assume disqualify you. Let this scene reshape your imagination. The God who comes near is also the God who reaches out.
To receive compassion is to be changed by it. To follow Christ is to learn how to move toward
others the way He moves toward us.
FASTING PRACTICE
Fast: Sweets, Desserts, & Comfort Foods
Comfort often becomes our substitute for compassion.
When we feel stressed, lonely, disappointed, or overwhelmed, we instinctively reach for something to soothe ourselves. There is nothing inherently wrong with enjoyment. But when comfort becomes our primary refuge, it quietly replaces dependence on God.
For this week, refrain from sweets, desserts, and foods you associate with comfort.
When cravings surface, pause and ask:
“What am I trying to comfort right now?”
Is it anxiety? Fatigue? Disappointment? Restlessness?
Bring that need directly to God in prayer. Do not rush to fix it. Sit with it.
Let hunger teach you something about dependence. Let discomfort expose what you rely on. Let it train you to seek mercy rather than escape.
Fasting is not about proving discipline. It is about revealing dependence.
REFLECTION PROMPTS
- Where do I struggle to believe God is willing to meet me?
- What shame am I still carrying as identity?
- Who in my life do I instinctively avoid rather than move toward?
PRAYER
Merciful Father,
You are not distant from my weakness. You are not reluctant in Your love. Forgive me for believing You tolerate me instead of delighting in mercy. Heal the places where shame has shaped how I see myself. Where I feel unclean, speak cleansing. Where I feel disqualified, speak grace. Where I hide, draw me out.
As I fast this week, reveal what I turn to for comfort instead of You. Teach me to bring my need directly into Your presence. And make me compassionate. Interrupt my indifference. Move me toward those who are hurting. Give me courage to touch what feels inconvenient or
uncomfortable. Let the mercy I receive become mercy I extend. Form in me the heart of Christ.
Amen