Verse for the week: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior. Lk 1.46-47
Prayer for the 4th week of
Advent: “Lord, purify our hearts that
they may be worthy to become your dwelling place. Let us never fail to find room for you, but
come and abide with us that we also may abide in you, for you were born into
the world for us and now live and reign, King of kings and Lord of lords, for
evermore. Amen.” (William Temple in A.E. Baker, William
Temple’s Teaching, Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1951, p.128)
Bible reading for the day: Luke 1.26-45
In the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to
a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And
the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said,
“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was
greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this
might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for
you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He
will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God
will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no
end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I
am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the
child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold,
your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is
the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will
be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant
of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed
from her.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the
hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of
Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the
greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with
the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are
you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why
is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For
behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb
leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would
be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty
Father, from Gabriel, to Mary, to Elizabeth, to me and to your whole church…you
have sent the news of Jesus our Savior and Lord. Thank you! Nothing is impossible for you, O Lord; so
open our busy, closed ears and humble our proud hearts… that we too may believe
this good news and look with eager anticipation and joy for the fulfillment of
what you have spoken. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow
this link to a beloved, classic hymn that gives further voice to today’s
conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAGE1Es8IPs
“I believe in Jesus Christ…”
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ —
true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the
Virgin Mary — is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature,
and has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil, not with silver
and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and
death. He has done all this in order that I might be his own, live under him in
his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and
blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all
eternity. This is most certainly true!
Benediction: Blessing and honor and thanksgiving and praise,
more than we can utter, more than we can conceive, be unto thee, O holy and
glorious Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by all angels, all people, all
creatures, for ever and ever. Amen. (Thomas Ken quoted in Frederick
B. Macnutt, The Prayer Manual
London: Mowbray, 1951, p.39)
*There are many patterns for devotions. This pattern has been followed by God’s
people for centuries.
**The T.R.I.P. approach to prayer is based on the way Martin
Luther prayed and taught others to pray. It was later developed by Walter and Ingrid
Trobisch and then adapted by Mount Carmel Ministries (Alexandria, MN www.dailytext.com). The method is founded on scripture and easy
to remember: T:
thanksgiving
R:
Regret (repentance)
I:
intercession (asking God to take a specific action)
P:
plan or purpose
Reading a biblical text and then applying this method gives
one a sound, simple way to form one’s prayers...not to mention that it helps
one learn how to faithfully reflect on God’s Word and talk to God.
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