Christmas

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Christmas Reading Plan | Week 1 Day 3

Prayer

Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Pray that God would open your eyes to wonderful things from His word today.

Bible Reading: Luke 1:8-17

Read these verses three times slowly.

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Reflection & Questions

Yesterday, we read of the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless. This was not unnoticed by God. He saw and He knew. The angel has been sent to tell Zechariah, “your prayer has been heard.” God hears our prayers. He doesn’t always answer in the timing or the way we would like, but there is a comfort in knowing that the Lord Almighty, who is Love, hears our prayers.

In this instance, the Lord was answering Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayer long after they had prayed it. They were very old and the idea of having a child now would have been laughable. But it was God’s timing and their child had a special job to do. “He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.” He would be a prophet, “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” A couple who had lived a heartbreaking lifetime without a child, would have a child that restored the nuclear family (“turn the hearts of the parents to their children”). A couple who had lived a righteous life, would have a child that would bring revival to the rebellious. The Lord was getting ready to come and just as a house is cleaned before the guests of honor arrive, it was time to get hearts cleaned up for God to come.

1. Are you able to trust that God has heard your prayers? Why or why not?
2. How have you seen God answer prayers in ways better than you could have asked?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?