Thursday November 30, 2023

Today is Thursday, November 30 and we are studying what the Bible says about the Incarnation.

As I enter this time of prayer, I still my mind, slow my breath and draw my heart near to God. As Christmas approaches, I prepare my soul and wait for the coming of my Lord Jesus with quiet anticipation.

Pause and Pray

Holy and loving God, I come here to listen for your voice speaking to me from the sacred words of the Holy Bible. Remind me of the truth of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and the miracle of your Word made flesh for the salvation of the world. Amen.

I praise God and seek his eternal truth in the ancient words of the prophet Isaiah.

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Pause and Pray

Gabriel is a busy angel in the time of King Herod of Judea. In the opening chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Gabriel makes two back-to-back angelic visits and announces two miraculous births. The first visit is to a righteous, elderly couple who had never conceived a child, the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. After the announcement, Elizabeth was soon pregnant. They are told by the angel to name their son “John.” He will grow and be known as John the Baptist. The angel Gabriel next visits a relative of Elizabeth’s, a young woman in a neighboring town named Mary.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Luke 1:26-29

The word angel derives from the Greek word angelos which means messenger or one who is sent. Angels are God’s messengers. Gabriel is known as an archangel, an angel of higher rank. He identifies himself as one who “stands in the presence of God.” (Luke 1:19). He is sent by God to share good news with Zechariah and then with Mary. Gabriel is God’s chosen messenger. All messages are important, but sometimes a message can change your life. Sometimes a message can change the course of history. Mary is about to receive that kind of message.

Ask: When have I received a message that changed my life? When do I believe I received a message from God?

Pause and Pray

Blessed Lord God, at a particular time and in a particular place you sent your messenger to announce the good news that would change the fate of humanity forever. You brought the miracle of life to those destined for death and the promise of a light that would overcome all darkness. Thank you for your gracious love for humanity. I read the words from Luke again and listen for the message you have for me.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Luke 1:26-29

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

God still sends messages. God is trying to reach me all the time. He has a special message for me and I do not want to miss it. God speaks often into my life. I am the one who is too busy, preoccupied and distracted to hear his messages. As I read The First 15, I endeavor to quiet myself for a while and listen. Pay attention to the divine, angelic voices whispering to my heart. What is God saying to me at this particular time and in this particular place? Perhaps the same words that Gabriel relayed to Mary, “The Lord is with you.”

Pause and Pray

Holy and loving God, thank you for being with me. Open my ears so I can hear the wonders of your love. Whisper your messages into my life and increase my ability to comprehend. Remove the obstacles of transmission, speak over the airwaves of my heart, post your memo to my soul and flood my spiritual inbox. I am listening. Amen.

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Mark 9:7

I leave this time of prayer listening for God’s good messages in my life. I go to speak words of mercy and love into the lives of others.

Amen