303 people in our community are currently praying with you.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Martin Luther's Prayer for Morning

I  give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected me through the night from all danger and harm. I ask you to preserve and keep me, this day also, from all sin and evil, that in all my thoughts, words, and deeds I may serve and please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all that is mine. Let your holy angels have charge of me, that the wicked one have no power over me.

Prayer for the Departed

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend the souls of your servants departed from this life and beseech you to grant them rest in the place of your rest, where all the blessed repose, and where the light of your countenance shines forever.

And I pray also to grant that my present life may be godly, sober, and blameless, that I too may be made worthy to enter into your heavenly Kingdom with those I love but see no longer: for you are the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of your departed servants, O Christ our God, and unto you I ascribe all glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Christmas Season Prayer

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for being so grumpy as I trudge through the never-ending tasks set before me this holiday season. My to-do list seems to keep growing with shopping, church services, and gatherings with family and friends — and I'm running short of time!

Restore the joy of Christmas to my heart and help me to relax each day and make time for You, my one true source of joy, whose birth is the true meaning of all my activity.

Benediction

Now the God of patience and consolation grant to me, and to all who pray in the name of Christ, to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That we may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Bavarian Nativity scene carved in wood panel, 1908

Luke 1:67-80

Zechariah's Prophecy

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

For he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;

To show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us.

That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God;

Whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace."

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Notes on the Scripture

Zechariah's spontaneous hymn of praise is often called the Benedictus (Latin for "blessed", the first word of the hymn), but is also simply called "The Canticle (or Song) of Zechariah". The first half is a general song of thanks to God, for the time of the Messiah is finally at hand for Israel. It seems to have a flavor of the Old Testament, for it recalls the time when Israel was independent and powerful under David (and Solomon), and the theme is deliverance of Israel from her enemies. So Zechariah announces that God's promise to Israel is on the verge of fulfillment, after almost 2000 years.

Hebrew altar with four horns

The imagery of the "horn", used here and throughout the Bible, does not translate well into modern times, but it resonated greatly at the time. The problem is primarily one of technology; 2000 years ago, a horn was a natural symbol of power, because the world was full of oxen and their horns were immensely powerful. Additionally, lacking modern communications, the horn of a ram was used both in battle and in worship as a signaling device. Jewish altars had four horns at their corners, and often one of these horns might be grasped by a person seeking sanctuary.

A modern-day equivalent to "horn of salvation" just doesn't exist; a sword of salvation or a tower or rock of salvation, might be more understandable, but they simply are not accurate.

Zechariah then changes voices and speaks directly to his miraculous son, a key player in the road to Redemption. And here the tone changes to distinctly New Testament, for the key themes are forgiveness of sin, peace, and light versus shadow. The Bible is in a period of transition, reflected in Zechariah, who is really preaching Christ before His birth. We also hear an echo of Isaiah 40:

Current Memory Verse     Remember the Bible

Print Today’s Devotion