Daily Devotion for December 13, 2017
Prayers
Scripture
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.
A sign shall be given, a virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing undiminished deity.
The glory of the nations, a light for all to see,
That hope for all who will embrace His warm reality.
Refrain:
Immanuel,
Our God is with us.
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us.
Immanuel.
For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned;
For all those who stumble in the darkness,
Behold your light has come.
So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call
Of Him who did not spare His son
But gave him for us all?
On earth there is no power,
There is no depth or height,
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ.
Music and Lyrics by Michael Card
An Advent Prayer
God, grant me the grace to be patient and vigilant in watching, waiting, and listening attentively, so that I won't miss Christ when he comes knocking at my door. Remove whatever hinders me from receiving the gifts which the Savior brings — Joy, peace, justice, mercy, and love. And let me always remember that these are gifts that are only received by giving; let me remember, during this season and throughout the year, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the outcast, the prisoner, the weak, and the defenseless, with my prayers and with my substance.
In the name of Christ I pray,
Prayer for the Power of the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
For Those in Need of Strength
I pray, Lord, for all who will need strength and courage in the day ahead: For those who face danger. For those who risk themselves for others. For those who must make an important decision today. For people who are seriously ill. For those facing persecution or torture. I ask you, Lord, to give them the power of your Spirit,
Meditation
[That the Holy Spirit may act in me so that my work is holy.]
Closing Praise
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.
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.
Holiday Loneliness
I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.
~ Taylor Caldwell
John 1:19-27 (NASB)
The Testimony of John
This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not ” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
Notes on the Scripture
In this passage, John the Baptist recalls the prophecies of Isaiah, that a child would be born who would bring redemption to Israel and to mankind at all ends of the earth. He announces the coming of Christ to all who will listen, saying that there will be one who comes after him, who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and redeem us from our sins.
e was the last of the prophets of Israel, a tradition that really began with Moses (although there are earlier bits and pieces) and reaches its zenith in very different men, Elijah and Isaiah; the first was a worker of miracles, the second a teller of prophecies. But John recalls both of them, the scruffy Elijah who is a man of action, and the wonderful Isaiah, whose last prophecies have not yet been fulfilled.
One great attribute of John was that he accepted exactly what God had set out for him: no more, no less. He was to live in harsh conditions, primitively, eating insects and wearing skins like a caveman, then giving all the glory to his slightly younger cousin; after this, he was to be jailed and beheaded. He did have a great deal of glory and the wonderful satisfaction of knowing how many people he had helped to find salvation.
As Paul says, we are one body with many parts, and each part has its function, none greater than any other. Let us remember, then, all of those who serve Christ without external glory, without making much money or getting a lot of praise and status. The people who quietly organize and clean up and make food for events, the people who stand all day ringing bells to collect money for the Salvation Army, the volunteers in the church library — all the saints of God who serve Him without much recognition.
