Angels would herald His birth. Wise men would follow a star to worship Him. Shepherds would stand in awe of what they saw. A king would try to kill Him. Satan would scheme to destroy Him and God’s plan. But Mary pondered it all in her heart. As we rush around with all the last-minute shopping and preparations, let’s remember the Greatest Gift.
And not lose sight of the reason behind all that we do this Christmas season … that the Creator of the Universe humbled Himself and became a babe, was born in a stable among animals and filth, lived as a man among sinners, and submitted to a horrible death in your place and mine.
Do you ever start praying and realize you’re saying essentially the same things you said yesterday—and the day before that?
We know prayer matters. We know we should pray faithfully. But sometimes our prayers can become repetitive, focused primarily on immediate problems, or simply lacking direction.
Yet tucked into Paul’s letters are prayers that can change not only how we pray but what we ask God to do in our lives and the lives of those we love.
Instead of focusing primarily on changed circumstances, Paul prayed for believers to be strengthened spiritually, to grow in their knowledge of God, to understand the vastness of Christ’s love, to develop discernment, and to live lives that please Him.
What if we began praying those same things for ourselves, our spouses, our children, and others we love?
We’ll look at how to do that today and at other passages you can turn into powerful, Scripture-centered prayers.
But that’s not all. Isaiah will take us centuries before the cross and give us an astonishingly detailed picture of Christ’s suffering. And Proverbs will address something that may sound harmless but can leave deep wounds—sarcasm and mean-spirited joking.
An old folk proverb says that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Probably a reference to the fact that in many climates it’s still pretty cold at the beginning of the month and whether or not it’s wishful thinking in some parts of the country, by the end of the month spring is often making itself evident.
As Christians with Easter just around the corner, we have reason to think about another Lion and Lamb. Jesus, our Savior and Lord, came as the Lamb of God in His first advent but will soon return as the Lion of Judah.
He was born as a babe, lived a sinless life, and finally, suffered and died the death each of us deserves (Rom. 3.23, 6.23). But what looked like defeat was turned to victory three days later when He rose from the dead.
He now sits at the right hand of God the Father. But one day, probably sooner than many think, He will return as the Lion of Judah and Conquering King. Are you ready?
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