P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Our final day in the Christmas story and today we will take a look at the wise men and the gifts they bring!
Together we will pray (P.R.A.Y.) each day – ‘P’: Pausing to be still as we come into the presence of the Lord. ‘R’: Rejoicing as we remember who our God is and what He has done, and Reflecting on His word. ‘A’: Asking God to help us and others. And ‘Y’: yielding to His will in accordance with His word.
As I come before you to pray, I still my thoughts and quiet my mind. I seek to make you the center of my focus.
Prayer of Approach
Lord, as you open your arms to receive me now, I open my heart and mind to receive your wisdom and instruction. Receive my praise and adoration, meager as they are, as a fragrant offering. Let fear flee from me at this moment as I share my deepest cares and concerns openly and honestly with you, lover of my soul.
-Mark Rosewell
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 86:
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Psalm 86:8-13
Today we are reflecting on the words of Jesus in Matthew 2, where we read:
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:1-12
Before we talk about the wise men, let’s dispel a common misconception. We have no idea how many there were! We think three because of the gifts and the song, but we don’t know. So feel free to add some to your nativity scene if you feel like it. So what do we know about the wise men? We know they are from the east. More importantly, we know that they know the Hebrew Scriptures and astronomy well. They knew the prophecy of this great sign and they knew when it happened because they have never seen it before. Now imagine the journey they are about to embark on all based on a verse and a star. They would have had to be pretty confident they got this one right. Leaving everything behind to see the Savior that this star was presenting. So they went. Herod looking to commit evil tries to ascertain information from them, but the Lord intervenes in a dream. The interesting part of this text for today is the group of gifts they bring. They seem like an odd choice to give to a baby. So why these gifts? For starters, they knew the Book of Isaiah. They knew the gifts a king deserved. Isaiah 60:6-7 show that gold and frankincense were fit for a king and that this child is the King of Kings. Myrrh is an odd gift not just for a king, but for a baby. Myrrh was related to death and burial and used as an embalming substance. These gifts are not just them knowing the past, but pointing us to the future. That this child born in Bethlehem is a baby who was born to die. He is the king who will lay down his life for his people. And we see that play out in the Book of John. The same baby who was given myrrh after being wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger will one day be wrapped again. This time not as a baby, but as the eternal Son of God who was crucified on a cross and buried in a tomb. Instead of being given myrrh and wrapped in swaddling clothes, he was wrapped in a burial cloth and myrrh was poured out over him. The gospel of Jesus is a beautiful picture of God entering into time and space knowing that his mission was to die for undeserving people so that they can be in a relationship with him again.
Lord, I ask that you open my eyes to the love you have for me. Let me see that you entered into this world to die. Not to die for the good, but to die for someone like me. Someone who is messy and in need of a Savior.
1)Where is my focus this holiday season? Is it on Jesus like the wise men’s focus?
2)What would I leave behind to seek Jesus out?
2)What gifts do I have to offer Jesus in this season of life?
Lord, revive our hearts this Christmas season! Fill us with your Spirit that can sing wholeheartedly that a Savior was born in Bethlehem. Fix our eyes on the eternal Son of God who entered into time and space for a broken people. Let us see that salvation has come and we ask that your salvation would come to our families, workplaces, schools, and city once again.
As I read the passage again slowly, I listen for anything that You would say to me in it. Help me see how to position my life in order to yield to your word.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:1-12
Yielding Prayer
Jesus, I lay my life down at your feet today. Just like the wise men whose focus and attention was on you, would mine be there as well? Amidst all the distractions of this world would you show me the sign that you have come? I sacrifice whatever I need to in order to follow you. Reveal yourself to me this Christmas!
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, I leave this time of intimacy with you now and go about my day. I ask that you will grant me peace beyond my understanding to face any challenges today. I ask for abundant grace that I may shower it upon everyone that I meet. And I ask for your Spirit to fill me that I may share You with someone that needs to hear from You today.
Mark Rosewell
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.