P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today, we will see Gabriel make another announcement, and this time it is to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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 84:
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!
Psalm 84:9-12
Today we are reflecting on the words of Jesus in Luke 1, where we read:
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
Of all of the places the angel, Gabriel, could go to make this announcement Nazareth had to be close to the bottom of the list. A city far from any influence in the area of Galilee. Not just a shocking city for this announcement, but in all reality a shocking recipient. Mary is a Jewish girl about 15, 16, or 17 from an unknown family with no influence, power, or wealth. She is about to begin her life with Joseph the man she is betrothed to when in steps Gabriel.
Gabriel reveals why Mary was chosen for this assignment. It’s not because of her resume, but it is purely because the favor of the Lord rested upon her. And with that favor, she would conceive and bear a son. This son of hers will be named Jesus and be everything that the Jews were waiting for. Mary has a question, similar to Zechariah, but with a much different outcome.
She asks, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” It is an honest question. Unlike Zechariah, who would have heard stories of God making barren wombs miraculously create life, this is a new one. There has yet to be an immaculate conception and Mary’s question is allowed because we see Gabriel answer it. He explains the Holy Spirit and the power of the Highest.
We have to take a moment and think about just how wild this would have been for Mary before we look at her response. Think an angel arrived at your doorstep and said you will conceive the eternal Son of God in human form in your womb and it is not going to happen like normal. In fact, the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High will come together and that is how God will be conceived in your womb. A lot to take in right there, but now we have to think of the short-term consequence of all of this. Do you think that the residents of Nazareth are going to believe this story? I don’t think so. Even if she is not worried about all of those other opinions what about the ones that really matter? What will her parents say? What will Joseph say? Not just that, but her life is just starting. I doubt this was written into her five-year plan at the moment. So how does she respond? She lays down her life in servitude to whatever the Lord will ask of her. She takes him at his Word and she obeys it. Her faith is astounding!
Lord, I ask that you would give me faith like Mary. A faith that hears your Word and no matter what it says obeys. A faith that knows nothing is impossible with God and lives life like that.
1)If I were Mary what fears, anxieties, and worries would I have at this announcement?
2)Where in my life do I need to say, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”?
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.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I lay down my life like Mary did that day. A life that responds in faith no matter the call. A life that responds to your Word and obeys. Give me faith like Mary to run into the unknown as long as I know you are there. Let my heart sing with the truth that nothing is impossible with God. I ask you to speak to me today as I am your servant and want to do the will of my Father in heaven.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Luke 1:37
For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:37
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.