The ACTS of Prayer

It’s another new year, and many of us are resolved to pray– pray more, pray better, pray longer, etc. That’s a good resolution, but without a plan, it can fizzle out as the year goes on. It’s not that we stop praying altogether; it’s just that we end up praying the same old way or about the same old things, and our pursuit of prayer becomes another routine.

This year, I want to present several “How-to’s” of prayer– at least one every month– to keep things fresh. Today is ACTS. ACTS is an acronym that stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. I learned this method way back in college, and our Wednesday morning prayer team at church still uses it each week.

Start by coming to God in worship and ADORATION:
List some of the Names of God–Father, Creator, El Shaddai, LORD, King of Kings, etc., OR
List the attributes of God–Merciful, Mighty, Humble, Everlasting…
Pray one of the Psalms…
Sing or recite the words of a worship hymn or praise chorus…
Think of creative ways to spend some time expressing God’s Worth and Majesty.
This may be difficult the first time; it may feel awkward at other times. Don’t be discouraged. God inhabits the praise of His People, whenever, wherever, and however we make the effort!

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Second, spend some time in CONFESSION:
Ask God to examine your heart to see if there is any wickedness that has gone unacknowledged..(Psalm 139:23-24)
Confess specific sins as you think of them…
Confess your need for God’s forgiveness and His Guidance..
Resolve to take action– either action to seek forgiveness from those you have wronged, or action to change course in the future, or action to let go of past resentment..
Sometimes, you may need to stop and take the action NOW before you continue in prayer. Sometimes, you may need to let go of your own lingering guilt and shame over past actions for which you have already confessed. Remember, God removes our Sin as far as the East is from the West, (Psalm 103:12) and He will remember it no more– so we must trust in His forgiveness and move forward; not stay stuck in the past!

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Next, THANK God–for His provision, and for His Mercy:
Thank God for His daily provision of life, health, strength, and unfailing Love!
Thank Him for the people in your life– those who encourage as well as those who challenge you!
Thank God for His Mercies that are new every morning (Lamentations 2:22-23)
Thank Him for His forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9)
Thank Him for His eternal presence (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6)
Don’t confuse this with step one–ADORATION is about Who God IS. Thanksgiving is about What God has Done for YOU. It is easy to recite a verse about what God has done for others– take time to make it personal, especially in light of whatever you have just confessed!

Last, bring your petitions and requests in SUPPLICATION to the Father:
Bring your heart-cry for lost friends and relatives…
Ask for God to work in situations that have you frustrated..
Plead for Justice and Righteousness to be done in the world around you..
Pray for leaders, elected officials, and church leaders..(1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Ask for the strength to resist temptation, stand firm, and run the race that is set before you.. (1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 1 Corinthians 9:24, more..)
It isn’t that this is the least important step, but it works better when it follows the other three steps. NOW you are in the right frame of mind to present requests. They can be seen in their proper perspective. Instead of a giant wish list of things you hope God might do for you, you can present requests that you KNOW God already knows about, cares about, and for which He already has a plan! You can come in confidence, knowing that you have peace with God because He has forgiven your sins and restored your relationship as His son or daughter– nothing stands in the way! And you have just rehearsed (and said Thank You!) for all the ways God has been faithfully working in your life!

Does this sound like a lot of time and energy? It is. But it doesn’t have to be for every prayer you pray. This is for special time set aside for deep prayer. OR, you can break it up throughout the day: Wake up with praise and adoration (it will make an immediate difference!), spend some time at the end of the work day confessing (when it’s still fresh!), and end the day with thanksgiving and supplication (what a way to find peaceful rest– give all your cares over to God who has done so much for you (1 Peter 5:7)!

However you choose to do it– consider trying the ACTS method this week. Do it during your quiet time, or try it with a group. Develop a habit of coming to prayer in this order.

Keep watching this space for more ideas to stimulate your prayer life. Let’s pursue prayer together in 2023!

January 2, 2023 0

Looking Beyond..

Have you ever tried to read through the Bible in a year? There are many programs that can help you do it–even Bibles divided into daily readings. Some are organized in segments–a short passage from the Old Testament; one from the New; a Psalm, and two or three verses from Proverbs. Mine is organized in bits from Genesis to Revelations– a few chapters or a short book each day, with every seventh day set aside for reflection.

It’s curious– the Bible is organized naturally in rough chronological order. In January, as we look ahead to a new year, we are challenged to look back and read about how the world began; in December, we read about the “end” of the world as we know it. But of course, Revelations isn’t about “the End.” It is about the new beginning– a New Heaven and a New Earth.

As this year closes, and we naturally look ahead to next year, Revelations challenges us– not just to look ahead, but to look beyond! We can’t see the future, even if we try to prepare for it, or even control it. We can’t know for certain even what will happen in the next days and weeks of next year. But God has given us a glimpse of what will be– in His time. If this year has left us complacent, we must look beyond that complacency to see God’s righteous judgment. If this year has us frustrated about injustice, we must look beyond to see God’s coming endless reign of Peace. If thoughts of next year leave us confused or worried, we must look beyond to see how God’s plan is from everlasting, and that He is Sovereign over time and circumstance.

On January 1st, many of us will “start over” reading the Bible, with the opening of Genesis 1– “In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..”, reminding us again that God has been in control all along. The story is the same–Creation, the Fall, the Promise, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and the coming Return of Christ– just as God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

We can look ahead– and hope that 2023 will bring goodness, adventures, triumphs, etc.. But we can look beyond, with a certain and sure hope that God has the future in His Mighty, Holy Hands!

Lord, Thank you for this past year. Thank you for giving us new opportunities in the coming year, whatever circumstances may bring. Thank you for your wisdom and sovereignty in all things– that we can have complete confidence in You! Help us to enter 2023 with that confidence, and honor You in the days ahead, and throughout eternity. Amen.

December 30, 2022 0

Looking Back

Another year is nearing an end, and it is common to look back and take stock of what the year has brought to, taken from, or challenged us with…

It can also be a time of regret– things not done, opportunities not taken, mistakes not corrected, hopes and dreams unrealized.

I keep two journals– a daily planner, filled with goals I hope to accomplish and plans I hope to fulfill; and my prayer journal, filled with requests, praises, answers to prayer, and names of people and places I wish to lift up in prayer. I spent some time the other day remembering and reflecting on this past year.

As I stop to pray over the next/last few days of 2022, I want to remember two things in particular: God knew everything that would happen this year. And God was “there” for everything that happened; not just aware of what was going on, but as close as our own breath–loving, caring, and providing strength and comfort in every moment. He shared our tears and our laughter, and sent us mercies in the form of friends, neighbors, and even strangers– “angels unaware.”

God knew that on January fifth, my mother would fall and break her leg, starting her on a sixth month odyssey of hospitalization, rehabilitation, assisted living, and finally, moving into a new living arrangement near my sister’s house. He knew that my mother-in-law would fall the very next day, breaking her leg and requiring a similar journey through hospitalization, and two nursing homes, before finally being able to return to her home before Christmas.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

God knew that I would be diagnosed with diabetes, and that David would face a challenging wound in his leg this year. Our lives and routines have been altered in ways we could never have predicted.

God knew that our extended family would face divorce, death, illness, job changes, and more. He knew that members of our church family would face cancer, heart disease, and death; just as many others would experience healing, weddings, and new birth.God knew what would happen worldwide– the death of a Queen, the changing of world leaders, war, famine, earthquakes and blizzards and hurricanes.

And God was there for every moment, joyous or terrifying; heart-breaking and uplifting moments, personal triumphs and worldwide tragedies. Miracles and losses, devastating news from the doctor, and joyous answers to prayer.

Looking back can be painful. Dwelling in the past–even on good memories, can be unproductive. But looking back to see how God has provided in our need, given us strength for life’s challenges, and brought unexpected opportunities gives us cause to sing praises and cause to hope for the coming year.

Thank you God! Thank you for bringing us through another year– hopefully wiser and closer to You. Thank you for the opportunities you’ve given, and those you will bring into our lives in the year to come. Prepare us to be patient, hopeful, strong, and kind in the time to come. And help us to share this hope and strength, kindness and endurance to those around us, by pointing them to You. Amen!

December 28, 2022 0

…And His Own Received Him Not

Today is Boxing Day. Some people will leave their Christmas decorations up for awhile longer; maybe even until after the New Year. Others will box up all the holiday trappings for next year. But the boxes and bags that held gifts yesterday are likely put away– some put aside; others in the trash. We laugh about toddlers and pets being more fascinated with the boxes than with the gifts inside, but most of us tear off the paper and rip open the boxes to get to the “good stuff” hidden inside. The ribbons and bows, the gift card holders and glittery greeting cards, while they delight us in the moment, pale in comparison to the gifts and the thoughts behind them.

Photo by Petri-Caragea Alexandru on Pexels.com

What a shame it would be if all the wonderful gifts under the tree remained unopened– boxed away for another year, just to be placed back under a Christmas tree in 2023. What a useless tradition it would be to give gifts that were never opened or used, or even seen!

And yet…the Greatest gift of all–the very reason for the Christmas season– often remains boxed up and carefully preserved for another year. “Jesus is the reason for the Season,” as some people say. But have we RECEIVED Him? Have we opened up the gift of His coming; of His offer of salvation and reconciliation– or do we just enjoy the idea of the Baby in the Manger and the Wise Men coming from afar and offering gifts; the angels singing in the night sky, and the gentle animals in the stall?

The Gospel writer and Apostle John wrote that Jesus “came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” (John 1:11) God so Loved the world that He gave His son (John 3:16), but the gift remained unopened and ignored by those who should have welcomed Him. He grew up and lived among them– healed their diseases, spoke comfort and truth, laughed and shared sorrows with them– and they cried out, “Crucify Him!” God’s “one-size-fits-all” perfect gift– the “gift that keeps on giving” eternally!–was despised and rejected. And the Gift is still rejected, ignored, scorned, and unopened today.

All the splendor and glitter of the Christmas season will fade away– the decorations will go back in their boxes; the wrappings and trimmings will be forgotten. But the Gift! Let’s bring it out and use it– revel in it; wonder at it. God with Us. God reaching down and out and beyond to bring us Home–forever! And God giving us the privilege and the power to BE His hands and feet and eyes and lips as we minister to those around us! God holding us close as sons and daughters. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name..”(John 1:12) When we open this gift, we are not just recipients, not merely believers or followers– we are Children of God.

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Lord, help me not make the grave mistake of taking your incredible gift and leaving it in a box, or worse, opening it up and putting it back in a box for later. Help me to live in the “present”– in every way– and to enjoy the privilege of being Your child forever. Amen!

December 26, 2022 0

Christmas Wish Lists

When I was a child, we used to write letters to “Santa” with a list of what we wanted to find under the Christmas Tree that year. Sometimes this was a school project– practice in letter-writing etiquette, etc.– and sometimes, it was done spontaneously after poring through the Sears “Wish Book” Christmas catalog, or after watching Saturday morning cartoons with their endless ads for toys, dolls, bikes, and sugary cereals.

As adults, we often do something similar, drafting a Christmas “wish list” in our prayers and Advent dreams. Our adult lists may be as shallow as those of childhood–a new dishwasher, or a shiny piece of jewelry; a new “toy” boat for Dad, etc. Sometimes, they sound more virtuous– world peace, a healthy economy, a cure for cancer…

It isn’t “wrong” to have wishes at any time of year. And we should hope for better things in the world around us. But we can get caught up in the idea of Christmas being all about wishes and desires at the expense of the real GIFT of Christmas– Christ Himself! In fact, we can become numb to the fact that Jesus wasn’t just “another” Christmas gift among our “wish list” items.

⁹The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1: 9-14 (NIV)

Christ didn’t come that first Christmas in response to any person’s wish list. In fact, the Bible says that when Jesus came into the very world He created, He was rejected, ignored, even despised by those who should have recognized and welcomed Him. He didn’t come wrapped in shiny paper and waiting for us to enjoy Him. He came wrapped in rags, forced to go into exile under threat of death, and honored only by humble shepherds and strangers from foreign lands. No one sought Him out on their own. Even the shepherds and wise men were led by angels and a guiding star.

This year, instead of concentrating on wish lists and our desires (even noble ones!), let’s reflect on God’s wish list– that we would turn from sin and rebellion, and be reconciled to Him; that we would make His gift our greatest desire!

December 21, 2022 0

Lullabies and Hallelujahs

During this season of the year, we hear a lot of “Christmas” music. Much of it is secular music–Santa Claus and magical snowmen, gifts and parties, and the Holiday “blues.” But much of it is related to the real reason for Christmas: the birth of Our Lord. And the number of songs, hymns, cantatas and symphonies related to Christ’s birth is staggering! Popular secular singers record “their” versions of favorite hymns; choirs and orchestras present new songs and ancient melodies. Many of the songs fall into two distinct categories, however. There are quiet lullabies–peaceful and meditative, focused on the infant in the manger; and there are Hallelujahs– joyful and majestic, focused on the wonder of God coming to earth.

I don’t know if there were actually lullabies OR Hallelujahs on that first Christmas. The Bible mentions the visit of the angels, but they were “praising God and SAYING, ‘Glory to God in the Highest..'” We often assume that their praise included singing, but the Bible isn’t specific. But it is interesting to look at the contrast of the quietness of the manger and the Glory of the angel hosts, and hear the contrast in the hymns we raise at this time of year.

Lullabies, and quiet songs, like “Silent Night,” or “Away in a Manger” call our minds and hearts to the humility of the Christ child. Babies are cute and engaging. And they are not “silent.” But they do not command authority and majesty. Babies cry out for help. They are needy in a way that God is NOT. And yet…God came in the form of a helpless baby. The God who created the galaxies needed someone to feed and change Him; to carry Him from place to place and rock Him to sleep. “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” reminds us that He came to a cattle shed in a small town, rather than to a palace in the seat of power.

Hallelujahs, like “Joy to the World” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” remind us that this was no ordinary child. And yet…the angels did not appear IN the manger or even in the little Town of Bethlehem. The Angels were compelled to sing their praises, not to the learned priests, or the courts of power, but to dumb-founded shepherds on a cold hillside. What an explosive visitation! Their praises (whether shouted or sung) shattered the quiet and the darkness. Like a sudden fireworks display, the Glory of God’s servants split the night.

God enters our hearts– sometimes quietly, like the cooing of an infant; sometimes dramatically, like a chorus of angels. God is at work– sometimes in humble moments and ordinary gestures; sometimes in glorious flashes of insight and inexplicable miracles. And this season, our prayers will rise up– sometimes like the humble cries of a newborn baby; sometimes like the soaring songs of angel hosts– prayers of need; prayers of thanksgiving; prayers of awe-struck worship; prayers of simple confession of our own unworthiness, and of God’s sufficiency and everlasting Love. Peace and Glory; lullabies and Hallelujahs; simplicity and majesty– all wrapped up on a manger of hay on one Holy Night.

Christmas is about both the lullabies and the Hallelujahs; the simple light of Truth and the glorious radiance of God’s Holiness.

December 19, 2022 0

…And the Word WAS God!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5; 14

Emmanuel– God WITH us. The Baby Jesus in the manger is the same Jesus on the Cross; the same Jesus who was involved in the Creation of the universe.

We love seeing the Baby Jesus in the manger. We like the idea of Jesus, the good teacher and friend. We even bow our heads to honor the Jesus of the cross. We pray to Jesus, acknowledging that He is the God-Man who came to save us from Sin. But sometimes, we get so comfortable seeing Jesus lying peacefully in the manger or serenely enduring the pain of the Cross, that we ignore His absolute Holiness and Power.

Jesus was fully human– he ate, slept, cried, felt cold, and felt pain. But He is also God– fully Divine; fully Sovereign. He doesn’t force us to worship Him– not now, anyway. Someday, though, every knee will bow, and every tongue compelled to confess that Jesus is the Ultimate Authority in Heaven and on Earth (Philippians 2:10-11). Larger than life; more permanent than history; eternally Sovereign.

We pray to a God who is so awesome and glorious that no person can see His face and live. And yet, we pray to a God who so loved mankind that He came and walked among us, lived among us, and died among us. We look at Baby Jesus in the manger– we see the face of God. And when we look at our neighbors and friends, we look at those made in the image of God– we see those beloved of God; those Jesus came to save.

This is not new theology. This is basic Christianity. But sometimes, in the bustle of the “Season, ” we forget the wonder and the miracle that is the very reason for it all. God is NOT distant. He is not looking for reasons to reject or condemn us. He reaches out to us EXACTLY like a baby reaches out– seeking to be held close. He is as close as the person sitting next to you at the dinner table, or sharing a seat on the bus. GOD! Not a theology; not a list of do’s and don’t’s. Not an esoteric idea. A Presence; a living Christmas Present! An eternal Gift of Love! One with arms and legs; a twinkling eye and infectious smile.

In this season of Advent and Christmas, may we let the Glory of God fill us with awe and wonder. And may we let the Love of God fill us with hope and joy. May our prayers be like the sweet singing of the Angels on that Holy Night so long ago. “Glory to God in the Highest! And, on earth, Peace among those with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14).

December 16, 2022 0

…And the Word Was With God…

We get excited about Christmas coming–we put up trees and decorations, and often a manger scene or Creche, with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus in the manger. But Jesus didn’t start as a baby. Long before He ever came to Bethlehem, Jesus was one with the Father. He ruled from the heights of Heaven. He saw the first dawn of the first day on Earth. He walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve. He was a witness to all the events leading up to His own birth.

We like to picture Jesus as a baby. We like to picture Him as a man. We like to think of Him as a good teacher. And these are all correct. But we miss the full picture if we never imagine Jesus with God before He ascended to Heaven. The Ascension was Jesus returning to His rightful place, after the work of Salvation was accomplished in chronological, Earthly time. Jesus walked with His disciples. He ate with them, He laughed and talked with them. But He spent His earthly life talking and walking and relating with His Father, too. Nothing separated them, until that moment when Jesus became Sin for us so that we could be restored to a relationship with the Father.

On the Cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken ME?”(Matthew 27:46 or Mark 15:34). God was not just “sending” His son as an emissary or a benign sacrifice to demonstrate how much He could love us. Jesus came, fully intending to be a living sacrifice. He endured the “imposed” separation of a human body, bound by time and place, separated physically from the glories of Heaven. But this separation– this knowledge of being forsaken, banished to Hell and Death–was what Jesus came to take upon Himself. The one who had eternally existed in loving harmony with the Father and the Spirit, had to be ripped away from Himself, forsaken by the Father and Spirit as one condemned. The one who had lived a perfect life of obedience had to be shunned as one who was unclean and unworthy of life, so that WE could have the right to be adopted as sons and daughters of God. We can be “with God” because He chose to endure the inconceivable pain of the rejection that we deserved. But there is another miracle of the Birth of Jesus that we overlook.

At the moment of Jesus’ birth, He was Emmanuel– God with US. Just by entering into a human existence, God already fulfilled His promise to bring us to Himself. When Jesus ate with His disciples, God was eating with them. When He laughed with them and walked side by side with them, the fullness of God was there. By His death, He continued “with us” to the grave and beyond. There is not a single moment of life –or death– that God, through Jesus, has not experienced and shared with us. In His resurrection, Jesus broke the power of Sin and death to separate us from God. Even the power of God’s justice cannot condemn those who put their trust in the finished work of Jesus, because Jesus has paid the debt in full. There is NOTHING that can ever separate us from God’s love and His loving presence. The Word was with God– and that same Word was with us. That same Word lives with, and in, and through us throughout our days on earth. And, if we have put our faith in this same Emmanuel, we will be “with God” throughout eternity.

I need to meditate on this truth today. Even in the Holiday season, I can feel very separated from God–surrounded by stress and worries; focused on my own struggles and goals; chasing after a temporary joy in the busyness of preparations. Jesus has not forsaken me to return to Heaven– He is no less “with me” for being once again “with God.” No, He doesn’t physically walk beside me and eat with me, or talk audibly to me. But His presence is constant, steady, and promised.

Photo by Alena Shekhovtcova on Pexels.com

The Word– the same Word that spoke galaxies into being; the same Word that conquered Death and Sin–is “with us!” Today. Every moment! We will never have to cry out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” And we know this because Jesus CAME! He didn’t just “say” it. He gave us “His Word.”

December 14, 2022 0

In the Beginning Was the Word…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. ⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-14 (Authorized KJV)

We celebrate Christmas as the “birth” of Christ. Yet, the Bible tells us that Jesus (Christ) was in the beginning with God: Jesus had no beginning and no end. He is eternal with the Father and Spirit. We call this season before Christmas “Advent”– we await and celebrate, not the birth of a new being, but the advent of His coming from Heaven to earth.

Jesus came to Earth for many reasons– some of which are given in the Bible, and some of which are likely beyond our comprehension. He came to live among us as a man of flesh and bone (John 1:14); He came to bring life and light (vv.4-9); He came to live a sinless life, which He sacrificed as a ransom for the sins of the those who repent: and He came to serve others–to model the kind of service that God desires from us (Matthew 20:28). Jesus came in obedience to the Father (John 6:38). Finally, Jesus (as a member of the Triune Godhead) came because “God so Loved the World” (John 3:16) –He Wanted to come! The Advent was part of God’s perfect plan. It was not Plan B, developed after the fall of man. It was so “from the beginning.” It was foretold and prophesied. It was planned down to the tiniest detail.

Jesus has always been. He has always been The Word of God. Jesus speaks. Jesus listens. When we pray, it is natural to speak words to The Word. Jesus created us to communicate. Unlike any other creature on earth, mankind chooses to communicate through complex and subtle language, as well as through art, music, dance, architecture…even food! We chatter about trivia; we choose to wear certain colors to express our moods; we make silly faces at infants and delight in their own facial contortions.

Prayer is so important, because it is the essence of expressing our hearts and minds to the very one who created us to BE communicators. God listens through all the words of all the languages we use (or the non-verbalized thoughts, groanings, etc.) to hear our true heart-cry.

This season, we take time to reflect on just what it means that Jesus was “In the Beginning…” as well as in the manger. We reflect that “before Abraham was”–He IS (John 8:58). We glory in the knowledge that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8). These “words” give us life and hope and joy– not just now, but throughout all the years of our lives.

What a reason to say just a few words today in prayer!

December 12, 2022 0

Joy(?) to The World

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have problems with Advent Season. On the one hand, it’s a season of joy and wonder; a season of anticipation and expectation. But I find myself contemplating…and as the days get darker, earlier, and the snow falls, then melts, leaving everything brown and gray, I can’t seem to hang on to the joy. It slips through my fingers, leaving me thoughtful and even a little depressed.

I also find myself looking at the glitter and listening to the peppy music of the season and feeling as though all the “Merry” in Christmas is just a soap bubble, waiting to burst. I don’t watch much television, but it seems that every year the “holiday” specials and TV ads get more artificial and shallow. “Buy this!” “Turn up the Tunes!” “Wear THIS to the Holiday party!” “Eat this– Drink that!” “Get away from it all!” It’s more about escaping the ordinary, rather than celebrating the extraordinary gift of God’s Son. The more I try to get “into the Spirit” of the season, the more I seem to miss it…

It is important to remember that this extraordinary Joy came INTO and THROUGH the ordinary. The angels didn’t announce to the shepherds that they could escape their duties and run off to a vacation cruise; Mary and Joseph didn’t celebrate their first Christmas surrounded by lights and mugs of hot cocoa. The wise men didn’t have a brand new GPS device to help them find their destination, or tasty cookies and fruit baskets to make the journey more “fun.” This “good news of great joy” was the birth of a child– an ordinary event–except that THIS birth was the fulfillment of God’s Promise and the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

Many millions of people today will not have joyful circumstances to make the season “Merry and Bright.” But they can experience true Joy– the kind that comes from Knowing Jesus–and not just for a day or a season, but forever, in spite of difficulties, pain, and struggle. There IS joy in the journey, but it doesn’t always manifest as mirth and comfort.

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

This season, it is our privilege as Christians to offer a different level of Joy to the World–the Joy of forgiveness; the joy of belonging; the joy of eternal Hope and Peace. It may not be in laughter or singing. It may be in holding a hand at the side of a hospital bed. It may be in sharing tears with those who are suffering. It may be sharing a crust of bread with real thankfulness, instead of a feast with stress. Joy doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t require wrapping paper sugar sprinkles. The best gifts we can give this season don’t have to be filled with merriment and laughter. They don’t have to be expensive or even filled with thoughtful intent. They should be the spontaneous response of love and compassion for those around us. Let’s give lots of hugs, smiles, and small tokens of respect and appreciation this year. After all, God’s great gift– the greatest of all– began as a tiny, wailing infant, hidden away in a spare stable, wrapped in rags. But “Behold!” It is still bringing great joy all over the world. (Luke 2:10)

Let’s not trade certain Joy for temporary mirth this season. Reflect on the Reason, and not just the Season!

December 9, 2022 0

Pursuing Prayer