"There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him." Luke 2:25
Notice the religous leaders are not mentioned in this passage; to them Jesus was just another 8 day old baby being presented by his parents at the temple.
David - a shepherd boy of a man named Jesse
Mary - a teenage girl, from a family of no particular prominence
Daniel - a young man carried off into captivity
Hosea - son of a man named Beeri
Elijah - "a man like us", from no particular family
Samuel - a small child, the son of an ordinary couple: Elkanah and Hannah
Moses - a child of a slave couple from the house of Levi
Peter - an uneducated fisherman
It is an honor to be invited by a Jewish family to their son's Brit Milah (covenant of circumcision) or Bar Mitzvah, but what an unspeakable privieldge to be personally invited by the Holy Spirit to celebrate the Brit Milah of the Messiah.
All the people mentioned today were ordianry people, nothing special in worldly terms, but their hearts were sensitive to the Lord. He chose them, and they chose to respond, to seek Him, and obey what they heard.
Some decisively reject the Messiah, like King Herod who tried to kill him, but others miss out on the blessings of God because they are passive, like the priests and scribes. (see Matthew 2:3-6)
Unless we actively pursue the Lord, intentionally making prayer a priority and planning time to rest, the business of life will fill up every spare minute, and we will never know all that we are missing.
PRARYER CHALLENGE:
Several prayer "tools" or "habits" have been a huge help to me.
Whether the Lord brings scriptures to mind while you are praying,
or the Lord impresses a verse on your heart while you are reading the scripture,
or you look up key words to find a verse using a concordance,
praying the words of God is a wonderful way to align your heart with His.
The easiest way to start is by saying, "Lord, you said in Your word,...." and then quote the verse back to Him. Then paraphrase the verse in your words, applying it to your request. (Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you, helping you choose appropriate scriptures, not twisting them contraying to the intended meaning in their biblical context.)
Here are a couple examples.
Psalm 25:14 "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant."
Say or write a prayer of your own with these verses:
Whether it takes a few days or a couple weeks, persevere in finding scriptures to pray for your most pressing concerns. If there is an issue of sin that you are continually struggling with, this is the most effective way I know to find victory.
EVENING MEDITATION:
You have made it to the end of Day 11, I commend you on your perseverance and faithfulness. As we come closer to the end, I want to remind you that you don't need me. You have the Holy Spirit who will teach you all things. As you listen to these songs, ask the Lord to stir up a passion in you to continue to seek him in prayer and apply what you've learn when these 12 Days are complete. Ask the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His and to thrill your heart with what delights Him.
When the Saints - Sara Groves
O Come All Ye Faithful - Steven Curtis Chapman
- copy verse 25
- then read Luke 2:21-35
- Who was this "Simeon"?
- What did the Holy Spirit reveal to him?
- and Why do you think the Holy Spirit chose him?
Notice the religous leaders are not mentioned in this passage; to them Jesus was just another 8 day old baby being presented by his parents at the temple.
- choose a couple familiar names below, try to recall when they were first mentioned in scripture and when the Lord spoke to them (Why do you think the Lord chose him/her?)
David - a shepherd boy of a man named Jesse
Mary - a teenage girl, from a family of no particular prominence
Daniel - a young man carried off into captivity
Hosea - son of a man named Beeri
Elijah - "a man like us", from no particular family
Samuel - a small child, the son of an ordinary couple: Elkanah and Hannah
Moses - a child of a slave couple from the house of Levi
Peter - an uneducated fisherman
- read Luke 2:36-37
- make a list of everything you know about Anna
- read verse 38-39
- When did when did she come on the scene? (After what and before what?)
It is an honor to be invited by a Jewish family to their son's Brit Milah (covenant of circumcision) or Bar Mitzvah, but what an unspeakable privieldge to be personally invited by the Holy Spirit to celebrate the Brit Milah of the Messiah.
- What was Anna's new "ministry" and to whom? (verse 38)
All the people mentioned today were ordianry people, nothing special in worldly terms, but their hearts were sensitive to the Lord. He chose them, and they chose to respond, to seek Him, and obey what they heard.
Some decisively reject the Messiah, like King Herod who tried to kill him, but others miss out on the blessings of God because they are passive, like the priests and scribes. (see Matthew 2:3-6)
Unless we actively pursue the Lord, intentionally making prayer a priority and planning time to rest, the business of life will fill up every spare minute, and we will never know all that we are missing.
Several prayer "tools" or "habits" have been a huge help to me.
- setting up a special place
- scheduling a specific time: daily prayer in the morning and evening; weekly Sabbath to read, rest, pray, and enjoy His presence; monthly prayer days; and my annual Day Pray
- using a journal (I have a prayer journal and a "thankfulness/blessings" journal.)
- making lists (In addition to my "priority list" that I pray for daily, I have a 3 ring binder filled with lists and phtots of people grouped into categories of prayer: extended family, friends, missionaries, etc.).
- remebering who God is (praying to Him by His names and recalling His attributes
- being quiet and unhurried in His presence to wait and listen
- visual reminders (like the rocks from Day 7)
- and PRAYING SCRIPTURE, which we will practice today
Whether the Lord brings scriptures to mind while you are praying,
or the Lord impresses a verse on your heart while you are reading the scripture,
or you look up key words to find a verse using a concordance,
praying the words of God is a wonderful way to align your heart with His.
The easiest way to start is by saying, "Lord, you said in Your word,...." and then quote the verse back to Him. Then paraphrase the verse in your words, applying it to your request. (Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you, helping you choose appropriate scriptures, not twisting them contraying to the intended meaning in their biblical context.)
Here are a couple examples.
Psalm 25:14 "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant."
- Lord you said, Your secret is with those who fear You. I want to know Your secrets. Help me to fear You, I want to know Your covenant."
- Lord, I pray that You will cause ______ to fear You so that he may know Your secret and your covenant.
John 14:26, 16:13 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever;" "But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."
- Father, I know your Spirit has come. I need Him to be my Helper, to guide me into truth as I _____.
- Father, I know that any advice I receive from man is limited apart from their hearing from You. I need unbiased advice. I know the Helper does not speak on His own initative, but only Your wisdom which is perfect. Speak to me, Lord. Show me what should I do about ______?
- Father, I know that Your Spirit will guide me into all truth. I want to be led by Your Spirit as I pray today. Speak to me so that I will pray in agreement with Your will.
- Father, I want to be like Daniel and Zacharias, Simeon and Anna. I want to be included with those that You choose to disclose what was to come. I want to hear what You would say to me through the Holy Spirit. Quiet my heart to listen.
Say or write a prayer of your own with these verses:
- 1 Corinathians 2:9-10
- Matthew 11:25-27
Whether it takes a few days or a couple weeks, persevere in finding scriptures to pray for your most pressing concerns. If there is an issue of sin that you are continually struggling with, this is the most effective way I know to find victory.
EVENING MEDITATION:
You have made it to the end of Day 11, I commend you on your perseverance and faithfulness. As we come closer to the end, I want to remind you that you don't need me. You have the Holy Spirit who will teach you all things. As you listen to these songs, ask the Lord to stir up a passion in you to continue to seek him in prayer and apply what you've learn when these 12 Days are complete. Ask the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His and to thrill your heart with what delights Him.
When the Saints - Sara Groves
O Come All Ye Faithful - Steven Curtis Chapman
