With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
If you have an advent wreath, light three candles for hope, peace, and joy, and pray:
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. The light no darkness can overcome.
Jesus, thank you for coming to dwell with me. Brighten the dark places in my life. Show me where you are working and teach me to respond with joy. Amen.
Word: Matthew 2:9-10
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Meditation
I remember talking with a friend in Germany. We were discussing how secular Europeans viewed Jesus. He said, “Jesus is like Santa. He’s a myth you tell your kids to teach them good morals.” Do we treat our Lord like Santa? A mythological figure? Is he just a kind thought, a nice sentiment, a moral example?
In Scripture, it is often the educated and enlightened people who do not understand. They knowledgeable about much, but wise about little.
The wise men might be misunderstood as superstitious. After all, they risked their lives on a journey chasing a star. How foolish. Yet what they discovered at the end of their journey was more than mere myth. C.S. Lewis calls it, “The myth that is true.” So the travelers from the East were “overjoyed.”
Do not miss the scandal of the story. God has come in human flesh. Jesus is not primarily a moral example. He is God’s Remedy for a rebel humanity. He has come both for those with no morals and those who overestimate their morality. He is not a self-help guru. Is is Savior and Son of God. With the Wise Men, we find him to be a King like any other. And we are overjoyed.
Prayer for the Church
– For my local congregation, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
– For Christians across my community and city.
– For my denomination or church body.
– For repentance where God’s people have failed or erred.
– For the mission of God given to his people, that all nations know Him.
– For the church where she is persecuted for Christ’s name.
– For church plants and mission frontiers.
– For workers in the harvest: pastors, teachers, evangelists, servants.
– For the everyday, ordinary Christian to serve and witness as the priesthood of all believers.
– For the small, overlooked, and undervalued parts of the body of Christ.
Closing Prayer
O God of comfort and joy, we seek you and you alone. Fill us with hope, peace, joy, and love in Jesus’ name. Amen.