Reflect: What does it mean to be a righteous person? How does righteousness help our prayers?

Request (Prayer): Ask God to make you a righteous person?

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Does that mean that the prayer of an unrighteous person doesn’t have power? Yes. How so? In order to understand this whole idea about a righteous persons prayer being powerful, we first need to understand what the word “righteous” means.

The word, righteous, means, “just and right; free from guilt and sin”. So the righteous person is one who is free of sin and guilt. What person is righteous? It’s the person whose hope and trust is in Jesus. It is the person who has confessed with their mouth and believed in their heart that Jesus is Lord. That’s the righteous person.

Many people think that we are righteous by our good works, but that’s not even close to being true. We are only righteous because of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. How so? It was His blood that was shed on the cross to forgive us of our sin. It was the perfect body of Christ that was nailed to the tree. And we are only righteous because of Him.

So if a righteous persons prayer is powerful, it is the prayer that is made by a Christian because he isn’t praying on his own power, he is praying upon the power of Christ. Martin Luther said, “prayer moves the arm that moves the world.” When we pray, we don’t pray for our own will to be done or based upon our own power, we pray for God’s will to be done and we pray for the power of God to hear it and answer it.

Have you prayed about something and wondered why it wasn’t being answered? Was it because you were praying in our power? Did you think that you were capable of answering it? Did you not believe in Jesus at that time? Whatever the case may be, we need to understand that prayer does not get answered if it is not solely based upon Jesus. The only way prayer can be answered is by praying in the name of Jesus and relying upon His power. That’s the only way your prayers will be heard and effective.

Reflect: What should our prayers be centered around?

Request (Prayer): Ask for God to be glorified in your life and in everything you pray for.

John 14:13 says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

The whole idea behind prayer is not so we can get what we want, but to align our will and desires with God’s. What does that mean?

When we ask for things in life, a bike, new clothes, an upgraded cell phone, etc., we are desiring things that appeal to us. We are using the opportunity we have to tell our parents what we want and why we want, and usually we want what is desiring to our eyes. we don’t ask for more wisdom, more knowledge, a lot of times we just desire the things of this world.

Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in MY name, that will I do.” Jesus was explaining that He does not want us asking things in our own name (what we want), rather ask for the things that matter in life, more patience, kindness, and self-control. What do you desire in life? We don’t ask and pray to God so that we can be glorified, so that others can see us and give us glory or praise us, God wants the glory!

Is that newest gadget going to glorify God or yourself? Are those new shoes going to be used to make yourself popular or to make God popular? We need to really see the important things in life and how we can use things to glorify God through them.

If you can honestly say that the things you desire in life will glorify God than there should be no reason for you to feel ashamed of asking for that thing. But if your intention and desire is to use it to make yourself more popular than God, chances are, God will not give it to you because it is more for yourself than it is for God.

Desire the things of God and not of the world, for everything in the world is dying away, along with it’s desires, so seek God and His Kingdom and He will reward you. For further study read 1 John 2:15-17.

Reflect: Do you have a desire to talk to God? What do you talk to Him about? What keeps you from talking to Him?

Request (Prayer): Ask the Lord to give you a passion for prayer.

Do you desire God? Do you look forward to spending time with God?

David was in the wilderness when he penned the words, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” I can only imagine how he could have felt, being in the wilderness, with no food or water, yet it allowed him to spend quality time with God and he was able to see his need for God.

I’m sure David was hungry and thirsty physically, and it was a fresh reminder to him how a person can become hungry and thirsty if they do not stay connected to God. Is this true of you?

The way we stay in touch with God is by communicating with Him. If we stop talking to God, and God stops talking to us, we won’t be up to date with God and all that we can know about Him.

Through the reading and studying of God’s Word, the Bible, God speaks to us. In prayer, we communicate to God. The big question is, “When was the last time you talked to God?” Have you been in a spiritual drought? Have you lost your communication with God? How do we get that back on track?

David realized in Psalm 63:3, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” David understood that even if he were to die, he knew God’s love to be of more value than the very breath he had in his lungs. David had a close relationship with God because he was a person who prayed and knew God in a relationship.

Do you see God’s love for you greater than the very life you have? Today is a time where you can refocus your attention onto the things that matter, more so onto the person who matters the most, God. Will you do that today?

Cry out to God, repent of your sins and turn to Jesus! Spend time with Him in the Bible and spend time talking to Him through prayer! You won’t regret it!

Reflect: Shepherds were considered very lowly in Bible times. Why did the angels appear to the shepherds?

Request (Prayer): Give thanks to God for sending Jesus for any who need Him!

The birth of Jesus Christ is a big event not only on the Christian calendar, but in the entire event of history. The virgin birth is crucial to Christianity, and here we see that this baby, Jesus, King of the Jews, was not revealed to kings, princes or world-rulers, but rather the great news of Him being born was revealed to lowly shepherds.

Shepherds, in the time of Christ, were not considered men worthy of an opinion. No one cared about them, no one thought of them as even people worthy to be a citizen in the city, yet of all people that God could have revealed this great news to, He revealed it to shepherds.

A shepherd then is like a trash man today. No one wants that job, no one really thinks highly of them, they are just some other person at the bottom of the totem pole.

What is the reason for Jesus to be revealed to shepherds of all people? This was an act of humility. Sure God, the Creator of the world could have revealed Himself to kings all around the earth but He didn’t. This is a great picture of how we too should be humble.

So often we seek the approval from our friends and family, but that shouldn’t matter to us. We desire to be known to everyone around us, we desire the attention yet God is showing us that life isn’t all about getting attention and being the coolest person. In fact He tells us the opposite.

Who wouldn’t want to be known by kings and rulers of other countries that you were being born? You would want everyone to know, yet Jesus was only known to a few shepherds.

If there be anything that we learn from this, it is that we need to be humble like Christ. James 4:6 says, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud , but gives grace to the humble.’” Do you want to receive grace from God? Do you want to seek favor from the Lord? Then humble yourself, and follow God. He will give you the grace you need when you realize your need for Him.

Reflect: Mary decided that she was going to be obedient to the Lord no matter the cost (verse 38). Are you able to submit yourself to God like Mary did? What’s holding you back?

Request (Prayer): Ask God to show you anything that is holding you back from submitting to Him completely.

When Mary was given the news about her being pregnant while still being a virgin, she wasn’t given the news by email, text or phone call, it cam from an angel of the Lord. The angel, Gabriel, came before Mary and told her everything about the baby that she was going to conceive of.

I don’t know about you, but if an angel came to me and gave me news that was completely impossible of actually happening, I’d freak out! Mary is going to be pregnant but remain a virgin?! How is that possible?

With God, all things are possible. What was Mary’s response? Did she flee for her life? Did she try to wake up from a dream? No. What did she do? She told the angel in verse 38 of Luke 1, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

She didn’t argue, she didn’t complain, she knew that she was a servant of God and whatever God wanted for her, was the best.

Did you know that God also wants the best for you and I? Yet, why is it so hard for us to listen to God and to be obedient to what He tells us? God had the best intentions for Mary, and Mary didn’t rely on herself, she listened, trusted and obeyed God. When God tells you something, do you listen or do you just brush it off like nothing ever happen?

What is keeping you from trusting in the Lord? What is holding you back from obeying the Lord? After Mary was told about all the things that were to take place, what did she do? She praised God! Mary had found favor in God, and you also have found favor in the eyes of God! He wants to use you, He wants to bless you, but you must first put your hope and trust in Him ALONE, and He will be with you always!

Reflect: When the wise men came they brought gifts. This is why we give gifts during Christmas. What gifts can you give to Jesus during this time of year and all year long?

Request (Prayer): Ask God to show you what gifts you can give Him and His people (other Christians).

When the wise men came to the birthplace of Christ, they brought Him 3 gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. There is great significance in these 3 gifts, and the symbolism that each holds really explains the entire being of Christ.

The wise men may have not known the exact reasoning of each gift, but the gifts mean much more than just the gifts the magi brought to Him.

Gold- the gift of gold that was brought to Jesus is a symbol of His Kingship. Jesus is King. He is the King of Kings, the King of the Jews and the Forever Ruling King. He was born a King and still remains King this very day! The gold that Jesus received was to show that He is deserving to receive such a great gift as that!

Frankincense- this was a strong fragrance taken from a tree that was burned during worship services. this gift was a symbol that Christ alone was to be praised and exalted in worship. No other thing should be worshipped, and this gift is to show, that as an offering was received during the time of worship, Christ Himself was going to offer His own life as a sacrifice for our sins.

Myrrh- this was a spice that was used in the embalmment process of preserving a dead body. Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby, Jesus, would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would a pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

These gifts weren’t coincidentally given to the Lord. Although the wise men may have not understood the meaning, we understand it now and we can see clearly why those specific gifts were given to the Lord.

What gifts have you given to the Lord? The greatest gift, and really the only gift we can give to the Lord is our life. Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Have you given your life over to Christ? If not, do so today!

Reflect: The Gospel of Matthew focuses on the Kingship of Jesus. How does this genealogy prove Jesus’ kingship?

Request (Prayer): Give thanks to God for sending the true King: Jesus.

If you look at the headline of your Bible, there are different sections that have been broken into different groups that gives us a better understanding of what we will be reading. From Matthew 1:1-17, the headline reads, “The Genealogy of Jesus Christ.”

And that is exactly what it is, the generations from the beginning of time, all the way up to the birth of Jesus.There was a day last week that we also covered the genealogies of Christ, and we looked at the importance of these genealogies being in Scripture, and now there is a new perspective to the genealogies that will be mentioned in today’s devotion.

When reading genealogies, there is a way for us to read them as looking at the family tree of kings, and how this genealogy leads us to the greatest King ever, Jesus.

As King, Jesus rules and reigns from others in the past who were also kings. But what’s the difference between all of the kings before Christ? Their time on the throne came to an end. Christ’s rule and reign as King never ends! These genealogies are a path to prepare the reader to see the greatest King who ever lived, Jesus.

There is a lot of significance in reading these genealogies, and specifically, the one of Christ. This list of names shows the family in which Christ came from, being that Mary is His mother, and Joseph being His earthly father. The family He came from was full of sinners, people who did great things for God and people who didn’t do anything at all, yet those people are mentioned in Scripture, and those people were of the earthly family of Christ.

In the midst of all the sinners, in the midst of the kings in which Jesus took the throne from, Jesus still rules and reigns above them all as the greatest King ever. This comes to show that Christ will always be King, and will always be the greatest ruler that ever lived!

Reflect: Why do you think it is important to know the genealogy of Jesus?

Request (Prayer): Thank God for the detailed history He gives throughout the Bible.

Throughout Scripture there are a lot of references to families and genealogies. Genealogies are a lot like a family tree and where the family first started. Have you ever wondered why there are these long lists of names mentioned in the Bible? What is so important about them. Well, let me tell you as best as I can.

What is the point of having all these long and weird names in the Bible? It’s to show where it all began, but also to show how God has redeemed them. For these names to be in Scripture means that these names are part of the history of Jesus. It all lines up and leads to the name, Jesus. And why is it important to know these? So that way we can see the lineage of Christ.

The names in the family of God are those who have been redeemed. They have been chosen by God to accepted into Scripture, and another great reason to know about them is so that we can learn from their lives and how they either disobeyed God or obeyed Him, and we can leaner from their failures and their accomplishments.

We can even see how the Lord was faithful throughout all of those generations, and how it has now led up to the birth of Christ.

Reflect: Throughout history we see God bless those who keep His commandments. What are some things that you think God might bless you with if you keep His Word?

Request (Prayer): Ask God to give you strength to keep His Word.

There are a lot of schemes that people use to entice others about “get-rich-quick” methods. Anywhere from testing products that aren’t out to the public, telemarketing agencies and the list goes on. These are all ways and ideas to get people to find satisfaction in their life and to feel accomplished.

The funny thing is that the Bible tells us to do the exact opposite of what others tell us to do. People try to promise prosperity and blessings with ways of doing work for others, the Bible tells us, as Deuteronomy 29:9 says to, “Keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.”

Do you want to prosper? Do you want to be successful in life? Then keep the commandments of the Lord, and He will bless beyond anything you could ever hope or dream of.

People try to promise happiness and satisfaction, but it always seems to fail. God’s promises are always true and will always be kept. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” And it’s true! He promised to watch over Abraham and all his generations, and God promises to watch over us as well. How cool is that? To know that God is always with us and always will be.

When that “get-rich-quick” scheme seems to fail you, when the money seemed to be promised, when the people said they’d help you out fail, God will NOT! God never fails! He never looses hope in you, He never gives up, He tells you to persevere and He helps you through it all.

Trust in God and His promises, and He will reward you for your faithfulness to Him!

Reflect: Looks like there is going to be a lot of worshiping going on in heaven. What song are you looking forward to singing?

Request: If you not sure what song you would like to sing, ask God to put a song of praise in your heart. If you know what song you would like to sing thank God for giving you the opportunity to sing it to Him.

My daughter the other day was singing really loud, “Jesus loves me!” My wife and I have sung it to her and she also was taught it in Sunday school. I could not help but be excited to know that my daughter was proclaiming who Jesus is with her tiny but loud voice.

In the passage in Revelation we read about 1 of the songs that is being sung to Jesus. Part of the song says, “For you alone are holy.” He is the only one worthy of such a song. The only one who we should sing about.  In Psalm 98:1 it says, “Sing to the Lord a new song for he has done great things.” We see that Jesus is the one who the songs are sung to and the one who the songs are about. They are giving praise to Him as he is God.  In heaven they are singing out of response to who Jesus is and what He has done. On earth we get to do the same thing. He has done great things!

I am not that good of a singer but to know that with my voice I can proclaim my devotion to God excites me. In Revelation we see singing, in the book of Psalms we see singing, we know that we should be singing and we will be singing to Jesus. I encourage you now to start singing to Jesus. Get in the practice!