2nd Day Prayer

It’s the time of year when the attention of many is turned to the birth of Yeshua.

And what a moving and joyful thing it is to consider the child born of man and born of God, the mental visual, and the heart touching sentiment, of a quiet, bright, starlit, night sky above shepherds and pastured flock, the proclamation and songs of angels heralding the advent, the arrival, in space and time, of the Savior of the world…

a humble place for the beginning, the tiny boy child, wrapped in swaddling clothes at rest in a crude animal’s feeding trough, the scent and subdued sounds of farm animals and feed in the air He breathed…

most weak and vulnerable but protected, most certainly, by the might of all heaven’s powerful hosts, surrounding-about Him… unseen.

Father, it is an amazing story, account, of a series of circumstances that starts with the visitation of Your messengers to two women and their spouses, carries us through the pregnancies, the births, the spectacular appearance of Your messengers to the humblest of Your created ones, the journey of wise men, the intrigue of a corrupt king desirous to kill the child, and the escape…and the impression it made on all involved then and has continued to do so on all since then…

God with us for a time… God indwelling now… God with us, and we with Him forever, one day.

Who can restrain themselves, Father, from visiting and revisiting the Event, contemplating it, inwardly and outwardly… joyfully on the one hand yet experiencing humility and thanks on the other… on any given day, in any given season… an Event recorded for us in Your Word.

Forgive us Father for allowing ourselves to be distracted from the content of Your Word, what is supposed to be learned about You and Your love for us in this account and adding to… and taking away from the pure, simplicity, and focus on You… and only You.

Forgive us Father, for creating dates in which accuracy is not the goal, in fact are determined to achieve man made goals… and adding traditions that do not enhance our worship of You only but instead serve to split exclusive focus on You and share it with worldly and self centered gratifications… we add man made traditions which deprive You of all glory.

Father, the world reminds us of You but then uses that for its own ends. We are being seduced.

At this time we are being reminded…

In response Father, grant us discernment about the intent, may we have an appetite for truth, the work ethic to search, a willingness to accept it and courage to apply it in our walk with You.

There is nothing in Your Word that speaks against honoring You.

Grant it that that may be our intent always and grant us the wisdom to do so, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, in ways that are in harmony with the plain and pure content of Your Word, with the goal that You alone be glorified.

Help us to wake to each and every day celebrating that You are Lord of each one of  those days and that there is no purpose of man, contrary to Yours, that deposes You as Lord and Master of even one of those days.

May this be our true understanding and belief…

and what we live by.

To You be the glory… exclusively and always, in all seasons.

In Yeshua’s name we pray,

Amen.