8/8/2019 Nativity Prayer Directive

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“Don’t be araid, Mary,” the angel told her, “or you have ound avor withGod! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name himJesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son o the Most High.The Lord God will give him the throne o his ancestor David. And he willreign over Israel orever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power o the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy,and he will be called the Son o God. What’s more, your relative Elizabethhas become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren,but she’s now in her sixth month.

For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:30-37)

GabrielMiracles–God’s Messenger 

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I besure o this? I am an old man and my wieis well along in years.”

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. Istand in the presence o God, and I havebeen sent to speak to you and to tell youthis good news. And now you will besilent and not able to speak until the daythis happens, because you did not believemy words, which will come true at theirappointed time.”…

…Then they made signs to his ather, tond out what he would like to name thechild. He asked or a writing tablet, and toeveryone’s astonishment he wrote, “Hisname is John.” Immediately his mouthwas opened and his tongue set ree, andhe began to speak, praising God. (Luke1:18–19, 62–64)

His ather Zechariah was lled with theHoly Spirit and prophesied:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God o Israel,because he has come to his peopleand redeemed them. He has raised up ahorn o salvation or us in the house o his

servant David (as he said through his holyprophets o long ago), salvation rom ourenemies and rom the hand o all who hateus—to show mercy to our ancestors andto remember his holy covenant, the oathhe swore to our ather Abraham: to rescueus rom the hand o our enemies, andto enable us to serve him without ear inholiness and righteousness beore him allour days. And you, my child, will be calleda prophet o the Most High; or you will goon beore the Lord to prepare the way orhim, to give his people the knowledge o salvation through the orgiveness o theirsins, because o the tender mercy o ourGod, by which the rising sun will come tous rom heaven to shine on those livingin darkness and in the shadow o death,to guide our eet into the path o peace.”(Luke 1:67–79

Zechariah

Spirit-filled Prophesy 

And there were shepherds living out in the eldsnearby, keeping watch over their focks at night. Anangel o the Lord appeared to them, and the glory o the Lord shone around them, and they were terried.But the angel said to them, “Do not be araid. I bringyou good news that will cause great joy or all thepeople. Today in the town o David a Savior has beenborn to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be

a sign to you: You will nd a baby wrapped in clothsand lying in a manger.”…

…When the angels had let them and gone intoheaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s goto Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried o and ound Mary and Joseph, andthe baby, who was lying in the manger. When theyhad seen him, they spread the word concerning whathad been told them about this child, and all whoheard it were amazed at what the shepherds said tothem. (Luke 2:8-12, 15-18)

The ShepherdsSpreading the Good News/Evangelism

Simeon & AnnaPatience & Faithfulness Rewarded At that time there was a man inJerusalem named Simeon. He wasrighteous and devout and was eagerlywaiting or the Messiah to come andrescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was uponhim and had revealed to him that hewould not die until he had seen theLord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit ledhim to the Temple. So when Mary andJoseph came to present the baby Jesus tothe Lord as the law required, Simeon wasthere. He took the child in his arms andpraised God, saying,

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servantdie in peace, as you have promised. Ihave seen your salvation, which you haveprepared or all people. He is a lightto reveal God to the nations, and he is

the glory o your people Israel!” (Luke2:25-32)

…Anna, a prophet, was also there inthe Temple. She was the daughter o Phanuel rom the tribe o Asher, andshe was very old. Her husband diedwhen they had been married only sevenyears. Then she lived as a widow to theage o eighty-our. She never let theTemple but stayed there day and night,worshiping God with asting and prayer.She came along just as Simeon wastalking with Mary and Joseph, and shebegan praising God. She talked about thechild to everyone who had been waitingexpectantly or God to rescue Jerusalem.(Luke 2:36-38)

Prayer: Lord, help us to always have our eyes and ears open toyour divinely appointed messengers in our lives, and give us theaith to believe the impossible.

Prayer: Lord, thankyou or giving therst invitationsto see, worshipand celebrate the

coming o the longawaited Savior to thelowly and humbleshepherds. Helpus to be like theshepherds andspread the Gospelmessage to everyonein our path.

Prayer: Lord, help us to believe the impossible and notquestion you. As you empowered Zechariah, pleaseempower us with your Holy Spirit that we may speakwords o hope and lie this Christmas in accordancewith your Spirit.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you rewardaithulness. Help us to persevere in aith,never giving up, and to condently wait onyour promises like Anna and Simeon did.Lord, help us to be a people just like Anna,who talk about you to everyone.

8/8/2019 Nativity Prayer Directive

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Ater Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,during the time o King Herod, Magi rom theeast came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where isthe one who has been born king o the Jews?

We saw his star when it rose and have come toworship him.”…

…Ater they had heard the king, they went ontheir way, and the star they had seen when itrose went ahead o them until it stopped overthe place where the child was.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.On coming to the house, they saw the childwith his mother Mary, and they bowed downand worshiped him. Then they opened theirtreasures and presented him with gits o gold,rankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11)

Gold – represented Kingship – hearts o sacrice

Frankincense – holy oil (purity, godliness) –represented the presence o God among Hispeople

Myrrh – embalming oil – represented Christ’suture death and sacrice

MaryTrust/Submission/Praise“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “Mayyour word to me be ullled.” (Luke 1:38)

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How myspirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he tooknotice o his lowly servant girl, and rom nowon all generations will call me blessed. Forthe Mighty One is holy, and he has done greatthings or me. He shows mercy rom generationto generation to all who ear him. His mighty

arm has done tremendous things! He hasscattered the proud and haughty ones. He hasbrought down princes rom their thrones andexalted the humble. He has lled the hungrywith good things and sent the rich away withempty hands. He has helped his servantIsrael and remembered to be merciul. For hemade this promise to our ancestors, to Abrahamand his children orever.” (Luke 1:46-55)

The Wise Men& The Star Guidance & Worship/Giving your Best 

…an angel o the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph,son o David,” the angel said, “do not be araid to take Maryas your wie. For the child within her was conceived by theHoly Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to namehim Jesus, or he will save his people rom their sins.”…

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel o the Lordcommanded and took Mary as his wie. (Matthew 1:20,24)

When they had gone, an angel o the Lord appeared toJoseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and hismother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, orHerod is going to search or the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during thenight and let or Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-14)

Ater Herod died, an angel o the Lord appeared in a dreamto Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child andhis mother and go to the land o Israel, or those who weretrying to take the child’s lie are dead.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to theland o Israel. (Matthew 2:19-21)

JosephListening/Obedience

JesusThe Promised MessiahThe people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land o deepdarkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. Andhe will be called Wonderul Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince o Peace. O thegreatness o his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throneand over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness rom thattime on and orever. The zeal o the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus said: “For the Son o Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Prayer: Lord, help us to seek you diligentlyas the wise men did, knowing that you will

always lead and guide us in the direction o your will. Help us to live pure and godly lives.Oh God, enable us to worship you ully, givingyou our very best.

Prayer: Lord, pleasemake us people wholisten attentively and

obey decisively justlike Joseph.

Prayer: Lord, help us to trust you andsubmit to your plans or us just asMary did. And may we magniy yourHoly Name or who you are and whatyou have done or us!

Prayer: King Jesus, may we always worship and adore you or who you are and orwhat you have done or us. Thank you or coming down to earth at Christmas tobe our Immanuel– God with us! Make us a people who spread your Christmasmessage to the lost and hurting in our lives.

This season of adwe invite you to encounter the o Christmas just as they were in the Scriptures long ago. Eacconveys a particular aspect o thlie that God is calling us to refown lives.

Let’s pray together that God wous to become more like these ca group o ordinary people who

believe God and act upon His pTheir legacy o simple aith hashuman history orever.

AJ PicardPastor of Prayer 

Instructions: ❖ Try ocusing on one character a

❖ Read the scripture passage, andthe unique attribute o the Chriis revealed by this character

❖ Read the response prayer and bit out as a way o engaging yourwith God

❖ Continue to dialogue with God he is inviting you to embrace thin your own lie, as the Spirit is

NATIVITPraying to Be Like

Characters o Chris